Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Ruben Neves blasted “the details” which went against his side as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle United.
Neves had put Wolves on the cusp of a first win of the season when he rifled in a stunning opening goal before the break. And the hosts looked destined for three points until the closing minutes when Allan Saint-Maximin scored a stunner of his own.
Wolves came into the fixture on the back of a run which has seen them pick up just two points from their opening three Premier League games, scoring just once in the process. But the in-demand Portuguese star scored the first goal in front of their own fans when he received a Goncalo Guedes pass before firing low into Nick Pope’s bottom corner.
Bruno Lage’s team had to withstand some pressure from the unbeaten Magpies but looked to have secured the points when Raul Jimenez swept home a counter attack. However, the goal was disallowed by referee Peter Bankes, after the VAR had asked him to check for a foul in the build-up.
That only led to increased frustrations from the Wanderers, who already felt they should have been playing against 10 men. Fabian Schar was booked just moments into the second half for a heavy tackle on Neto, with Neves believing the pitchside monitors should have been utilised again.
But Newcastle - still with their full complement - racked up the pressure and netted a deserved 90th minute equaliser when the unusually subdued Saint-Maximin smashed home a wayward Hwang Hee-chan clearance.
The visitors could have snatched it all in stoppage time, only for youngster Elliott Anderson to see his header smash off the crossbar with the goal gaping. But a fuming Neves took aim at what he saw as a direct approach from the Magpies - and for what he felt was an uneven officiating performance.
“Every game is like that. Of course their style of play is like that, just long balls and second balls,” he told Sky Sports. “They are not a team that wants to have the ball or possession too much, we knew that and we prepared really well for that.
“And then at the end, it’s details. Maybe a detail when Neto almost broke his leg and the ref didn’t go to the screen. That’s one detail.
“Another detail is we score a second goal and the ref goes to the screen. Another detail. We had a lot of meetings before the season starts, but then when you see our player almost broke his leg on that tackle, we ask why?
“Everyone sees on the TV, I already watched the images and it’s unbelievable. He almost broke his leg, foot on the floor, a tackle on his shin. Really, really dangerous and they keep playing with 11 men until the end.”
Newcastle face Liverpool next with six points from their opening four matches, while Wolves will again go in pursuit of their first victory when they travel to Bournemouth.
