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West Ham United snatched a late, late 1-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday evening, thanks to a last-gasp strike from midfielder Tomas Soucek, and an even later penalty stop by Lukasz Fabianski.

The Hammers came flying out of the blocks in the early stages, and enjoyed a flurry of excellent chances, but Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and the crossbar kept the hosts at bay. The Cottagers grew into the game as the minutes passed however, and gained a foothold in a battling encounter.

The second half was equally as tense as the first, with both sides struggling to create serious openings in front of goal. West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen came close with a deflected effort, and Aaron Cresswell rattled the Fulham bar with a free-kick, but the scores remained locked.

Moyes’ men eventually found the breakthrough in injury time, when Soucek slotted home from a Said Benrahma pass, although they risked losing it all by conceding a penalty in the final minute. Unbelievably, Ademola Lookman tried a panenka from the spot and fluffed his lines with the last kick of the match, handing the three points to the hosts.

So, let’s check out the player ratings from the London Stadium on Saturday evening.

Lukasz Fabianski (GK) – 8/10 – Very little to do in a first half which the hosts dominated. Showed bravery leaping ahead of the dangerous Mitrovic to stop the forward from making any progress. Smart save to deny Reid. Saved the easiest penalty of his entire career.

Fabian Balbuena (CB) – 7/10 – Could have scored early on, but didn’t let the missed chance get him down. Had little to do in terms of defending, but what he did, he did well.

Angelo Ogbonna (CB) – 7/10 – Got involved in a bit of fisty cuffs with Mitrovic, which shows the stones of the man. Then flew into a rouguh tackle with Cairney, which was not quite as fun to watch.

Aaron Cresswell (CB) – 8/10 – Proving to be a very efficient centre-back under David Moyes. Able to step out with the ball and play some nice passes, while doing the dirty stuff suitably, too. Hit the crossbar with a lovely free-kick.

Vladimir Coufal (RWB) – 8/10 – So, so industrious. Coufal got up and down the pitch, pinning Fulham back on the right flank and defending on the front foot.

Tomas Soucek (CM) – 7/10 – Typically physical and dominant display from the midfielder. Combative, and won everything in the air and on the ground.

Declan Rice (CM) – 6/10 – Sat deep and dictated the game, spreading some lovely passes to the left wing and forcing West Ham up the pitch. Not at his best, though.

Arthur Masuaku (LWB) – 7/10 – Had a great chance to open the scoring but couldn’t beat the goalkeeper. Flew down the left wing, showing excellent attacking prowess. Never been a defender.

Jarrod Bowen (RW) – 6/10 – Flashed a header across goal when he might feel he could have done better. Almost got his name on the scoresheet with a deflected effort in the second half.

Sebastien Haller (ST) – 6/10 – Hit the crossbar with an early header after meeting a corner extremely well. Would have done wonders for his confidence. But alas…

Pablo Fornals (LW) – 7/10 – Linked up nicely with Masuaku on the left-hand side, floating about and drifting inside with intent.

Issa Diop (CB) – 7/10

Said Benrahma (LW) – 5/10

Manuel Lanzini (RW) – 6/10

Alphonse Areola (GK) – 7/10 – A busy, busy start to the game. On his toes early on to keep out Masuaku, Balbuena and Bowen – stood firm. Did very well for the rest of the match, too.

Ola Aina (RB) – 6/10 – Suffered in the initial stages as West Ham poured forward, but did his best to stem the flow and dug in when the going got tough.

Joachim Andersen (CB) – 7/10 – Had a lot of crosses to repel, and did it well, sending everything back from whence it came.

Tosin Adarabioyo (CB) – 7/10 – Like Andersen, Adarabioyo had plenty to do over the 90 minutes, as the Cottagers soaked up an aerial barrage from the hosts.

Antonee Robinson (LB) – 6/10 – Got absolutely rinsed down the left side, as Bowen and Coufal poured cross after cross into the box. Looked better going forward and offered a decent outlet.

André Zambo Anguissa (CM) – 7/10 – A proper combative, commanding midfielder. The perfect player to accompany the craft and ingenuity of Cairney, Anguissa really stamped his authority on the match. Excellent.

