West Ham United 0 Wolves 1 – Report and pictures

Traore took Leo Bonatini's pass and beat Lukasz Fabianski with a superb finish in the 93rd minute.

Wolves had been the better team in a first half of few chances, the best of which fell to Diogo Jota whose header from six yards went over the bar.

Rui Patricio made a great save to deny Michail Antonio after the break and then Raul Jimenez missed a sitter late on, before Traore's late, late winner.

Analysis

Adama Traore cost Wolves £18million when he joined Wolves under a month ago...it already looks like money well spent.

For the third game in a row Traore came off the bench and for the third time he changed the face of the match, writes Tim Spiers at the London Stadium.

It looked for all the world like Wolves would pay for missed opportunities yet again, but then Traore took fellow sub Leo Bonatini's pass and drove it emphatically past the keeper to send thousands of Wolves fans into ecstasy.

It was exactly what Wolves deserved for a performance of attacking intent – even in injury time they were still going for it and they were handed a just reward of three points.

West Ham had looked there for the taking all afternoon and indeed they were, it's just that Wolves left it extremely late.

Nuno's team once more proved that in terms of quality on the ball, control of possession, organisation, shape and indeed in terms of creating chances, they have what it takes to compete in the Premier League.

It seemed they'd be kicking themselves – literally in Raul Jimenez's case – for spurning chances, before Traore's timely intervention for a win they richly deserved.

This should give them the confidence to really kick on – and with appetising fixtures to follow in the coming weeks Wolves could be about to realise the potential we all know they have.

Match report

As expected Nuno named the same XI that drew 1-1 with Manchester City last weekend. He also selected the same bench, meaning there was no place in the squad for £12million signing Leander Dendoncker, who had played in the 2-0 Carabao Cup win at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.

The beleaguered Hammers had Marko Arnautovic leading the line, with the skipper having recovered from a knee injury picked up against Arsenal last weekend.

West Ham came into the game on the back of three defeats from their opening trio of fixtures. In theory they were there for the taking – and that was reflected in a first half that Wolves certainly had the better of.

As against Leicester two weeks ago Wolves attacked from the off and looked to get that all-important first goal by committing big numbers into the West Ham third.

They repeatedly won the ball back in the Hammers' third of the field with Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves doing a sterling job of closing down Jack Wilshere & Co.

Matt Doherty and Jonny Castro Otto were effectively playing as wingers, while Diogo Jota and Helder Costa looked to dribble from deep and cause problems for what looked like a fragile back line.

Their tactics, as at the King Power Stadium, were working a treat, but as in the East Midlands the away team were just lacking that clinical final touch in front of goal.

Half chances came to Raul Jimenez on two occasions, with the Mexican firing wide from 20 yards. Doherty was getting plenty of joy down the right flank and he forced a smart save from Lukasz Fabianski with a fiercely struck drive from the edge of the area that was top-corner bound, after being teed up by Costa.

The best opportunity of the half fell to Jota who stormed in at the back post to meet a lofted Moutinho cross, but sent his header over the bar from six yards.

At the other end Rui Patricio made a good save from Felipe Anderson's low shot and Robert Snodgrass fired into the side netting after a poor clearing header from Willy Boly, but otherwise Wolves were untroubled.

The London Stadium was quiet and the home fans impatient – when they roused themselves to make a noise it was usually to deride a misplaced pass or chastise a player for not closing a Wolves man down.

The Hammers looked weak and insipid and Wolves were just missing cutting edge in what was nevertheless a promising 45 minutes.

Nuno's message will have been for more of the same but West Ham increased their tempo and urgency at the start of the second half and put Wolves on the back foot.

They created two good chances – firstly Fabian Balbuena sent a free header wide from a corner after being let go by Neves and then a few minutes later Boly inexplicably failed to clear his lines deep inside his own box and the ball was crossed to Michail Antonio whose looping header was excellently kept out by the sprawling Patricio.

Back came Wolves and Jimenez was presented with a free header of his own from Moutinho's free kick, but placed it straight at Fabianski when a yard either side of the keeper would have broken the deadlock.

Adama Traore was sent for and it was Jota, rather than Costa, who was replaced with the latter looking menacing with some positive runs from deep.

It was end to end now. Coady made an almighty block to deny substitute Andriy Yarmolenko at point blank range and Wolves broke at pace with a cross turned over his own bar by Issa Diop.

Nuno called for Leo Bonatini, fresh from ending his goalscoring drought in midweek – and the Brazilian could have netted with his first meaningful touch. Jimenez broke free down the left and cut the ball inside for Bonatini, 12 yards out, but he was smothered by Fabianski.

Obiang was then allowed to carry the ball forward and drive one from 25 yards, which whistled just wide as the tension ramped up with 15 minutes to go.

Then on 79 minutes came the chance Wolves had been patiently searching to fashion all afternoon. Neves sprayed to Doherty in loads of space down the right, he ventured inside and placed a low cross on the proverbial plate for Jimenez who peeled off his man and was all alone, six yards out, keeper to beat...and kicked it against himself and fell over.

It was a comical miss but no one in gold was laughing...and two minutes later they were nearly punished in the most ruthless manner possible when Coady was roasted by Arnautovic who skipped into a fantastic shooting position, only for his shot to hit Patricio in the face. The keeper required treatment for a couple of minutes as a result.

The game was heading for a goalless stalemate but Wolves continued to press – and won it in the dying seconds.

Substitute Leo Bonatini fed the rampaging express train Traore and he struck the ball low and true to beat Fabianski and give Wolves a fantastic victory – and their first three points of the season.

Key moments

37 – Moutinho clips a cross towards Jota who heads wide from six yards.

57 – Great save from Patricio to claw out Antonio's looping header.

73 – Jimenez tees up Bonatini but Fabianski denies him at point blank range.

79 – Doherty puts it on a plate for Jimenez but he hits the ball against himself from just six yards out.

81 – Arnautovic is clean through and his shot cannons off Patricio's face and to safety.

90+3 – GOAL – Bonatini sets up TRAORE who drills past Fabianski

Teams

West Ham (4-4-2): Fabianski; Fredericks, Diop, Balbuena, Cresswell; Snodgrass (Yarmolenko, 45), Sanchez, Wilshere (Obiang, 64), Antonio (Hernandez, 75); Anderson, Arnautovic (c). Subs: Adrian, Zabaleta, Rice, Noble.

Wolves (3-4-3): Patricio; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Otto; Costa (Bonatini, 72), Jimenez (Vinagre, 87), Jota (Traore, 61). Subs: Ruddy, Hause, Saiss, Gibbs-White.

Goals: Traore (90+3)

Attendance: 56,947

Referee: Christopher Kavanagh

League position

9th (five points from four games)

Next up

A two-week international break is followed by the visit of Burnley to Molineux on Sunday September 15, kick off 1.30pm.