Boos and self-inflicted wounds as Wolves’ bright start crumbles in 3-1 loss to Leeds

For eight minutes, Molineux breathed easier. Ladislav Krejci’s crisp finish crowned a slick three-pass move and gave Wolves the platform they craved. Within a quarter-hour before half-time, however, familiar frailties resurfaced as Leeds struck three times to hand Vitor Pereira’s side a fifth straight league defeat.

The second half brought effort and changes but no revival. Karl Darlow’s saves from Marshall Munetsi and Mosquera denied any flicker of a comeback, while the stands turned toxic as boos and chants against ownership punctuated another dispiriting afternoon. Wolves remain without a point and at the foot of the table.

An incisive opener that should have steadied nerves

There was real quality about the breakthrough. Jackson Tchatchoua punched a pass into Tolu Arokodare, whose cushioned lay-off invited Fer Lopez to thread a first-time ball into space. Krejci, on his first Molineux outing, arrived to lift his finish over Karl Darlow, a move stitched together by three of the club’s summer arrivals.

But the lead evaporated. Dominic Calvert-Lewin climbed above Mosquera to loop Jayden Bogle’s deflected cross over Jose Sa for Leeds’ equaliser and his first Premier League goal since January. Then Krejci, the early hero, bundled into Calvert-Lewin 20 yards out; from the free-kick, Anton Stach bent a ruthless effort into the top corner, using the Wolves wall, with Jean Ricner-Bellegarde at its end, as little more than decoration.

Self-inflicted mistakes haunt Pereira’s plan

The third goal was avoidable and damaging. Emmanuel Agbadou’s loose pass out from defence was seized upon by Stach, who slipped in Noah Okafor to drill a low finish into the far corner under Sa. It was not the first time an error had led to a concession this season, and Pereira later said dropping Agbadou would kill the defender’s confidence.

Afterwards the head coach was candid. “We were not aggressive on the pressure. We conceded spaces that we cannot playing at home. We committed some mistakes that we cannot,” he said, adding that the only way out is work and togetherness. His side had enjoyed a full training week with the group and he had hoped for a clean slate; instead, the same issues resurfaced.

Searching for a reaction

Pereira played his hand at the break, introducing Jorgen Strand Larsen, Munetsi and Hugo Bueno. Strand Larsen, newly tied to a long-term deal and returning from an achilles issue, joined Arokodare to give Wolves height and presence, while Bueno injected energy down the left. Later, Jhon Arias and Andre also entered as the coach shuffled his options.

There were moments. Munetsi’s looping header was superbly clawed over by Darlow, who also denied Mosquera from close range. João Gomes saw a promising effort blocked and Arokodare sent a hopeful flick goalwards. Yet Leeds retreated into a low block and absorbed the pressure, and Wolves never found the incision to turn possession into goals.

Fans’ fury and the road ahead

The atmosphere grew febrile as Wolves were jeered off at half-time and at the final whistle. Chants aimed at owners Fosun Group and chair Jeff Shi — “You sold the team, now sell the club” — reflected a fanbase exasperated by another summer of departures and a start that has yielded none of the hoped-for progress, despite new contracts for Pereira and Strand Larsen being announced this week.

Five defeats in five make Wolves only the sixth side to begin a Premier League season this way, a record that leaves no margin for repeated errors. “We need to really make sure our mentality is changing now, otherwise it will be a long season,” Strand Larsen said. The immediate tests are Everton in the Carabao Cup and Tottenham away in the league — fixtures that must become platforms for resilience rather than fresh pressure.