Wolverhampton Wanderers

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup, winning 2-0 at West Brom after a second-half delay due to fan trouble.

Pedro Neto put the visitors ahead in the first half and, after Matheus Cunha scored their second goal, fans spilled onto the Hawthorns pitch and clashed.

The match was delayed and players left the field as police defused tensions.

Play resumed after 34 minutes, with Wolves seeing out the game to progress to the next stage of the competition.

Follow all of the reaction here

West Bromwich Albion are hosting Wolves at The Hawthorns in the FA Cup fourth-round, with kick-off less than an hour away.

Get all the build-up followed by live text updates here

Tune into full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

This week, BBC Football expert Chris Sutton is taking on Justin and Arni from indie band The Vaccines to predict the fourth round of the FA Cup.

West Brom host Wolves in a West Midlands derby on Sunday (11:45 GMT).

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

This local derby is always a big occasion and it should be a great game too. I watched West Brom lose at Norwich at the weekend, but they were a bit unlucky actually because they dominated possession.

Wolves are on a nice run of form in the league, and I think their manager Gary O'Neil will fancy a bit of a cup run. I can see the scoreline being close, but I am pretty confident they will beat the Baggies.

Justin's prediction: 0-1

Wolves are on a good run.

Arni's prediction: 0-1

Read the full predictions

"This isn't a plastic derby that has been thrown together by the Premier League, this one is really deep," West Brom supporter and BBC presenter Richie Anderson told The Football News Show.

"This is such a fierce rivalry that means so much to us and I just can't wait for the occasion."

Wolves supporter Jason Guy agreed and said he looked forward to "drinking Richie Anderson's tears" in the aftermath of Sunday's game.

Watch an FA Cup special of The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

We've seen fewer deals at this stage of a January window than normal.

Simply put, clubs are having to work with what they’ve got. The financial regularities mean nobody wants to get any points deducted, so everybody must be sailing very close, unless there’s a bit of trading to do.

Generally you see one go and then things move around, but it’s heavily looking like just loan deals.

If you ask the bulk of managers if they would bring reinforcements in then they would. I don’t think there’s many who would say they wouldn’t take at least another player. It’s in everyone’s nature to do so. They may say they are not bothered out loud, but do you really believe it?

What can be done? Teams have players missing across the board and it’s a high number of injuries for this time of the season. But it all comes down to the Financial Fair Play regulations.

Would Nottingham Forest go and try and do a bit? Probably. We know Gary O’Neil at Wolves would love to do stuff, but he’s governed by what he can move around in order to bring in.

Then you have the bottom three. They have to strengthen wherever possible but their hands are also tied. It’s tough what they can get over the line.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Wolverhampton Wanderers are stalling on a £30m move for Chelsea's 22-year-old Albania forward Armando Broja as they work to ensure they comply with Premier League spending rules. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Gary O'Neil has admitted his transfer plans for this window have been marred by Wolves' financial restrictions.

On his list were two players, one of which a striker, but due to profit and sustainability rules they have been ruled out as viable.

"Me, Matt Hobbs and the recruitment team have done an awful lot of work on a couple of options," O'Neil said.

"It looks like they are not going to be financially doable for us. It's disappointing as we felt like we were making some headway on a couple but it looks like we won't be able to do it.

"I don't want it to be seen as a negative as the group we have have given us so much so far. I'm not just going to sign anyone.

"We need to take people who deserve the opportunity to play for Wolves and are good enough to help the group. January is tricky, prices are sometimes inflated. If we can't find ones who can help us we'll go with what we've got, which is fine."

Gary O'Neil has spoken to the media before Wolves' FA Cup match against West Brom on Sunday.

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• On team news, O'Neil said: "Rayan [Ait-Nouri] will be back, he'll be in the match day squad. There's some concerns from the Brighton game. Pablo [Sarabia] got a knock on his calf and hasn't trained yet, we're just monitoring him. The rest of the lads are all OK. Welcoming Rayan back and making sure Pablo is ready will be important to us."

• On what a first Black Country derby in some time means to his squad, O'Neil said: "Really looking forward to the game, we had our first session looking forward to it today. We got work done on what it should look like tactically and what it will feel like emotionally and what it means to our fan group."

• On the significance of the fixture and the FA Cup, O'Neil said: "There's two sides to it. On the professional side, it's another game in the FA Cup that I want to do well in. There's also an understanding of what it means to the supporters. I'm very aware of what it means to them and we're connected in that. The main focus for me If I'm honest is winning a game of football and the extra bit of giving the fans a great day is an added importance."

• O'Neil says he has done work with Matt Hobbs on trying to bring some players in, but after a meeting yesterday it was confirmed they won't be "do-able financially". They are now looking at other options.

