Wolves 2-3 Coventry: What O'Neil saidpublished at 15:24 16 March
15:24 16 March
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil has been speaking to BBC's Match of the Day following the late FA Cup quarter-final defeat: "There's loads of reasons why we lost. I thought where we've ended up today as a football club. We know how small the squad is and how many players we have missing, so that plays a big part and I'm not interested in making excuses.
"We have to take our chances. Going 1-0 down, I made some tactical changes, Hugo [Bueno] coming on and Rayan [Ait-Nouri] going up the pitch, that works, but then we can't get back to a decent structure on the pitch.
"The thing that helped us get back in it, ended up costing us as well. So [it was] just an accumulation of things really. Credit to the players and the fans - the players gave everything.
"Coventry met us on a day where we weren't at full strength and they were able to capitalise on it. They deserved to win the game."
On whether he views it as a missed opportunity to play at Wembley: "Losing in a quarter-final is obviously a missed opportunity. We produced as good as we could produce. That was it. The lads gave everything.
"I knew it would be as tough as it was. We have one fit senior attacker at the club, which is Pablo Sarabia. We used Rayan and we used Mario [Lemina] higher, but then we lose them lower."
On Coventry's first goal: "It's not inconclusive. The ball hits his hand then goes in. My bench were pretty clear on that, fairly early. It has maybe hit his hand and gone in the goal but VAR have decided they can't see it clearly enough. It's not the reason we lost the game. I'm disappointed, but more disappointed with the fact that we didn't raise it enough to get through."
Wolves 2-3 Coventry: Key statspublished at 14:38 16 March
14:38 16 March
Here are the key facts and figures following the FA Cup quarter-final between Wolves and Coventry City.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have been eliminated from the FA Cup by a team from a lower division for the first time since being knocked out by non-league side Luton Town in Round Three in the 2012-13 season. It's the first time Wolves have gone out to such an opponent at this stage of the competition or later.
Coventry City have reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the second time, after also doing so in the 1986-87 season when the Sky Blues went on to lift the trophy for the only time in their history.
Coventry City have progressed to play at Wembley Stadium for the fourth time since the 2016-17 season, the joint-most times of any non-Premier League club in that period (level with Sunderland and Tranmere Rovers).
Rayan Ait-Nouri has scored in back-to-back appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers across all competitions, following a run of 40 games without a goal. The defender has also scored and assisted for the first time in a Wolves shirt.
Across all players in the top four tiers of English football, no player has scored more goals than Coventry’s Ellis Simms (10) across all competitions since the start of February (level with Erling Haaland).
Full-time: Wolves 2-3 Coventrypublished at 14:28 16 March
14:28 16 March
Coventry City scored a 100th-minute winner to stun Wolverhampton Wanderers in an FA Cup classic and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1987.
The Championship side led through Ellis Simms' strike until the 83rd minute before falling 2-1 behind after Wolves' own dramatic comeback.
But Simms scored again to equalise in the seventh of nine minutes of stoppage time and Haji Wright curled in three minute later to spark wild celebrations.
Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?
Sutton's predictions: Wolves v Coventrypublished at 11:10 16 March
11:10 16 March
BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has given his verdict on all four FA Cup quarter-finals.
For this weekend's games, he takes on Anna Friedberg and Emily Linden from alt-rock band Friedberg.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
What an opportunity this is for both clubs, with Wembley waiting for the winners.
My old Norwich team-mate Mark Robins has done a brilliant job at Coventry, who he has taken from League Two to within touching distance of the Premier League - they were a penalty shootout away from promotion to the top flight last season, and are only a point off the play-offs this time.
You have got to fancy Wolves here, though, and not just because they are at home. They should dominate possession and I'd expect their greater quality to tell in the end.
With the international break next week, there is no reason for Wolves to rest any of their players, and they are not going to get relegated now anyway, so why not go for it?
I doubt many Wolves fans expected a season like this when former manager Julen Lopetegui left three days before their campaign started, and Gary O'Neil came in to take charge.
Now they are ninth in the Premier League and have a chance to reach the FA Cup semi-finals. It's just phenomenal by O'Neil, and I don't think their FA Cup run ends here.
O'Neil on saving injury updates, not feeling 'comfortable' and Robinspublished at 15:38 15 March
15:38 15 March
Millie Sian BBC Sport journalist
Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Coventry City.
