Agony at the end: Wolves denied first win as late Brighton header cancels Verbruggen own goal

Molineux felt the release coming. Wolves led for over an hour after Bart Verbruggen’s own goal—forced by a ferocious Marshall Munetsi strike—yet Jan Paul van Hecke’s late header made it 1-1 and kept the first league victory of the season agonisingly out of reach. The narrative was shaped by Vítor Pereira’s red card and a raft of missed chances that would have buried the contest.

Jhon Arias blazed over from six yards and Jørgen Strand Larsen thumped the post before Brighton’s pressure told from a short-corner routine. Winless Wolves remain bottom, their momentum checked by a late leveller for the second successive weekend after Tottenham.

Pereira’s flashpoint, then a spark

Jarred Gillett’s dismissal of Pereira—shown a red card after booting a spare ball in frustration at a decision—threatened to derail the afternoon, but the players’ response was immediate. Assistant Luís Miguel offered a public apology on the head coach’s behalf, framing it as a fleeting moment of frustration rather than malice.

Within a minute, Wolves seized the lead. Danny Welbeck’s long free-kick was only half-cleared and Munetsi unleashed a thumping effort from inside the box. Verbruggen did superbly to tip it onto the bar, only to see the rebound ricochet off him and over the line. It counted as his own goal, but it owed everything to Wolves’ aggression.

Strand Larsen’s platform and the change that stung

Strand Larsen embodied Wolves’ best route up the pitch. He led a devastating break that should have doubled the lead, Hugo Bueno’s low cross finding Arias who lifted over from point-blank range. Sam Johnstone’s superb stop from Georginio Rutter preserved the advantage, and when Strand Larsen surged clear to strike the post, Molineux sensed the release.

Then came the decision that jarred with the crowd. Fourteen minutes from time, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde replaced Strand Larsen and Arias was asked to lead the line. From there, Wolves sank deeper into a low block and were less able to relieve pressure. The Norwegian’s frustration at full-time was plain; Luís Miguel later stressed he is not yet 100% after an achilles issue and the call was made by the technical staff.

Another late sting, a familiar ache

Brighton, who had won their previous four visits here, pressed relentlessly after the break. Wolves felt the ball had gone out in the build-up, but from a short corner Yankuba Minteh worked it to Maxim De Cuyper, whose cross was flicked on by Stefanos Tzimas for Van Hecke to thud home late on.

It echoed last weekend’s pain in north London: a late concession, two points evaporated. The pattern is damaging—a shortage of attacking presence to put games to bed, coupled with the inability to keep a clean sheet. The numbers told the story: just nine touches in Brighton’s box and 35 successful passes in the final third, set against the visitors’ 26 and 104 respectively.

Green shoots, but urgency everywhere

There were still reasons to believe. Wolves showed heart, determination and improved cohesion for large spells and can point to a small unbeaten run that includes the Carabao Cup. Yet the league table is unforgiving: bottom, winless, and again undone by a late blow when the finish line loomed.

The next stretch looms large. With trips to Sunderland and a home date with Burnley on the horizon, the need to convert resolve into victories is acute. Pereira only recently signed a three-year deal and, as last season’s painful start and late revival underlined, the margins are thin; the performances must now be matched by results.