WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Wolverhampton players and staff were involved in chaotic post-match scenes for the second straight Premier League game as tensions soared at the relegation-threatened club.
After Wolves lost to Ipswich 2-1 on Saturday for a fourth defeat in a row, arguments broke out within the team ranks on the field.
Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri was shown a second yellow card after the final whistle and had to be ushered down the tunnel by teammate Craig Dawson, while Matheus Cunha — the Brazil striker who scored Wolves’ goal — was also involved in some pushing and shoving.
On Monday, Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina clashed with West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and then a member of his own coaching staff after Wolves’ 2-1 loss at the Olympic Stadium. Lemina was stripped of the captaincy during the week.
“The dressing room is a difficult place to be at this moment in time,” Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle said on Saturday. “We have to be honest with each other and figure out ourselves why we aren’t getting three points. Honest conversations need to happen.”
The pressure piled on Wolves manager Gary O’Neil after the loss, which left his team in next-to-last place and four points from safety.
“We are under a lot of pressure,” O’Neil said.
“I understand the players being emotional but we have to keep control better.”
O’Neil said he will “deal with” the Ait-Nouri incident internally.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
The Associated Press