Tom Cairney (CM) – 6/10 – Charged with providing the spark in midfield and keeping the game moving for Fulham. Helped drag them back into it after a ropey opening 10 minutes. Won the penalty which Lookman messed up.

Harrison Reed (CM) – 7/10 – A wonderfully tidy and powerful display. Tore around the pitch winning possession and setting Fulham in motion. Composed, assured, and exactly what they needed.

Bobby Reid (RW) – 6/10 – A lot of Fulham’s action came down the left side, but Reid made himself constantly available on the right, drifting inside to support Mitrovic.

Aleksandar Mitrovic (ST) – 6/10 – Put himself about a bit (shock), and relished the physical battle with West Ham’s three strapping centre-backs.

Ademola Lookman (LW) – 4/10 – The brightest of the three forwards – until the last kick of the match. He will definitely never take a penalty like that ever again. What on earth was he thinking to do that in the last minute of a game? Stunned. A four is four more than he deserves, to be honest.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (CM) – 6/10

Ivan Cavaleiro (LW) – N/A

[Saints fans, ignore this first paragraph] On October 25, 2019, Southampton fell 9-0 to Leicester City and found themselves at perhaps the lowest point of their top-flight tenure.

A little over 12 months later, and they find themselves top of the Premier League table.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side climbed to the top of the mountain thanks to a 2-0 win over Newcastle that did not flatter them whatsoever. In fact, they could have easily had five or six, which is the kind of scoreline usually reserved for the division’s elite.

That defeat to Leicester was the kick up the backside that Southampton needed to get their heads on straight. Hasenhuttl will likely have whipped out the hairdryer soon after, but most importantly, he came up with a plan to recover.

Doing away with a 3-5-2 in favour of a balanced 4-4-2ish, Hasenhuttl has managed to get his side pressing all over the pitch and demanding space, and the Saints are good enough to take advantage of all of that.

They’re now a fluid unit who are all determined to work hard for the good of the team. At the back, Jannik Vestergaard is the first point of attack, with his passes either bypassing the midfield towards Che Adams, Theo Walcott or Danny Ings, the latter of whom is currently sidelined through injury.

In midfield, you’ve got the excellent little-and-large duo of Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse. Romeu’s destructive ball-winning is complimented by Ward-Prowse’s metronomic passing, but both players are prepared to switch roles when needed. Against Newcastle, this rotation was overwhelmingly effective as the Magpies’ midfield didn’t know what to do.

Walcott, Adams, Moussa Djenepo and Stuart Armstrong make up the attacking line, and they’re usually joined by right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who is surely flirting with an England call-up on the back of his recent form. Yes, England have another promising right-back.

Southampton looked devastating in attack, and this was without the man who has five goals already this season, and who bagged 22 last year.

This is a side who know their identity and are determined enough to impose that on others. Hasenhuttl has organised his Saints perfectly, and they now look like a side capable of asking questions of any defence on the planet.

Sure, there’s still a long way to go before they can be seen as genuine title threats, but based on performances like this, Southampton will be expecting to be in the race for European football this year, and justifiably so.

Who’d have thought that losing 9-0 could be the best thing that ever happened to Southampton?

A man of the match display from Kelechi Iheanacho helped Leicester romp to a 4-0 Europa League win over Braga.

The hosts started well with Iheanacho showing great determination to open the scoring in the 21st minute.

The Nigerian grabbed a second goal just after the break when his fierce shot from outside the box flew past Matheus following a wicked deflection. Iheanacho then turned creator, providing a pass to the back post which was tapped home by Dennis Praet.

Leicester then added some gloss to the scoreline through James Maddison, who finally got his goal after several close calls.

Here are your Foxes player ratings from the King Power Stadium…

Kasper Schmeichel (GK) – 7/10 – Just the one save to make. Would imagine he will be rested for the remainder of Leicester’s group games now.

James Justin (CB) – 8/10 – Mopped up a string of long balls, recording a superb five interceptions in total.

Wesley Fofana (CB) – 7/10 – Rarely if ever tested by the visitors to be honest. Looked good on the ball.