• On the departing Jonny, O'Neil said: "He's close to a agreeing a deal which will be good for him. It's important to remember what an incredible player he was for the club, he's had some successful times."

• On other potential departures, O'Neil said: "If we can't add any, I don't foresee too many others leaving. People will have to stick around and make up the numbers in the squad for us."

• On his opponents, O'Neil said "I watched the draw, and my initial thoughts was it was a tough draw. They are doing fairly well in the Championship, largely due to their home form which has been better than their away form. They have a good coach, some really good players still there and I'm excited to be involved in a game which has extra significance to the area."

Simon Stone, BBC Sport

Anticipation is high ahead of Sunday's first Black Country derby in front of fans since 2012.

Memories are still strong of that meeting between Wolves and West Brom at Molineux, when the visitors won 5-1, a result that triggered the dismissal of manager Mick McCarthy.

Wolves have been given just over 4,000 tickets for the match, with West Brom confirming yesterday the FA Cup fourth round tie is a sell-out.

West Midlands Police are ready.

"There will be large numbers of local supporters meeting up and travelling from various locations across the Black Country and further afield to The Hawthorns, and we are working to make sure this happens smoothly and with as little disruption as possible to transport, pubs and bars, and local residents," they said.

"We will have a substantial policing presence and are working with both clubs to manage this.

"We aim to help make this Black Country derby an enjoyable day for everyone."

Arsenal are chasing a deal for 20-year-old Paris-St Germain and Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, who is on loan with RB Leipzig, as back-up to a move for Wolves' Portugal forward Pedro Neto, 23. (Football Transfers), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Mike Taylor, BBC Radio WM

Perhaps you had to be there, or at least be heavily invested in one of the teams, to really feel it. Wolves’ goalless draw at Brighton was dismissed as dull by some reports, and there was no showstopping moment, no goal-of-the-month contender, no major flare-up or VAR controversy. But as a signpost of where Wolves are heading, and perhaps where Premier League football generally is heading, it was a compelling watch.

Brighton were a blur from the start, in the manner that so bewildered Wolves in previous seasons. Wolves responded with composed, efficient defending – so effective that Jose Sa was rarely extended – and increasingly turned the fire back on their hosts, arguably creating the clearer chances.

"Brighton test you with their movement, and keep probing with the ball," said Gary O’Neil. "Toti had to come in, Max [Kilman] having to step in on things - it’s the way the game is going, really. Centre-backs standing at the back and waiting to defend the goal is not really a thing any more. If you want to be competitive and aggressive, you need to come out of the line."

"Mentally it’s very challenging,” Kilman told me. "There’s a lot of one-v-one battles and you’re getting dragged to areas you’re not really used to. I thought we matched them really well."

O’Neil agreed that the game demonstrated how football is developing, telling me: "Yes – mainly because of coaches like Roberto de Zerbi, who come up with new things and make it extremely difficult to stop them. The game has moved to a place now where tactically you have to be spot on. The lads have got very good at taking it all on board and sticking to it. Of course we get stuff wrong – I get loads of stuff wrong and there were some issues we had to fix in running. But the lads gave everything again – mentally and physically."

It's a new kind of intensity, football is ever more not just a physical but a cerebral workout. Wolves are more regularly showing they not only cope with that, but flourish. On Sunday, in the cup-tie against their nearest-if-not-dearest neighbours – when you say Albion to a Wolves fan, they’re not thinking of Brighton – it might be back to the old type of intensity, at least from the stands.

Wolves’ next challenge is to show they can keep the same composure in that environment. They will be confident.

• West Bromwich Albion have progressed from eight of their nine FA Cup ties against Wolves, including each of the past three in a row (most recently in the fourth round in 2006-07). The only exception was a 1-0 quarter-final win for Wolves in 1948-49.

• Wolves are winless in their past 11 away games against West Bromwich Albion in all competitions. Their most recent victory at The Hawthorns was in September 1996, a 4-2 victory with Iwan Roberts netting a hat-trick.

• West Bromwich Albion have won their past two home FA Cup matches, both against non-league opponents (4-0 v Chesterfield, 4-1 v Aldershot). The Baggies have not won three in a row on home soil since December 1992.

• Wolves have won three of their past four FA Cup fourth-round ties, though they did lose 1-0 at home to Norwich in their most recent such match in 2021-22.

• Brandon Thomas-Asante has been involved in six goals in his past eight home appearances for Albion in all competitions, scoring five and assisting one.

Dave Azzopardi, Talking Wolves, external

Wolves are starting to pick up some good momentum. There were a few teething problems when Gary O'Neil first took over at the club, but it looks like he has now created a squad with serious character and morale at Molineux seems to be fantastic.