Here are the main headlines:
He has decided not to give injury updates before the "big game" against the Sky Blues: "Any injury updates I will save for tomorrow after the teamsheets are named." He added that Pedro Neto and Jeanricner Bellegarde, who were due to have scans this week, are both "OK and in good spirits".
O'Neil is "delighted" to have Matheus Cunha back in training though: "The lads are happy to have him back in and around them. It's an unbelievable effort from him to get back in training as quickly as he has. So it's now on us to manage him in the best way we can."
The build-up to the quarter-final has been "exactly the same as always" but O'Neil recognises it will be a "big game" for Wolves: "When the prize is Wembley, which is slightly different to when I was growing up, it would be fantastic for the club."
On focusing their efforts on the cup this season: "The ability that I saw in the group made me believe that just wasting the cup would just be a waste. But, the fact we set our stall out very early and we spoke to the players about the amount of talent we have in the room, why would we not go full tilt?"
He added: "I don't ever feel comfortable. So the fact that we're in the quarter-finals, and we've got 41 points, won't make me feel any better about losing a game. The next loss will still hurt equally as much. So we're working very hard to make sure we keep the level up."
Manager Mark Robins has done a "very good job" to have Coventry "knocking on the door" of the Championship play-offs: "I don't know Mark overly well. I'm very impressed with his team. Obviously, I know they've had some tough times recently as a club, financially, and they've managed to put a very good campaign together this year."
O'Neil recognises the Sky Blues will be "full strength" when they come to Molineux: "I can't imagine it feeling like a Premier League team versus a lower league opposition. My players are well aware that we treat it as if Manchester City are coming tomorrow. We're equally as serious and equally as focused."
It will be "tough" for Wolves to go the whole way in the competition: "I think you can see from the teams that are still in it that it's tough. You need a lot of things to go your way to be able to progress. Zero of my attention is on trying to win the FA Cup at the moment, to be honest. It's just on trying to beat Coventry."
A chance to 'turn a great season into a really special one'published at 15:59 14 March
15:59 14 March
Phil Cartwright BBC Sport journalist
Wolves will go into Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at home to Championship club Coventry City as favourites - and will therefore take on a different role to when they most recently appeared at this stage of the competition.
On that Saturday night in March 2019, a raucous home crowd roared Nuno's Wolves to victory over Manchester United and sent them into the last four for the first time in 21 years.
Many say it is the loudest they have ever heard it at Molineux.
Gary O'Neil and his team would surely welcome that level of support once more as they bid to reach a Wembley semi-final in April, a feat that would turn what has been a great season so far into a really, really special one.
The effect of that backing has certainly been evident in Wolves' past two home matches. After taking the lead in the first two minutes of their fifth-round tie against Brighton, Wolves produced a solid defensive display to hold on to their 1-0 advantage with "Gary O'Neil's Barmy Army" a prolonged soundtrack in the closing stages.
Then on Saturday against Fulham, a tiring side shorn of several injured attackers found energy from the home faithful to secure another three Premier League points.
The wider football public might take another Wolves win for granted but, with the squad stretched and key players missing, it may not quite be that simple.
O'Neil's 'put together a really strong outfit' in 'a brilliant season' - Robinspublished at 14:50 14 March
14:50 14 March
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Coventry City manager Mark Robins described Gary O'Neil as "a top, young manager" and praised him for the "immense job" he has done since joining Wolves on the eve of the new season.
"From where they were at the start of the season, Gary has done an immense job to go in there with no preparation under his belt," Robins said at his news conference on Thursday.
"He’s put together a really strong outfit and they play in a way that suits the players and they understand it clearly. They’ve had a brilliant season.
"They’ve got a real good depth of talent, which you would expect from a Premier League side that have been really well coached since O’Neil came in. They look like a really good side who are brilliant on the counter-attack.
"He’s a top young manager."
Speaking to the media before the short trip to the Molineux on Saturday, the Sky Blues boss added: "It’s a tough ask and it’s going to be a tough game."
Wolves are set to be without Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-Chan and Jeanricner Bellegarde, but could recover Matheus Cunha and Craig Dawsonin time for the quarter-final.