Christian Fuchs (CB) – 8/10 – Ingenious long throw led to the game’s opener. A few sloppy moments in possession but was very solid, making three blocks in the first half alone.

Marc Albrighton (RWB) – 7/10 – Enthusiastic display as always. His thrust down the right hand side was important to the Foxes’ dominance.

Youri Tielemans (CM) – 7/10 – Will this guy ever stop running? Probably not. Keeps up his record of starting every single game this season – except that Carabao Cup abomination against Arsenal.

Hamza Choudhury (CM) – 8/10 – Read the game brilliantly, registering four interceptions. Also treated us to a few heroic blocks and some great passes.

Luke Thomas (LWB) – 7/10 – Continues to look more dangerous than Justin when deployed on the left. Some of his crossing was incredible.

Cengiz Under (RW) – 7/10 – Pressed very well, creating a couple of good opening with his hard work. Occasionally lacked that final ball but looked promising overall.

Kelechi Iheanacho (ST) – 9/10 – An unconventional way to open the scoring but a goal’s a goal. He deserved his fortunate second and registered an assist as well – even if it was 100% a scuffed shot. His incredible performance was a great response to being left out against AEK Athens last week.

James Maddison (LW) – 9/10 – Drifted inside from the left and provided some magic moments. Set up Iheanacho for the opener and finally got his goal near the end after a string of near misses.

Wes Morgan – 6/10 – Shored things up. Was great fun seeing him play alongside fellow Premier League winner Christian Fuchs.

Dennis Praet – 7/10 – Made a brilliant run and was rewarded with a goal.

Ayoze Perez – 7/10 – Was on the pitch for just over 20 minutes and got an assist. What more can you ask for?

Harvey Barnes – 6/10

The six substitutions made just after the hour mark gave Chelsea’s Champions League win over Rennes a bit of an international friendly vibe – and this is very much how the second half felt as the Blues saw out a comfortable 3-0 victory over their 10-man opponents.

It was a game that was effectively ended on the stroke of half-time, as Tammy Abraham’s effort was judged to have struck the arm of Rennes full-back Dalbert. Timo Werner dispatched his second spot kick, Dalbert was shown a second yellow and Chelsea were cruising to victory.

Abraham wrapped up the win five minutes into the second period, stretching the Blues’ unbeaten run to 10 games – including three wins on the bounce.

It was not necessarily flashy, thrilling or out of your seat exciting. But it was polished, comfortable and convincing, as the pieces continue to slot into place for Frank Lampard’s new look side.

Most importantly, it was another clean sheet for Chelsea, their fifth in a row and the sixth in seven games for Edouard Mendy since his arrival from Rennes. Such a record would have been a far flung pipe dream a little over a month ago when the Blues were being carved open by newly promoted West Brom.

But the arrival of Mendy has added a layer of calmness to the Chelsea backline, the chaos encouraged by Kepa Arrizabalaga’s presence a distant memory.

Unsurprisingly, the 10 men of Rennes rarely threatened, allowing the Chelsea defence to show off their ability in possession. Thiago Silva was picking passes like a quarterback, a perfectly weighted cross field pass to get Reece James in behind in the second half the pick of the bunch.

James and Ben Chilwell impressed down either flank and were arguably Chelsea’s two most exciting players. The pair were encouraged to maraud forward at every given opportunity, with Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech drifting inside and Jorginho happy to sit and protect the back four impeccably.

With the array of attacking talent that Chelsea were already blessed with prior to the arrival of Ziyech and Werner, scoring goals was never going to be an issue for them this season. And it hasn’t been – 32 goals in 12 games thus far this term.

But the Blues have now gone more than seven hours without conceding, a run the club have not enjoyed at the back since the days of Petr Cech.

Chelsea fans will be thanking their former number one for the tip off, with Cech’s recommendation of Mendy said to be key in the recruitment of the Rennes goalkeeper.

He was not a spectacular or flashy signing, and this was not necessarily a flashy or spectacular performance from Chelsea. But it was just what they needed as Lampard’s side continue to settle and look more steady every time they set foot on the pitch.

Real Madrid secured a much-needed Champions League victory on Tuesday night, overcoming Inter 3-2.

