Referee Stuart Attwell once again found himself at the center of controversy after a series of contentious decisions in Bournemouth’s 1-0 win over Wolves at Molineux. The official had already been under scrutiny for his role as VAR in the denial of three penalties to Nottingham Forest in their 2-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday.
Attwell’s latest performance has only added to the questions surrounding his impartiality, as he disallowed a second-half goal for Wolves after adjudging Matheus Cunha to have fouled Justin Kluivert in the build-up. The decision was made after consulting with VAR Darren England and reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Controversy continued to follow Attwell as he showed a straight red card to Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez for a foul on Matt Doherty, a decision that survived a further VAR check. The incident left Wolves fuming and overshadowed what was an important victory for Bournemouth.
The Cherries’ winning goal came in the 36th minute, when Max Kilman failed to clear Kerkez’s cross and Antoine Semenyo pounced to drill home from close range. Wolves came out with more intent after the break, but it was Bournemouth who continued to create the better chances.
Wolves thought they had equalized in the 65th minute when Hee Chan Hwang headed home Semedo’s cross, but celebrations were cut short as Attwell ruled out the goal for a foul by Cunha on Kluivert in the build-up.
Gary O’Neil’s Bournemouth side showed resilience in the face of adversity, withstanding Wolves’ late pressure and holding on for a vital victory. The win moves Bournemouth within two points of their highest Premier League points tally, while Wolves’ winless streak extends to seven games in all competitions.
