Fer Lopez hails 'really special' strike as Wolves win Black Country derby | OneFootball

Fer Lopez’s second-half strike earned Wolves a Black Country derby win over West Brom at Molineux, his fourth Championship goal of the season.

"Really special. I knew the importance of this game, what to expect, all the build up to this game, all the fans." Lopez told Sky Sports.

Max O’Leary kept Wolves out with several fine saves and the sides went in 0-0 at half-time. After the break Nat Phillips’ stray pass was seized upon by Lopez, who finished calmly before copying Matheus Cunha’s celebration from the derby at The Hawthorns in January 2024.

Kieran Trippier returned to the starting XI after injury and called it one of the best derbies of his career. "It was amazing," he said. "I've played in many derbies in my career but this is certainly up there for sure."

"In any derby it's about being on the front foot, being aggressive." He added: "But it's about keeping your head and keeping your 11 men on the pitch and that's why Fer is a top player and you need some magic sometimes and that's why he scored."

Wolves were without Raul Jimenez and Ladislav Krejci. Adam Armstrong led the line in Jimenez’s absence and helped force the decisive error with his pressing. He said the fans gave them an extra lift in a massive derby and praised the team’s work on and off the ball.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com

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