An error-ridden start to the contest saw chances arrive at both ends before the hosts were gifted the lead by former star Achraf Hakimi, as Karim Benzema latched onto the Moroccan’s woeful back-pass before coolly finishing.

Inter’s woes were doubled through an archetypal Sergio Ramos finish, but a majestic Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez combination swiftly halved the deficit.

Ivan Perisic deservedly levelled for the visitors midway through the second period, before substitutes Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo combined to hand Real a 3-2 lead and, eventually, all three points.

Let’s get into some player ratings.

Thibaut Courtois (GK) – 6/10 – Saved well to deny Lautaro early but could do little to stop El Toro from getting on the scoresheet later on in the opening period. Swept up nicely but was somewhat exposed in possession.

Lucas Vazquez (RB) – 6/10 – Aggressive with his positioning and seems to have established a good understanding with Marco Asensio.

Raphael Varane (CB) – 7/10 – Looked back to his best tonight, with his confidence seemingly restored after some shaky performances of late.

Sergio Ramos (CB) – 8/10 – Brought up his 100th Real Madrid goal with a wonderful header. Defensively moved around by the crafty Lautaro, who proved a tricky assignment for the Spaniard. Covered wide areas well and produced some superb bits of defending in his own box.

Ferland Mendy (LB) – 7/10 – Some battle, this. With a pair of Apollo 11’s flying down Real’s left, it was Mendy who came out on top. Attacking influence was minimal but he proved mightily diligent in his defensive work. Tracked Hakimi admirably throughout, with impressive athleticism laid bare.

Casemiro (DM) – 6/10 – A real mixed night for the Brazilian, who produced moments of brilliance out of possession but proved distinctly errant on the ball.

Federico Valverde (CM) – 8/10 – Yet another impressive big-game display from the young Uruguayan. He looked to disrupt Inter in the first phase by pressing high and also proved effective at cutting out passing lanes in central areas. Booked after the break for a challenge on Barella.

Toni Kroos (CM) – 6/10 – There were examples of his simply gorgeous passing technique from the German, but his influence wasn’t huge overall.

Marco Asensio (RW) – 5/10 – Looked bright early as he looked to have established a dangerous dynamic with the advancing Vazquez. Influence waned massively before his substitution just after the hour.

Karim Benzema (ST) – 7/10 – Deft headed touch should’ve set up Valverde for the opener before he grabbed it himself; picking off a woeful Hakimi back-pass before rounding Handanovic and finishing. Wasn’t heavily involved but produced some superb examples of false-nine play.

Eden Hazard (LW) – 5/10 – Often took up positions deep in the left half-space as he sought to pick the ball up between the lines before driving at the Inter defence. Minimal impact overall, though.

Vinicius Junior – 7/10 – Cross from the left was perfect for Rodrygo to finish. Made a difference.

Rodrygo – 8/10 – Fantastic strike handed Real a much-needed victory. What more do you want?

Luka Modric – 7/10 – Produced real moments of class late on.

Samir Handanovic (GK) – 6/10 – Performed very well in possession tonight, as he so often does. Beaten by Benzema for the first but could do nothing to deny Ramos and Rodrygo.

Danilo D’Ambrosio (CB) – 6/10 – A quiet night for the Italian in all honesty. Wasn’t actively rotating down the right like he often does and was rarely tested defensively.

Stefan de Vrij (CB) – 7/10 – Lost track of Ramos for the Spaniard’s goal but was nonetheless impressive once more. Key in Inter’s impressive build-up play.

Alessandro Bastoni (CB) – 8/10 – God, this kid is a star. So composed in the first phase and was able to deliver punched line-breaking passes at a canter. Controlled aggression on display in his defensive work.

Achraf Hakimi (RWB) – 5/10 – Momentarily forgot he’d left Real in the summer as his under-hit back-pass directly led to Benzema’s opener. Proved an outlet for the visitors but was uncharacteristically inefficient in the final third.

Arturo Vidal (CM) – 6/10 – Combative and borderline crazy. Vidal was absolutely everywhere on Wednesday night…which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. The Chilean committed a frustrating number of fouls – earning a booking before the break – and was sloppy on occasion in possession.