As of Tuesday, Wolves are unbeaten in six and the most recent result, a goalless draw at Brighton, is more impressive than it looks. Brighton had scored in every home game so far this season and continue to impress under Roberto de Zerbi.

It was always going to be a tough game but O'Neil arrived at Amex Stadium with a plan and it worked. We have seen that a number of times this season under his management, it might not be pretty at times but, ultimately, it will get Wolves results.

However, despite it being a solid point, the squad is still crying out for a proper striker. I believe Wolves are a quality number nine away from being a serious squad - a team that will cause Premier League sides even more issues.

I think other teams and managers are already starting to take notice of Wolves' improvement this season. Pedro Neto is continuing to perform, Matheus Cunha is a constant threat and when Hwang Hee-chan returns from international duty he completes a fantastic trio of talent.

If Wolves can add a goalscorer to that before the end of January, who knows where the side can finish?

This could be a very good season for Wolves, especially with the negativity that surrounded Molineux as the campaign kicked off.

Image source, Wolves via Getty Images

Wolves have allowed centre-back Yerson Mosquera to join Spanish club Villarreal on loan for the rest of the 2023-24 season.

The 22-year-old Colombian has recently returned to Molineux following a loan spell in the USA with Major League Soccer side FC Cincinnati.

Wanderers sporting director Matt Hobbs said: "Yerson had a fantastic loan at Cincinnati, being one of the highest performing centre-backs in the league.

"What we've seen really excites us for next season. It was a difficult decision, as we could have kept him around, but we wanted him to get a bit more football week in, week out, ready to come back and fight for a starting spot next season."

Mosquera has played only nine minutes of first-team football for Wolves since joining in the summer of 2021, going off injured in the opening stages of his debut in a League Cup tie against Tottenham.

The defender, who has been an unused substitute in Wolves' past three matches, could make his debut for Villarreal against Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves winger Pedro Neto feels it has been a "long time" waiting to return to the starting line-up.

The 23-year-old spent two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury before his return to action at the end of December, and he was brought into the starting XI for the first time since his comeback in his side's 0-0 draw with Brighton on Monday.

"I feel really happy [to be back starting]. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, ever since I went back to training," said Neto. "I have enjoyed it a lot to be back, to be able to help my team-mates, and I'm looking forward to the next one already."

Both teams missed chances for victory but the Portugal international felt it was a good point against the Seagulls, the draw extending Wolves' unbeaten run to six games in all competitions.

"To be honest, I think we did a really good job. It was a good point. They controlled the game and they had more possession, but I think we had moments to have done one goal," he added.

"The biggest opportunity from our side, we had my opportunity, we had [Mario] Lemina's, we had Pablo [Sarabia]'s and, on the counter-attack, we had [Matheus] Cunha's as well.

"I think we did really good work. We came with a job here and we knew what we could do, but we did a really good job here to get a really good point.

"It's been a really good run [to be unbeaten in six games] and we have to continue like that. It is always our mentality to work day by day, game by game, and we will continue like that."

We asked you for your thoughts on Monday's match between Brighton and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Brighton fans

Steve: Still nowhere near as slick and clinical as they were last year. It was never going to be easy replacing Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister. Wolves were very organised and nothing like the 6-0 drubbing outfit of last April. I think a European-place finish is unlikely, unless they start shooting and hitting the target. They seemed too anxious.

Nicolas: We just lacked a bit more attacking power in the final third. Everything else is back to the best of the Albion. I'm personally applauding the goalkeeping by Jason Steele.

Ian: Very pretty football but this doesn't win games. You have to score goals. How many shots did we have on goal during this game? Yet their goalkeeper could have had the night off. Very disappointing. We are throwing away too many points.

Chris: First, well done to the travelling Wolves fans. They turned up in good numbers and made themselves heard. It was a frustrating night for the Brighton faithful. They were strangely lethargic at times - apart from Billy Gilmour, who put 100% into his game. All in all, not the worst 0-0 result and there was some decent, open play from both teams at times. A fair result.

Wolves fans

Mike: Absorbing contest and an excellent away performance. Brighton had more possession but the clearer chances were created by Wolves. Another game unbeaten. Let's keep it going, lads.

Mark: I wasn’t expecting too much from our trip to the Amex - but I'm forever the pessimist. I think it’s time for me to look forward with nothing but optimism for the job that Gary O’Neil is doing. A draw was probably a fair result though, without doubt, Wolves had the better chances. Bring on the Baggies and Manchester United.

John: Considering Brighton are our bogey team, and they thrashed us at home, we played really well. The defence was magnificent, just a pity we didn’t take one of our great chances. A good result for us.

Richard: Fantastic performance by the lads. One point at Brighton is a great result and we got a clean sheet as well. Let's take this form into Sunday and see what happens!