Wolves 3-1 Southampton: Adama Traore's first goal of season seals win
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Adama Traore sealed victory with his first goal in 22 appearances for Wolves this season
Wolves captain Conor Coady has said Adama Traore is a unique player in world football after the Spaniard scored his first goal of the season to earn Wolves' third win in four Premier League games.
James Ward-Prowse's stunning free-kick had set up a late Southampton challenge at Molineux, before Traore ended his 22-game drought to make sure of the points with a calm finish in added time.
"I'm over the moon for him," Coady, who scored his side's second goal, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I was more happy for him than I was for me. He is one of the hardest working people I have ever met. He worked so hard for it and I hope he can build on it.
"He plays like he does every single week, I don't think there is any footballer like him in the world.
"His power, aggression, the way he runs, and how quick he is, it is a pleasure to have him here. We hope he stays with us as long as possible because when he is like today he is unplayable."
The home side took the lead when Raul Jimenez scored his first goal since November from Wolves' first penalty of the season, after Rayan Ait-Nouri was brought down by Jan Bednarek.
Coady headed in from close range for his second goal of the season after Fraser Forster's positional error.
Victory for Wolves has moved them back into eighth in the table, while Saints are seven points behind in 12th place.
Resilient Wolves get the job done
Wolves 3-1 Southampton: Wolves performance 'makes me proud' - Lage
Life under Bruno Lage began slowly for Wolves, who lost their opening three games of the season without scoring a goal.
Since then, the Portuguese has built a side with a solid defence, which included an impressive debut for Toti Gomes.
The 22-year-old centre-back returned from a loan spell at Swiss side Grasshopper to make his first appearance since joining the club in summer 2020.
Only league leaders Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Wolves this season, and Southampton failed to make a breakthrough despite exerting early pressure.
The visitors were denied by an inspired Jose Sa, who made two terrific saves in the first half to keep out a Romain Perraud strike and a Mohammed Salisu header from close range.
At the other end, Wolves did not look clinical but were handed the chance to take the lead when Bednarek was deemed to have brought down Ait-Nouri by the video assistant referee (VAR).
Jimenez rolled in the subsequent spot kick before Coady was the beneficiary when Max Kilman's header came back off the post for the centre-back to head in from close range.
Wolves 3-1 Southampton: Saints deserved to get more - Ralf Hasenhuttl
While Sa was impressive in the Wolves goal, he was denied a ninth clean sheet of the season when Ward-Prowse scored a thumping trademark strike - his fourth goal in five games.
Rejuvenated, Saints pushed on for a late equaliser and Perraud headed against the post, before Wolves reclaimed possession and hit on the counter through second-half substitute Traore.
The Spaniard, who been the subject of speculation linking him with a January move to Tottenham, had missed a chance minutes earlier but made no mistake when he latched onto a through ball before running clear and finding the far corner.
On another day, Saints could have had a healthy lead, but Nathan Tella's skied effort from inside the six yard box highlighted their lack of cutting edge in attack.
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