Marcelo Brozovic (CM) – 7/10 – Showed off composure, bravery and press resistance tonight as he constantly looked to receive in the face of heavy Real pressure. Looked back at his all-encompassing best tonight.

Nicolo Barella (AM) – 8/10 – Flick to set up Lautaro was simply ingenious. Incredible. Contributed in all phases and was superb between the lines.

Ashley Young (LWB) – 8/10 – A fine outing for the Englishman. Stout one-v-one and was positionally immaculate throughout. Bright and dynamic with the ball.

Lautaro Martinez (ST) – 9/10 – His first goal in the Champions League this term was a good one, latching onto Barella’s genius with a first-time half-volley. Smart header also set up Perisic for the equaliser. Really stepped up in the absence of Romelu Lukaku.

Ivan Perisic (ST) – 7/10 – Struggled in this role against Parma but had a little more success tonight. Worked well with El Toro up top and combined with his strike partner to equalise with a tidy left-footed finish. Work out of possession can’t be overlooked either.

Alexis Sanchez – 5/10 – Free-kick hit straight into the wall was incredibly frustrating.

Roberto Gagliardini – N/A

Radja Nainggolan – N/A

Brendan Rodgers must have missed the announcement that his bubble had burst.

The dip that followed Leicester’s stunning win at the Etihad was supposed to have sent them tumbling back towards mid-table mediocrity, but Monday’s comprehensive 4-1 victory at Elland Road was their fourth win on the bounce in all competitions, and left them in second place in the Premier League.

Manchester City, Arsenal and Leeds are, on paper, three of the toughest away games the 2020/21 Premier League has to offer, yet Leicester have beaten them all in just over a month, scoring ten times in the process.

They might not be as good as they were when they were tipped to challenge Liverpool for the title this time a year ago, but on Monday’s evidence, they’re not a million miles from it.

They outsmarted Leeds at every turn, standing firm in front of the ball and letting their hosts, coached by the uncompromising Marcelo Bielsa, have it. Lining up with a 5-4-1, they camped in front of the ball, their midfield line often on the edge of their own third…yet still looked the more likely of the two sides to score throughout a comfortable first half.

They could do that because of the man leading their attacking line, and the player who is fast becoming Robin to his Batman.

Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes are developing an understanding that looks lethal. When Vardy ran onto Robin Koch’s brain fart of a back-pass and took it round Illan Meslier, there wasn’t a second thought in his mind about where the ball was going next; straight into the space Barnes was about to occupy for a simple opening goal.

It was a constant theme throughout the first 45 minutes, Vardy occupying the central defenders and Barnes, given license to roam from his role on the left of their midfield four, charging inside to support him. Tactically it was simple, but the duo were too decisive and incisive on the break for Leeds to handle.

The second was a slightly different story. As Leeds got their act together and chased the game, both of Leicester’s dynamic duo found themselves increasingly isolated. Barnes was withdrawn, as was the functional Dennis Praet, but it turns out it doesn’t hurt to have a bench with James Maddison and Cengiz Under on it.

They weathered the Leeds storm, and courtesy of further goals from Vardy and Youri Tielemans, they made sure of a comfortable victory that put them second in the Premier League table.

They were disappointed not to make the Champions League last term, but if Vardy, Barnes and the rest of the supporting cast can keep these kinds of performances coming, then in one of the strangest Premier League seasons in memory, you wouldn’t bet against them putting that right.

If you’re a Tottenham fan, you’ve probably told a lot of people how excited you are to see Gareth Bale back in north London.

If you support anyone else, you’ve probably been told by Tottenham fans how excited they are to see Gareth Bale back in north London.

That excitement is for moments like the Welshman’s winner against Brighton on Sunday, where he headed Sergio Reguilon’s header past Seagulls goalkeeper Robert Sanchez for the winner in Spurs’ 2-1 victory.

Tottenham had been pegged back by Tariq Lamptey after Harry Kane opened the scoring with a penalty, but it was Bale, like a certain Norwich loving radio host and former television presenter, who had the last laugh.