"Although they’ve got a number of injuries, they’ve still got a lot of quality and we just have to hope we can play well enough to get a result," added Robins. "They will feel like they should win but you never know, upsets can happen.
"We’re looking forward to the game regardless and it will give us a chance to play against Premier League opponents and feel their strength. We want to give a good account of ourselves but also cause them problems.
"They’re a good side and watching them doing the analysis is difficult when you don’t know what players will be there or missing. You’re planning for a few different scenarios, but one scenario that will be there, and that's their quality and speed in every position.
"There will be a huge expectation from Wolves players and ours, so it’s not an easy game in any aspect. You always know the competition is difficult no matter who you play but this is a different level again and we have to try and match that.
"It will be in their stadium, with 5,000 of our supporters, and the rest will be mad Wolverhampton fans. The vocal nature of that means it will be loud in there, there’s no doubt about that!"
Can Wolves exploit Coventry's midfield?published at 14:50 14 March
14:50 14 March
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Where can Coventry be exploited? The simple answer - in the midfield.
Despite his side chasing a play-off place once again, Mark Robins has been left with a depleted midfield due to big injuries to key players.
To say they've been stretched is no exaggeration.
Seven of the Sky Blue's midfielders have been side lined with injuries at some point this season, with summer signing and fan favourite Tatsuhiro Sakamoto the most recent long-term absentee.
It was a slow, frustrating, start to the season but a ten-game unbeaten run from December to February propelled them into play-off contention.
And it is no co-incidence that during that time Ben Sheaf was holding the midfield and Robins had the options of Jamie Allen, Kasey Palmer, Callum O'Hare, Josh Eccles, January signing Victor Torp and Sakamoto at his dispense.
But Sheaf, who frequently wore the captain's armband in the absence of Liam Kelly, picked up a hamstring injury and Allen fractured his cheekbone, leaving a gaping hole.
On paper, the results have still remained largely positive, however from the stands it has at times been a painful watch. Recent defeats to West Bromwich Albion and Preston exposed their weaknesses and both battles were lost in the middle of the pitch.
It has been a far cry from the counter-attacking, high paced football of last season, which was driven by Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokores.
However, just in time for Coventry's first quarter-final since the 2008-09 season, Sheaf has returned to the matchday squad.
And there were loud cheers, and sighs of relief, when the former Arsenal player entered the pitch in the 58th minute last weekend at Watford.
As 4,812 Sky Blues fans make the short trip up the M6 to Molineux on Saturday, they will be hoping the glue that holds the team together, Sheaf, will be fit enough to start.
But with the play-offs also in sight, Robins has to weigh up whether it's worth the risk.
Molineux roars and Palace screamers: Wolves in FA Cup quarter-finalspublished at 12:35 14 March
12:35 14 March
Phil Cartwright BBC Sport journalist
Wolves have made five FA Cup quarter-final appearances in the past 30 years and a sixth will arrive on Saturday when they host Coventry City at Molineux.
Two of those past five ties were won, three were lost - each of them was memorable.
2019: Wolves 2-1 Manchester United
The best atmosphere at Molineux in recent memory?
Wolves were excelling in their first season back in the Premier League but were underdogs against a Manchester United side in exceptional form under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Second-half goals from Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota sent Nuno Espirito Santo's team into a Wembley semi-final against Watford - although we do not need to go into any more detail about what happened there.
Midfielder Chris Marsden, who had an unspectacular spell with Wolves in the mid-1990s, netted the opening goal against his former club in this quarter-final win for Saints.
Paul Butler's own goal confirmed Wolves' exit from the FA Cup, but Dave Jones' side lost only one of their subsequent 14 games that season and were promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs.
1998: Leeds 0-1 Wolves
Second-tier Wolves upset top-flight opposition with a well-taken goal from boyhood Leeds fan Don Goodman and a superb late penalty save by Hans Segers.
Segers, who had been cleared of match-fixing a few months earlier and was Mike Stowell's understudy for much of the season, kept out Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's spot-kick to send Wolves into the last four.
At Villa Park, they lost 1-0 to eventual double winners Arsenal.
One of the most astonishing displays of finishing you could ever wish to see.
An equaliser from veteran Wolves midfielder Gordon Cowans at Selhurst Park set up an intriguing replay at Molineux.
