Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Leicester City: Daniel Podence nets winner for Wolves

Daniel Podence has scored five goals in 22 appearances for Wolves in all competitions this season

Wolves maintained their push for a European place as excellent goals from Ruben Neves and Daniel Podence proved enough to beat Leicester in a thrilling Midlands derby at Molineux.

Neves put the hosts ahead after nine minutes as he applied a precise finish to Raul Jimenez's lay-off from the edge of the area, to take it past an unsighted Kasper Schmeichel.

Then, after Ademola Lookman slid in ahead of Leander Dendoncker to turn home Marc Albrighton's low cross from close range for the Foxes four minutes before the break, Podence struck Wolves' second to seal the points.

In front of Gareth Southgate's assistant Steve Holland, England hopeful Max Kilman carried the ball out of defence before setting Rayan Ait-Nouri away with a superb cross-field pass. Ait-Nouri fed Dendoncker, who in turn moved the ball to Podence, who took one touch before driving his shot into the bottom corner.

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It was Wolves' fifth win in six Premier League games in 2022 and puts them seventh - six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United - with two games in hand.

For Leicester, it was another disappointing day during a period where they have collected just two points from five games and been knocked out of the FA Cup by local rivals Nottingham Forest.

No rain pain for Wolves

It was testament to the work of Wolves head groundsman Wayne Lumbard that the pitch allowed for such a good game given the soaking it suffered in the hours before kick-off.

Supporters in the uncovered Graham Hughes Stand were given plastic raincoats on a horrible, grey day as the game started in teeming rain.

Ticket holders in the top corner of the Stan Cullis Stand had to be relocated for safety reasons due to the high winds that accompanied the rain.

The inhospitable conditions didn't seem to bother the home players too much, even though all but three come from either southern Europe, north Africa or South and Central America. Goal-wise, this was one of the more entertaining encounters this season at Molineux, which has seen only one top-flight game yield more than today's three-goal tally.

Wolves carried all the early threat and had Neves' clinical opener to show for it.

Rayan Ait-Nouri should have done better when Daniel Podence's brilliant piece of trickery on the side of the area offered enough space to roll a pass into the wing-back's path, which he fired wide.

Nevertheless, thanks to Podence, Wolves were able to extend a bizarre top-flight record this season of winning 12 of the 13 games in which they have scored, drawing the other one.

And, beyond the victory, there was good news in the return of Pedro Neto, who has been out for 10 months with a major knee injury.

Neto couldn't mark the occasion with a goal as he chipped over with the last kick as Wolves broke from a Leicester corner Kasper Schmeichel had gone forward for - but he will be delighted to be back nonetheless.

Another loss for Leicester

Leicester are now on their worst top-flight run since their six-game streak without a win under Claude Puel early in 2019.

And, while Brendan Rodgers' injury-hit side can still salvage their season through the Europa Conference League, they need to start winning soon to avoid getting dragged closer to the relegation zone than they would like.

James Maddison was not far away with a late free-kick and Youri Tielemans' injury-time strike was heading in until Jose Sa flung himself to the right to turn it round the post.

But too many of Leicester's players are either missing - or are shadows of those who spent two seasons battling to get into the Champions League - leaving Rodgers to again answer the same questions about disappointing results.

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