Leeds come back to beat beleaguered Wolves

Three first-half goals helped Leeds claim their first Premier League away win of the season at the expense of Wolves, who remain rooted to the foot of the table without a point this term.

The visitors had failed to find the net in the top flight since Lukas Nmecha's late penalty against Everton on 18 August but they responded magnificently to Ladislav Krejci's well-taken opener to claim all three points at Molineux.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin brilliantly headed Jayden Bogle's deflected cross past Jose Sa to restore parity before Anton Stach's sweetly struck free-kick completed the turnaround eight minutes later.

Things got even better for the visitors on the stroke of half-time when Noah Okafor collected Stach's pass in his stride and guided a low, left-footed shot into the far corner.

Jorgen Strand Larsen – who signed a new five-year deal with Wolves this week – was introduced alongside Marshall Munetsi and Hugo Bueno at half-time as manager Vitor Pereira attempted to coax a response from his players, but the changes had little effect.

Munetsi's looping header, which was superbly tipped over the bar by Karl Darlow, was the closest the home side came to reducing the deficit in the second period.

Wolves become only the sixth team to lose their first five games of a Premier League season while Leeds move into the top half.

Leeds analysis: Farke's team rediscover scoring touch

After going three consecutive Premier League games without finding the net, fans and pundits alike had been questioning where Leeds' goals were going to come from this season.

The visitors went into the game having yet to score from open play in the top flight but they delivered an emphatic response to their doubters with three fantastic first-half strikes.

For all the questions over his fitness record, Calvert-Lewin's wonderful first-half header suggests he has lost none of the aerial threat that earned him a reputation as one of the league's most dangerous strikers around the turn of the decade.

If Leeds' first goal was good, their second was even better as Stach combined precision and power to curl a wonderful free-kick into the top corner after Calvert-Lewin had been fouled by Krejci.

Okafor's calm finish late in the half meant Leeds had scored three first-half goals in a Premier League away game for the first time since December 2020, when they beat West Brom 5-0 at the Hawthorns.

Farke's side adopted a more measured approach in the second half, restricting Wolves to few clear-cut opportunities while continuing to pose a threat on the counter-attack.

Their two-goal cushion rarely looked under serious threat, however, and they comfortably held on to win their first top-flight away game since beating Wolves 4-2 at Molineux in March 2023.

Wolves analysis: Hosts undone by familiar failings

Having had a full week of training with his whole squad for the first time this season, Wolves boss Pereira – who signed a new three-year contract earlier this week – will have been hopeful of getting off the mark against a Leeds side with problems of their own.

When three summer signings combined to give the hosts an eighth-minute lead, it seemed as if Wolves' efforts on the training pitch were beginning to bear fruit.

Fer Lopez's first-time pass from Tolu Arokodare's lay-off was perfectly weighted for Krejci, whose lofted finish was just as easy on the eye.

The Girona loanee's goal proved to be nothing more than a false dawn, however, as familiar failings reared their head before the break.

Calvert-Lewin comfortably beat Yerson Mosquera in the air to head Leeds level, while Krejci's foul that led to the visitors' second was naive in the extreme.

Leeds' third goal was a dreadful one from a Wolves perspective, as Emmanuel Agbadou's poor pass allowed Stach to send Okafor racing clear and finish with aplomb.

Hugo Bueno was lively after coming on at half-time and Darlow did well to save Munetsi's goal-bound header but there was little improvement from the home side in the second period.

The final whistle was met by loud boos from the Wolves fans, leaving Pereira with plenty to ponder ahead of next weekend's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

What's next for these teams?

Wolves: Pereira's team welcome Everton to Molineux in the Carabao Cup third round before travelling to Tottenham in the Premier League next Saturday.

Leeds: The west Yorkshire side, who were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Sheffield Wednesday, host Bournemouth in their next league game Saturday.