Chris Armstrong's overhead kick put the top-flight visitors in front, but it was quickly cancelled out by David Kelly's header for second-tier promotion-chasers Wolves.
Iain Dowie restored Palace's advantage with an acrobatic scissor kick before half-time, Darren Pitcher found the top corner from 30 yards to make it 3-1 and Armstrong completed the scoring - his mazy run from the right ended with a powerful shot that was so well placed, the ball got stuck in the stanchion.
1994: Chelsea 1-0 Wolves
Gavin Peacock's volley was enough to send Glenn Hoddle's Chelsea through at Wolves' expense, in what proved to be long-serving manager Graham Turner's penultimate game in charge.
Wolves lost 3-0 at Portsmouth two days later and Turner, who had led the club from the fourth tier to the second during a reign of more than seven years, resigned.
His successor was Graham Taylor, taking up his first role since leaving his position as England manager after the national team's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.
'Sensational' Wolves ready for 'cracking game' against Coventrypublished at 11:19 14 March
11:19 14 March
Coventry City manager Mark Robins sets his side up to surprise you.
They have also been consistent for a long period of time now, so they could get closer than people expect.
Wolves will not want to go lightly either. Yes, they have a few players missing but Gary O’Neil’s side are looking to sneak into a European spot and I think it’s sensational that they are even in the top half of the Premier League. They will be going all out for the FA Cup because he will want to deliver a Wembley trip for those supporters.
And if you look at the competition, then why not? A big team is going to go out between Manchester City and Newcastle, then there’s Liverpool against Manchester United, so there is a pathway and a chance to get to a final.
You do not have a better chance of getting to a semi-final than playing against a Championship side at home. They must have been buzzing with that draw.
I think it will be a cracking game.
Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford
Wolves v Coventry: Pick of the statspublished at 11:19 14 March
11:19 14 March
Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between Wolves and Coventry City in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Wolves are unbeaten in their past five home games against Coventry, having last played the Sky Blues in a 1-1 draw in League One in October 2013.
This is the first FA Cup meeting between Wolves and Coventry since the 1983-84 third round, with the Sky Blues progressing after a 3-0 win in the replay.
Wolves have progressed from two of their past three FA Cup quarter-finals, most recently a 2-1 win over Manchester United in 2018-19.
Coventry are the top goalscorers in the FA Cup this season, from the first round onwards, with 16 goals. It’s the joint-most they have scored in a campaign, level with 1962-63.
Kasey Palmer has been involved in seven goals in his five FA Cup appearances for Coventry, scoring three and assisting four. No player left in the competition has been involved in more goals this term than Palmer (five - two goals, three assists).
'Wolves riding a wave once again'published at 07:56 14 March
07:56 14 March
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
One of the more memorable photographs of Wolves' recent history was taken moments after the final whistle of a game at Middlesbrough on Good Friday 2018, near the end of their Championship-winning season.
Wolves had been leading 2-0 at half-time and seemingly on course for a routine win. But after the break, and a few contentious decisions, Wolves "lost control of their emotions" - as their then head coach Nuno Espirito Santo put it - to such an extent that before long they were defending that lead with only nine players.
Middlesbrough eventually scored, but Wolves held on for the win.
In the background of Sam Bagnall's remarkable photograph, Conor Coady had been grabbed for an instant post-match television interview. Behind him, his team-mate Romain Saiss, physically spent from the night's effort, lay flat on the turf, looking up at the stars.
The picture perfectly crystallised Wolves at that moment: every man committing themselves completely, physically and emotionally to the greater cause. That wave of momentum carried them to promotion, and onwards to Europe 18 months later.
The image of that night at Middlesbrough came back to mind a few moments from the end of Saturday's win over Fulham.
Holding a 2-0 lead with 11 men this time - but a rather random 11 by then compared with their standard first-choice selection - Wolves could not resist the urge to go hunting for another goal in added time.
Mario Lemina hit a weary shot that missed, fell to earth with the effort, and his nearest team-mate, Rayan Ait-Nouri, instantly collapsed in sympathy.
They struggled to drag themselves up again for the final few seconds, but Fulham's goal came too late to make a difference.
Gary O'Neil called it his "favourite win of the season" in a crowded field of special days. You could see why - or, more accurately, you could feel why.
