Wolves and Bournemouth battled out an uninspired draw as the managerless Cherries recovered from their 9-0 thrashing by Liverpool with a nervy clean sheet at the Vitality Stadium.
Wolves record signing Matheus Nunes almost opened his account for the club as the visitors controlled much of the first half, showing superb technique to loop a thunderous first-time shot over Bournemouth debutant goalkeeper Neto and off the crossbar.
Pedro Neto then went close with a thumping drive from just outside the penalty area as the visitors stretched Bournemouth with their width in pursuit of a first away win since March.
Bournemouth looked to seize the initiative in a more urgent start to the second half, the returning Dominic Solanke producing the hosts’ first attempt on target when he flicked a header into Jose Sa’s arms.
Raul Jimenez spurned a golden opportunity with 12 minutes remaining when the Wolves striker clipped his finish wide after breaking clear, and Lloyd Kelly prodded Daniel Podence’s close-range header off the line as Bruno Lage’s players extended their wait of almost four-and-a-half hours for an away goal.
Interim boss Gary O’Neil – taking charge for the first time following the departure of Scott Parker – will be encouraged by the resolve Bournemouth displayed, if not their attacking threat.
The result moved the Premier League newcomers up to 16th in the table, while Wolves remain in the relegation zone after the third point of their campaign.
Relief for battling Bournemouth
The mauling at Anfield could have been the worst defeat in Premier League history but for some sloppy Liverpool finishing in the closing stages on Saturday.
O’Neil praised his players for their resilience and spirit after earning a point on his managerial debut.
“I couldn’t be prouder of what the lads put in, from where they were last weekend,” O’Neil said, adding that he wants to be a manager and will “roll with” his position, when asked by BT Sport whether he wants to take permanent charge.
“They showed incredible bravery and determination. I said to the boys, ‘what a chance to show resilience and togetherness at a difficult time.'”
Bournemouth never seriously threatened to score during the opening 45 minutes and their revitalised play after re-emerging, when Solanke went close and Marcus Tavernier had an attempt blocked, was clearly the result of O’Neil urging them to show more ambition.
The 39-year-old owed much of his relief to Wolves’ familiar wastefulness.
Jimenez, whose run of 11 games without a goal is the longest of his top-flight career, took a heavy touch after evading his markers in the best opportunity of the game, rolling his effort wide to leave his manager visibly frustrated.
Kelly’s quick reaction to thwart Podence came during a period of more than 30 minutes in which Bournemouth did not have an attempt on goal.
Parker’s exit was a shock and the squad he left behind delivered a commendably spirited display but it will have done little to ease supporters’ concerns about their prospects of avoiding relegation.
Wolves are in the bottom three and Lage looked bemused after another performance matching slick passing with bluntness in front of goal.
The result means Bournemouth are the only side to have failed to find the net in four out of five Premier League games so far – and Wolves, who have scored just twice all season, must share their worries about where the next goal might come from.
Player of the match
ChristieRyan Christie
AFC Bournemouth
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Squad number10Player nameChristie
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Squad number4Player nameL Cook
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Squad number6Player nameMepham
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Squad number16Player nameTavernier
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Squad number13Player nameNeto
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Squad number15Player nameA Smith
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Squad number9Player nameSolanke
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Squad number5Player nameKelly
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Squad number33Player nameZemura
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Squad number8Player nameLerma
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Squad number21Player nameMoore
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Squad number29Player nameBilling
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Squad number32Player nameAnthony
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Squad number2Player nameFredericks
Wolverhampton Wanderers
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Squad number1Player nameJosé Sá
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Squad number4Player nameCollins
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Squad number8Player nameRúben Neves
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Squad number23Player nameKilman
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Squad number7Player namePedro Neto
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Squad number22Player nameNélson Semedo
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Squad number27Player nameMatheus Nunes
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Squad number28Player nameJoão Moutinho
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Squad number19Player nameJonny
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Squad number17Player nameGonçalo Guedes
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Squad number37Player nameTraoré
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Squad number3Player nameAït-Nouri
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Squad number10Player nameDaniel Podence
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Squad number9Player nameJiménez
Line-ups
Bournemouth
Formation 4-4-2
- 13Murara NetoBooked at 67mins
- 15A Smith
- 6MephamBooked at 90mins
- 5Kelly
- 33ZemuraSubstituted forFredericksat 69′minutes
- 16Tavernier
- 4L Cook
- 8Lerma
- 10ChristieSubstituted forAnthonyat 86′minutes
- 29BillingSubstituted forMooreat 77′minutes
- 9Solanke
Substitutes
- 1Travers
- 2Fredericks
- 11Marcondes
- 17Stacey
- 18Lowe
- 21Moore
- 23Hill
- 25Senesi
- 32Anthony
Wolves
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Malheiro de Sá
- 22Nélson SemedoSubstituted forAït-Nouriat 60′minutes
- 4Collins
- 23Kilman
- 19Castro Otto
- 27NunesSubstituted forPodenceat 75′minutes
- 8NevesBooked at 90mins
- 28João Moutinho
- 7Neto
- 9Jiménez
- 17Gonçalo GuedesSubstituted forTraoréat 75′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Aït-Nouri
- 10Podence
- 11Hwang Hee-Chan
- 13Sarkic
- 24Gomes
- 25Ronan
- 32Dendoncker
- 37Traoré
- 77Campbell
- Referee:
- Anthony Taylor
- Attendance:
- 10,113
Live Text
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Match ends, Bournemouth 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0.
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Second Half ends, Bournemouth 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0.
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Attempt saved. Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by João Moutinho.
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Attempt saved. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Marcus Tavernier with a cross.
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Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Rúben Neves.
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Attempt blocked. João Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Raúl Jiménez with a headed pass.
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Nathan Collins (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth).
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Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card.
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Chris Mepham (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Daniel Podence (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Chris Mepham (Bournemouth).
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Attempt missed. Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Daniel Podence with a cross.
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Substitution, Bournemouth. Jaidon Anthony replaces Ryan Christie.
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Foul by Nathan Collins (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Ryan Christie (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Jonny (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Pedro Neto with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Lewis Cook.
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Foul by Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Adam Smith (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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