No data
Handballs, offsides and the impact of video assistant referees (VAR) have been huge points of contention in recent years, but is it now time to add hair pulling to the list? Sunderland defender Dan Ballard became the third player this season to be sent off for pulling an opponent's hair in Saturday's 1-1 draw at relegated Wolves. Referee Paul Tierney initially took no action, but showed a red card to the centre-back after VAR advised him to check the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Wolves boss Rob Edwards has defended his decision to not acknowledge the home fans after their draw with Sunderland. The team were booed off after their 1-1 draw against the Black Cats, who played with 10 men for over an hour following Dan Ballard's red card. Santi Bueno cancelled out Noni Mukiele's opener, scoring Wolves' first goal in 47 days, but it did not spare the head coach from fan frustration after the final whistle.
If Leeds are able to retain their top-flight status, the majority of supporters are likely to point to wins against relegation rivals Wolves, Burnley and West Ham as the defining moments of the season. The 49-year-old is more likely to point to a 3-2 defeat by Manchester City in late November as the moment his side's fortunes changed - and the numbers back it up. After goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol put City 2-0 up inside 25 minutes, Leeds were left fearing the worst.
Rob Edwards needs a win. The Wolves manager has done a lot to revive the unity which had been lost at Molineux earlier in the season, but that is in danger of disappearing during an end-of-season drop-off. Victories against Aston Villa and Liverpool, and a battling point after being 2-0 down against Arsenal, raised expectations and showed there was still fight in this Wolves team.
Already relegated Wolves host Sunderland, whose form is also floundering. Rob Edwards' side showed glimpses of raging against the dying of the light with a recent run of just one defeat in six league matches – but the past three matches have been a return to the miserable form that has left them bottom for most of the season. Another loss will see Wolves set a new club record of 24 defeats in a 38-game campaign in the top flight.
Timberwolves players Julius Randle and Mike Conley Jr. react from the locker room after a 110-98 Game 6 win over the Nuggets Thursday night at Target Center. The Timberwolves won the series 4-2, and advance to the Western Conference Semfinals.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
