Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 West Ham United
Carabao Cup second round, Molineux, Tuesday 26 August 2025, 7.30pm BST
West Ham United’s quest to win the Carabao Cup for the first time is over following a 3-2 second-round defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Hammers came from behind to lead at Molinuex, only for two late goals from Norway striker Jørgen Strand Larsen to send the Londoners crashing out.
Head Coach Graham Potter would have hoped his side were on their way to the third round when headers from Tomáš Souček and Lucas Paquetá put the Irons in front with less than half-an-hour to play.
But substitute Strand Larsen had other ideas, thumping Wolves through with a rising drive and a powerful near-post header in the last ten minutes.
It all means West Ham remain without a win in 2025/26, and our hopes of winning this trophy for the first time in its 66-year history have ended.
The first half was a slow burner, with the first chance not arriving until the 25th minute. Paquetá and Jarrod Bowen combined to set up Souček, who forced Sam Johnstone to save well low to his left. Moments later, Paquetá dragged wide, then the Brazilian played in Bowen, who beat the offside trap but could not beat Johnstone.
It was then Wolves’ turn as Jhon Arias tested Alphonse Areola and Nayef Aguerd blocked Rodrigo Gomes’s shot, before Guido Rodríguez’s trip on Jean-Ricner Bellegarde saw referee Darren England award the hosts a penalty four minutes before the break.
Wolves captain Hee-chan Hwang thumped the left-hand post with his spot-kick, but wing-back Gomes reacted quicker than anyone else to beat Areola at the base of his near post and put the home side in front.
The first half ended with Paquetá heading James Ward-Prowse’s cross powerfully past the far post, but the second began with Souček levelling within five minutes. The Czech buried a trademark far-post header from Kyle Walker-Peters’ superb in-swinging left-foot cross from the right.
Thirteen minutes later, the Londoners took the lead in similar style. This time, Walker-Peters fed Bowen, who curled in a cross from the right and Paquetá flew into the box to bury his header past Johnstone.
After seeing Hwang drive a free-kick wide, Wolves manager Vítor Pereira made a quadruple change, including the introduction of Strand Larsen, whose goal had won Wolves the Premier League fixture at Molineux in April.
And history repeated itself as the No9 scored two goals in under two minutes to win the tie for his side.
With eight minutes to play, André’s deflected shot was kicked out by Areola as far as Strand Larsen, who fired into the roof of the West Ham net.
Within two minutes, the substitute had scored again as Arias’s shot was blocked by Areola’s legs as far as Jackson Tchatchoua, whose cross was powered in at the near post by Wolves’ big No9.
Paquetá volleyed over late on, but West Ham could not fashion a second comeback, and our Carabao Cup challenge fell at the first hurdle.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Johnstone, R.Gomes (Tchatchoua 73), Mosquera (Doherty 72), Agbadou, S.Bueno, H.Bueno, André, Bellegarde (J.Gomes 73), López (Strand Larsen 73), Arias, Hwang © (Kalajdžić 81)
Subs not used: Bentley (GK), Wolfe, Munetsi, Chirewa
Goals: R.Gomes 43, Strand Larsen 82, 84
Booked: Agbadou, André
West Ham United: Areola, Walker-Peters, Todibo (Füllkrug 86), Mavropanos, Aguerd (Kilman 70), Diouf, Rodríguez (Wilson 86), Ward-Prowse, Souček, Paquetá, Bowen ©
Subs not used: Hermansen (GK), Scarles, Potts, Orford, Irving, Marshall
Goals: Souček 50, Paquetá 63
Booked: Ward-Prowse
Referee: Darren England