There may have been better technical performances, and there have been wins over stronger opponents, but this one was all about emotion and overcoming adversity.
Wolves are now entirely in bonus territory - past 40 points, with a puncher's chance of Europe, and an apparently favourable draw in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The squad is fraying with the effort, and the day may yet come before May where it can stretch no further to cover the gaps.
However, powered as much by emotion as technical excellence, Wolves are riding that wave again.
'We will fall short' - fans on end-of-season predictionspublished at 13:03 13 March
13:03 13 March
According to Opta's 'Supercomputer,' Wolves are likely to miss out on a European spot and finish in the bottom half with an 11th place finish on 54 points (54.04 to be precise!).
We asked for your responses to this prediction:
Dan: It would be great to get to Europe but I am more worried about the injuries. I think we need to find a way of keeping the players injury free. Nuno Espirito Santo also had a very small squad but somehow managed to keep the injuries to a minimum.
Daivre: 'Could' and 'should' are of course not always the same thing. We are a small squad, already suffering from restrictions preventing us from ever joining the so-called elite clubs who seem to dance to a different tune to us. European football could be a disaster for Wolves with the benefits outstripped by the risks.
Shaun: The Opta prediction probably as expected although seems a bit on the pessimistic side. A lot will depend on how quickly key players such as Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan return from injury after the international break. Whatever happens, the season has by far exceeded the expectations of most Wolves fans - full marks to Gary O'Neil!
Paul: I'm a massive Wolves fan and we are having a fantastic season, O'Neil has been unbelievable in the way he has managed the squad. I think he should be a genuine contender for manager of the year, but I think we will fall short of Europe due to the small squad and the injuries we have had in the past month. I hope I am wrong!
Simon: Everyone had us going down before we even kicked a ball. The performance at Manchester United gave us hope. Now we're ninth and in the quarter-final of the FA Cup. I think every fan would have taken that position in August. However, with the continuing financial constraints on the club, qualifying for Europe will probably come back and bite us hard next season.
BBC Football launches WhatsApp channelpublished at 12:54 13 March
12:54 13 March
Want to see all the best football content from BBC Sport in one place? Now you can with the new BBC Football channel on WhatsApp.
The feed that is available alongside new BBC Sport and BBC Cricket channels gives you another way to stay up to date with our coverage of your favourite sports.
To go directly to the new channel you can click here, external or you can find it via WhatsApp by following the instructions on this page.
Wales squad announcedpublished at 12:53 13 March
12:53 13 March
Wales boss Rob Page has named a 28-man squad for the upcoming semi-final and possible play-off final.
Wales face Finland at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 21 March, with a potential final against Poland or Estonia to follow five days later, also in Cardiff, for a place at this summer's European Championship.
Wolves v Coventry: Two clubs on the uppublished at 12:24 13 March
12:24 13 March
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
When balls six and seven were pulled out in the quarter-final draw, both Wolves and Coventry City fans thought the same thing: winnable.
With a place at Wembley at stake, avoiding one of the 'big boys' always helps to keep that dream alive.
And, although Wolves are four-time FA Cup winners, the majority of those at Molineux on Saturday will not have been alive to see their last victory in 1960.
Similarly, while some Coventry fans still reminisce about1987, there is a generation who are yet to see the Sky Blues lift a major domestic trophy.
It will be a hotly contested affair and throw in the fact its also a West Midlands derby, then we are set for a noisy 90-plus minutes of football.
In terms of recent history, the last time the two teams met was during the 2013-14 season in League One, when Wolves amassed an incredible 103 points in a record-breaking promotion campaign.
Kenny Jackett's side bounced back up after back-to-back relegations from the Premier League by winning 31 of their 46 games, and losing just five.
However, of their 10 draws that season, two were recorded against Coventry and both ended 1-1. It was also in the penultimate game of the season, against Wolves, that Coventry secured their place in League One after starting on -10 points.
Yet as Wolves kicked on to regain their place in the top flight, off-field issues continued for the Sky Blues and they dropped to League Two.
Fast forward to now and Wolves are pushing for European football, with just two points separating them and West Ham in seventh. Meanwhile, Coventry are sniffing around the Championship play-offs for a second season in a row.
Both clubs have come a long way in the past 10 years. And yet you cannot help but feel that both are only just getting started.