Matheus Cunha continued his fine form, scoring his fourth goal in as many games to secure a vital 1-0 victory for Wolves against Bournemouth, boosting their Premier League survival hopes.
The match took a decisive turn when Bournemouth’s Illia Zabarnyi was sent off in the first half for a dangerous tackle on Rayan Ait-Nouri. The Ukrainian defender initially received a yellow card, but a VAR review upgraded it to red, leaving the home side to play with 10 men.
Wolves capitalized on their numerical advantage just five minutes after Zabarnyi’s dismissal. Nelson Semedo’s cross from the right caused confusion in Bournemouth’s defense, allowing Cunha to lift the ball over goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for the game’s only goal.
Before the red card, Bournemouth had looked threatening, with Marcus Tavernier testing Wolves’ resolve early on. However, Wolves gradually grew into the game, with Semedo hitting the post and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s follow-up denied by a brilliant save from Arrizabalaga.
Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert forced Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa into a sharp save, keeping the contest balanced until Zabarnyi’s dismissal.
After the break, Wolves controlled the game, exploiting their advantage. They missed a chance to double their lead when Marshall Munetsi failed to convert a perfect cross from Bellegarde. Despite that, the visitors remained solid, restricting Bournemouth to just one shot in the second half.
The result handed Wolves a five-point cushion above the relegation zone, while Bournemouth, aiming for a top-four spot at the start of the day, suffered only their second loss since late November.