Newcastle held goalless by bottom-placed Wolves

Newcastle United missed a golden opportunity to climb into the Premier League’s top five after being held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Sunday.

Eddie Howe’s men arrived in the Midlands chasing a fourth straight league win for the first time since April but delivered a flat, uninspiring display against a Wolves side rooted to the bottom of the table.

The Magpies struggled badly in attack, failing to register a shot on target until the 85th minute, as striker Nick Woltemade’s goal drought stretched to seven games. The £69 million German forward, who scored on his Newcastle debut against Wolves earlier in the season, now has just three goals in his last 19 appearances and was eventually replaced by Yoane Wissa in the second half.

A win by two clear goals would have lifted Newcastle into fifth place, but the goalless draw only saw them move up one spot to eighth on the table.

Speaking after the match, Howe admitted his side lacked quality in the final third.

“I don’t think our attacking output was good enough. There have been similar away games and that criticism would be fair,” Howe said.

“We have to find a way to score more goals on the road. The effort and attitude were there, but the overall quality was missing. In games like this, you need a moment of brilliance.”

At the other end, Wolves showed grit and organisation, extending their unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions despite remaining bottom of the league and 14 points from safety.

Teenage sensation Mateus Mane came closest for the hosts, while Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa produced late saves to deny Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton as Newcastle finally pushed for a winner.

Wolves boss Rob Edwards praised his side’s resilience, insisting there are signs of progress despite their dire league position.

“We look more resilient and there’s more belief,” Edwards said.

“It’s another step forward and a clean sheet against a top team. We’re trending in the right direction.”

While the draw does little to ease Wolves’ relegation fears, it represents another blow to Newcastle’s Champions League ambitions, especially with their continued struggles in front of goal away from home