Jorgen Strand Larsen gives defiant response to £50m Newcastle transfer bid

Jorgen Strand Larsen was sprung from the bench to transform Wolves ’ fortunes and dig a deeper hole for under pressure Graham Potter.

Towering striker Larsen was the subject of a £50m from bid from Newcastle on Monday that Wolves swiftly rebuffed. And he was brought on with 17 minutes left on Tuesday night to turn what seemed destined to be an early cup exit into a win that inflicts more woe on struggling West Ham by scoring twice in as many minutes.

Rodrigo Gomes had put Vitor Pereira’s men ahead but the Hammers were much improved in the second half as Tomas Soucek levelled before Lucas Paqueta, also recalled to the Brazil squad yesterday, headed them in front.

It looked like a much-needed victory was on the way for Potter’s Irons but their late collapse now makes it ELEVEN goals shipped in their first three games of the campaign.

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Following a stodgy opening 15 minutes, when it seemed like half the attempted passes went astray, Emmanuel Agbadou came close with a towering header from Hugo Bueno’s free kick.

West Ham’s first sight of goal did not arrive until the 25th minute, though there was a brief flicker of their two biggest stars’ undoubted class.

Paqueta lifted a through ball over to Jarrod Bowen, who skillfully controlled under pressure before laying off to Soucek. The Czech, however, could not produce the finishing touch from 12 yards out. Soon after Bowen was denied by Sam Johnstone from a tight angle.

But that flurry was an outlier as Wolves stepped up a gear and Jhon Arias spun a long-range attempt straight at Alphonse Areola.

Then came Gomes’ opener. It came from a needless penalty concession as Guido Rodriguez, never blessed with rapidity, lazily impeded Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s run in from the left. Hee-chan Hwang’s attempt clattered off the left-sided post with Areola committing the wrong way and Gomes was first to the rebound, ahead of Soucek and Nayef Aguerd, to finish.

Soucek may have punched the pitch with frustration after failing to halt Gomes but he needed just four minutes of the second period to earn some redemption by arriving at the back post to steer in Kyle Walker-Peters’ delivery.

Parity both filled the Hammers with belief and sucked it out of the hosts. Temporarily, anyway. And while Paqueta’s header to make it 2-1 was brilliantly timed, he should never have been allowed such time and space to meet Bowen’s inswinging cross with Agbadou and Yerson Mosquera failing to close a yawning gap.

Except then came Larsen’s cameo. His first arrived after a dismal effort from Alphonse Areola to keep out Andre’s long-range attempt, Larsen converting the rebound despite being off-balance.

And the winner was another powerful header as he soared into the air to drive home Jackson Tchatchoua’s centre.

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