Edwards’ return to Wolves begins with defeat as Palace climb to fourth

WOLVERHAMPTON: Rob Edwards’ second stint at Wolverhampton Wanderers began on a disappointing note on Saturday as his side suffered a 2–0 home defeat against an in-form Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Playing at Molineux, Wolves held Crystal Palace for more than an hour, but second-half goals from Daniel Munoz and Yeremy Pino secured a deserved victory for the visitors, taking them up to fourth place on the table.

Edwards, who left Championship side Middlesbrough earlier this month after joining them in June, now faces the daunting task of steering a struggling Wolves side away from relegation. The team has picked up only two points from their opening 12 matches.

This is the first time since the 1983–84 season that Wolves have gone winless in their first 12 league games. They had finished bottom of the old First Division that year.

A lively atmosphere greeted Edwards at kickoff, with home supporters hopeful that the return of the former Wolves defender — who made more than 100 appearances for the club — could spark a turnaround.

However, by full-time, Molineux wore a subdued look as the defeat left Wolves nine points short of safety. They remain the only club across the top seven tiers of English football yet to register a win this season.

Speaking to the BBC after the match, Edwards expressed frustration over the result.

“Disappointed with the result. Today was probably the story of the season. We needed to get the first goal of the game,” he said. “We took the shackles off a bit after going behind but we needed to be like that at 0–0. It was never going to be a quick fix.”

Crystal Palace broke the deadlock when a deflected ball fell kindly for Munoz, who finished from close range. Pino doubled the lead with a superb curling effort, sealing his first league goal for the club and ensuring Palace’s dominant run continued.