Boy did it go down well on Twitter. The goal saw two old Real Madrid boys combine and, while it’s the Kane-Son Heung-min partnership which has dominated the headlines during the early part of the season, it’s a link Spurs fans are eager to see more of.

Tottenham weren’t at their free flowing best on Sunday, often sitting off Brighton and negating their own attacking threat because of it, and a few fans certainly felt anxious while waiting for the final whistle, especially given the late sucker punches from Newcastle and West Ham earlier in the campaign.

But anyway, enough about that. Here’s all the love Spurs players and fans dished out to Bale for his heroics.

The win is a massive one for Spurs, taking them up to second in the Premier League table. They face West Brom next in that competition, with a trip to Ludogorets Razgrad sandwiched in for Thursday, before a tough run of fixtures for the north London side.

Jose Mourinho’s side will face Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Leicester and Wolves before the year is out.

Barcelona were unable to offer an on the pitch distraction to their behind the scenes turmoil as they stuttered to a 1-1 draw with 10-man Alaves in La Liga on Saturday.

Ronald Koeman’s side fell behind just after the half hour mark, Alaves winger Luis Rioja capitalising on a poor touch from Neto to dispossess the Brazilian goalkeeper and roll the ball into an empty net.

The home side then saw Jota sent off for a second bookable offence, and moments later Barcelona were level through Antoine Griezmann’s clipped finish. Barça dominated possession for large spells of the game but could not find a way past a stubborn Alaves backline, who defended deep and got men behind the ball.

Let’s get into some Barcelona player ratings.

Neto (GK) – 4/10 – Poorly controlled Pique’s back pass and dithered on the ball as Luis Rioja robbed him and raced clear to open the scoring.

Sergi Roberto (RB) – 6/10 – Played Messi through with a perfectly weighted pass in the second half and was the livelier of the two Barcelona fullbacks.

Gerard Pique (CB) – 5/10 – Stitched Neto up with an awkward back pass instead of clearing his lines in the build up to Alaves’ opener, having had very little to do defensively all evening. Blazed a glorious opportunity wide at the death.

Clément Lenglet (CB) – 5/10 – Played Fati in with a sumptuous pass and was probably the most unfortunate of the three players to be taken off at half time by Ronald Koeman.

Jordi Alba (LB) – 5/10 – Was very quiet, offering little going forward and was replaced by Sergino Dest with a little over 20 minutes remaining.

Ousmane Dembele (RM) – 4/10 – Enjoyed one particularly exciting burst down the flank as he ignited the burners and flew past Duarte – but it was something he did not produce frequently enough. Surrendered possession cheaply on a couple of occasions and was hauled off at half time.

Sergio Busquets (CM) – 4/10 – Caught out of position as Alaves launched a slick counter attack in the first half. Sloppy in possession at times, hauled off at half time on a booking.

Frenkie de Jong (CM) – 6/10 – Much more efficient in possession than his midfield partner. Moved to centre back as part of a back three at half time but effectively continued to play as a central midfielder when Barcelona were in possession.

Ansu Fati (LM) – 6/10 – Picked out Griezmann with a good cut back in the first half, but squandered one of Barcelona’s best chances when played through by Lenglet. Produced a couple of edge of seat, mazy marauds down the wing. Happy 18th birthday.

Lionel Messi (ST) – 6/10 – Wriggled through in sumptuous Messi style midway through the first half in the buildup to a good opening for Griezmann. Had an effort from close range terrifically palmed round the post in the second half. Crowded out and frustrated at times.

Antoine Griezmann (ST) – 7/10 – Dragged a shot wide in the first half after being found by Fati. Levelled the scores just after the hour mark with a deft finish.

Pedri – 7/10 – Offered a few reasons to be cheerful with another impressive performance, flashes of real intelligence and star quality.

Miralem Pjanic – 6/10 – Brought on at half-time for Busquets and put himself about well enough. Still doesn’t strike you as a Barcelona type player.

Francisco Trincão- 5/10 – On at half-time for Dembele, but didn’t fare much better than the Frenchman. Quiet and ineffective.

Sergino Dest – 6/10 – A 20 minute run-out yielded very little action of note.

