• 2 days ago
Rayan Ait-Nouri had to be held back and carried away at full-time after Wolves' 2-1 defeat by Ipswich as tempers flared at Molineux.

Ipswich star Wes Burns touched Ait-Nouri's neck after the match. The pair had clashed during the game.

Craig Dawson restrained Ait-Nouri, who was red-carded and lifted him off the ground to escort him away from the tumult before the wing-back was forced down the tunnel. Wolves team-mate Matheus Cunha also had to be held back as a large crowd of players and staff gathered at one edge of the pitch.

Ait-Nouri had already been suspended for Wolves' upcoming match against Leicester after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season. He was given a second yellow after full-time due to his involvement in the tempestuous scenes.

Asked about it at full time, manager Gary O'Neil said: 'I haven't seen it (Ait-Nouri’s outburst). I have just been told he received a second yellow. I spoke to him during the game.

'We are under a lot of pressure. We are trying to push the group beyond our level and you can't get yourself in trouble. We are stretched as it is. We need Rayan and now we don't have him. I will be sure to deal with that internally. I understand the players being emotional but we have to keep control better.'

Jack Taylor had headed in a 94th-minute winner for the visitors after Matheus Cunha's goal had canceled out Matt Doherty's early own goal.

The fracas marks another high-profile incident for Wolves, who saw Mario Lemina scrap with Jarrod Bowen after their 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Monday night. Bowen, the fiance of Danny Dyer's Love Island daughter Dani, had scored the winner in the match.

Wolves are 19th in the Premier League table and remain four points from safety, with the pressure growing on O'Neil.

O'Neil stripped Lemina of the captaincy coming into this crucial relegation clash against Ipswich.

Nelson Semedo took the armband although Lemina still started the match against the Tractor Boys.

The midfielder had wrestled opposite number Bowen to the ground when the pair went to shake hands as tempers boiled over after West Ham's victory at the London Stadium.

Lemina apologised earlier in the week but boss O'Neil revealed Semedo would take the armband going forward.

O'Neil said at his pre-match press conference: 'The discussions with Mario were good. We get on very, very well.

Potter was not the only candidate Wolves considered, with former boss David Moyes also believed to have been in their thoughts. But - for now at last - O'Neil continues in post and has the immediate support of the Molineux hierarchy.

The club is aiming to invest in January to improve the squad, particularly in defence as Wolves have conceded a league-high 40 goals.

Commenting on his future earlier this month, O'Neil said: 'I am not concerned about my future one bit, only the club’s future. I knew the size of the task when I took over and since then it’s got even more difficult with players we’ve lost.'

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