Raul Jimenez scored at the third time of asking after two disallowed first-half goals to cancel out Danny Ings’ opener and earn Wolves a point against Southampton.
Jimenez thought he had put the hosts ahead midway through the first period when he rounded Angus Gunn before scoring into an empty net, but the video assistant referee ruled it out for handball.
He then finished from close range as half-time approached, but Patrick Cutrone was judged to have been offside in the build-up to the goal.
Ings put Southampton ahead soon after the break, scoring in his fourth consecutive appearance in all competitions for the first time in his career.
But the visitors’ lead lasted only eight minutes as Jimenez equalised from the penalty spot at Molineux, which was hosting its 100th Premier League fixture.
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo made two changes to the side which beat champions Manchester City two weeks ago, bringing in Jonny and Ryan Bennett for the injured Romain Saiss and Ruben Vinagre, who dropped to the bench.
The hosts showed no sign of sluggishness after the international break, which came just as they were finding a form with three consecutive league wins, but they were dealt an early blow when Bennett went off with a muscle twinge.
Southampton applied some early pressure while Wolves’ Willy Boly played several exquisite balls forward, twice handing his team-mates good opportunities in and around Gunn’s box.
It was Boly who put Jimenez in to find the back of the net for the first time, but VAR ruled the Mexican had handled the ball when bringing it down.
The second disallowed goal soon followed, Wolves making the most of some sloppy Saints play in the middle as Cutrone poked an effort towards goal. Gunn could do little but push it into Jimenez’s path to finish, but VAR replays showed Cutrone had been marginally offside.
Tempers started to fray towards the end of the first half, and after Ings’ goal at the start of the second, Wolves looked to have lost their way.
But when substitute Matt Doherty was clipped in the box by Saints skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Jimenez made no mistake in making it third time lucky, coolly slotting the ball past Gunn for the equaliser.
Southampton looked a different side to that beaten 4-1 at home by Chelsea two weeks ago, despite Ralph Hasenhuttl making just one change to his starting XI with Jannik Vestergaard replacing Shane Long.
They matched Wolves through the majority of the match, Ings and Nathan Redmond proving thorns in the hosts’ side as they carved out several chances with the former going close from a tight angle early on.
It was Hojbjerg who had the best opportunity to put his side ahead but he failed to keep his effort low after being fed in by Ings and punched the air in frustration as he quickly rued the missed chance.
They no doubt sighed with great relief when Jimenez’s first and then second goals were ruled out, sandwiching another missed chance by Ings after he was played in by Ryan Bertrand before Redmond saw out the first half with a half-volley into the side netting.
Ings finally put Southampton ahead just after the hour mark after a slip up at the back by Wolves, the striker finding the ball at his feet with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Their celebrations were soon muted by Jimenez’s equaliser but they showed great promise in the latter stages of the match, James Ward-Prowse going close with a free-kick and there was slick play from substitute Sofiane Boufal.
Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo told BBC Match of the Day: “It was a very tough game. It was very disputed and there was a lot of fight in the midfield.
“They were very well organised. The game was hard, we made mistakes. We know that there are things we could have done better. I am disappointed because we must be solid and today we were not solid.”
On VAR: “It is what it is. I hope it gets better.”
On Ryan Bennett: “I hope it is nothing serious, we will have to see. That injury disrupted our tempo a little bit. We started to rush the game a little. I think we dominated but not in the way that we should have.”
Wolves goalscorer Raul Jimenez: “It’s always disappointing when you don’t get the win you think you deserve. We knew what we needed to do but sometimes football is like that. They had only one opportunity to score and they did. After they got their goal it was hard for us but we got there in the end. It’s always special to score, especially after seven games without a goal.”
On the new rules this season: “We have to adapt the new rules, I got a yellow card when I did not intend to handball it but that is the new rules and we have to get used to that.”
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl told BBC Match of the Day: “I felt it was a game to win. We changed our players to try and win.
“It was important for us to take something today, especially after the performances before the break.
“I think we have found our way to a balanced and organised defence and that is so important in pushing forward. We need to keep doing that now and moving up.”
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Source – BBC
