Crystal Palace caretaker manager Roy Hodgson tasted defeat for the first time, courtesy of a freak own goal and self-inflicted penalty that vastly improved Wolves‘ hopes of joining him in mid-table obscurity.
Hodgson, unbeaten and with 10 points from his first four games in charge, saw the threat of a first defeat looming after just three minutes.
Sam Johnstone saved well from Diego Costa but presented Ruben Neves with a right-wing corner which the Wolves captain delivered accurately into the six-yard box.
Joachim Andersen, unsighted in a crowded area, could only turn the ball into his own net from six yards via his shin.
And worse was to come in injury-time when Johnstone’s awful first touch saw him lose the ball to Pedro Neto whom he promptly fouled – conceding a penalty which was well converted by Neves.
If the opener had been frustrating for the veteran Palace manager, Hodgson was downright fuming when Albert Sambi Lokonga spurned a glorious chance to equalise after 16 minutes, falling over after a pass from Michael Olise.
There was another chance for Lokonga, one which this time found the midfielder connecting with the ball and forcing Jose Sa into the best save of the first half.
But Wolves looked the hungrier of two teams for whom mid-table safety is now well within reach.
Julen Lopetegui’s side face a difficult run-in, with Brighton, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Arsenal among their last five opponents.
And if Craig Dawson’s header had found its target, from Hugo Bueno’s corner midway through the second half, the hosts might have enjoyed a more comfortable finale.
As it was, Palace soon forced three successive corners and Eberechi Eze threatened an equaliser with two shots from the edge of the area while Marc Guehi forced an easy save with a header.
A moment Joachim Andersen will want to forget…
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 25, 2023
The nightmare start Crystal Palace did not wantpic.twitter.com/88UHPz7OQS
Elsewhere, Villa continued their push for Europe as they moved up to fifth place in the Premier League with a home victory over Fulham.
Tyrone Mings’ 21st-minute header proved enough for Unai Emery’s side in a game that saw them rarely troubled by their opponents.
Emery has overseen some turnaround for Villa, who were 17th, outside the relegation zone on goals scored, when they lost 3-0 at Fulham in October, their final game under their predecessor Steven Gerrard. Fulham, meanwhile, remain ninth.
The visitors were forced into a 17th-minute substitution, Harry Wilson unable to continue as Bobby DeCordova-Reid came on.
Moments later Villa were in front as Mings connected with John McGinn’s corner and flicked the ball past Bernd Leno into the far corner, the defender’s first goal for the club since November 2021.
With only the single goal in it, Villa fans might have been feeling nervy, and the ball was in the hosts’ net in the 83rd minute when Harrison Reed’s delivery went in off Mings – but the flag went up for offside.
There was little further threat from Marco Silva’s side after that.
Additional reporting from PA Media.
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