Martin Braithwaite – N/A

By Tom Gott | Oct 30, 2020, 10:15 PM GMT

Rayan Ait-Nouri’s Energy and Spark Is Just What Wolves Need to Dominate Games

Before Friday, it had not been a good start to the season for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side were supposed to be competing for the top four but spent the early weeks of the season looking as they had forgotten how to play football.

Wolves had a habit of being slow and lethargic in the early stages of their games, but they managed to do away with that bad habit in Friday’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Against a Palace side who didn’t really look like they wanted to be at Molineux, Wolves began with the kind of intensity which we haven’t seen from them all season, and a large part of that was debuting left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri.

The 19-year-old, who joined on loan from Angers during the summer, was drafted in to replace the injured Marçal and wasted little time in proving that he could be the catalyst for change for Wolves.

Nuno’s side have spent this season in a period of transition. They had been trying to do away with their high-tempo style in favour of a slow, methodical possession-based style, and if we’re being truthful, it really didn’t work. Results weren’t bad, but performances were dull.

However, what Aït-Nouri brought that Marçal or Roman Saïss don’t is that energy. He was constantly flying down the left, overlapping with Daniel Podence to cause countless problems for the helpless Nathaniel Clyne.

He brought width to a side who were known for their love of wide play last season, but knew when he needed to come central. After 18 minutes, he drifted in to the Palace box unmarked to smash home a delightful volleyed effort with real composure.

Up until this point, Wolves haven’t had that kind of player on the left. They had it on the right with Nélson Semedo, who was also outstanding against Palace, but with two wing-backs ready to fly around and wreak havoc, Wolves were unstoppable.

This is the style of play that fans have been crying out for all season. Sure, the possession is nice to watch, but Aït-Nouri and Semedo brought drive and ambition. Wolves looked like they wanted to play football for a change, and they got the three points they so richly deserved.

Arsenal remained top of their Europa League group after recording a straightforward 3-0 victory over a determined Dundalk side at the Emirates Stadium.

After being frustrated for much of the first half, the hosts took the lead through Eddie Nketiah just before the break. Minutes later, Joe Willock made it 2-0 with a calm finish.

The floodgates remained opened in the second half with Nicolas Pepe scoring a third goal inside a minute.

Here are your Arsenal player ratings from their routine win on Thursday night.

Runar Alex Runarsson (GK) – 6/10 – Was forced into his only save of the game in the first half. Very hard to judge if he is any good on Thursday’s performance.

Shkodran Mustafi (CB) – 7/10 – A quiet evening for the German before he was taken off after an hour mark – perhaps with Sunday’s game against Manchester United in mind.

Granit Xhaka (CB) – 7/10 – Hardly anything to do. Some suggestion that he will play the same role against United, where his centre back credentials will face a sterner test.

Sead Kolasinac (CB) – 8/10 – A good display. Did not put a foot wrong defensively and also joined the attack on occasion.

Cedric Soares (RWB) – 7/10 – The former Southampton man looked extremely comfortable. Will have given Mikel Arteta something to think about.

Mohamed Elneny (CM) – 7/10- Pretty much flawless in possession. Slotted into the backline for the final half hour and took the captain’s armband. Quite the turnaround for a player many expected to be sold in the summer.

Joe Willock (CM) – 9/10 – Arsenal’s bravest midfield player. He was constantly trying to break the lines with some incisive passing and dribbling. Was rewarded with a goal and an assist.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (LWB) – 7/10 – Played ridiculously high, particularly in the second half. Heavily involved in some of the Gunners’ best patterns of play.

Nicolas Pepe (RW) – 7/10 – Extremely wasteful in the first half. Made up for that with a great finish just after the break. Withdrawn on the hour mark so should feature at Old Trafford.

Eddie Nketiah (ST) – 7/10 – Missed a golden opportunity early on but did get his goal at the end of the first half.

Reiss Nelson (LW) – 6/10 – Looked lively throughout but very limited output. Almost like he was trying too hard at times.

Dani Ceballos – 6/10

Willian – 6/10

Kieran Tierney – N/A

Folarin Balogun – N/A