Leeds jump five places with wild win over Wolves

Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling, Rasmus Kristensen and Rodrigo all scored to secure a rollercoaster 4-2 win and lift them out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Jonny’s long-range lob and Matheus Cunha’s first goal for Wolves gave them hope before Jonny’s late red card.

Unused substitute Matheus Nunes was also sent off in stoppage time, with the Wolves raging. Rodrigo’s goal was not ruled out for a foul on Adama Traore.

Exactly 12 months ago, Leeds came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Molineux thanks to Ayling’s stoppage-time goal.

Victory still wasn’t easy this time around, but a frenzied win in a game that threatened to turn either side leaves Leeds 14th, just one point and one place behind their hosts with one game in hand.

As much as Wolves have improved under Julen Lopetegui, home defeats to Bournemouth and now Leeds have kept them from pulling away.

A four-point gap to the visitors has all but been eliminated in a battle for survival that has captured nearly half the division and left them three points above the relegation zone.

It looked bleak at first for Wolves after Harrison set the tone for a crazy game when he opened the scoring just six minutes later.

Wilfried Gnonto taunted Nelson Semedo, who couldn’t get close to him, and dove into the box to cross Harrison from 10 yards out.

Harrison, whose move to Leicester was canceled in mid-January, has only four goals this season, but none will have been as crucial as this one.

Wolves responded and wanted a penalty when Semedo went down under a challenge from Junior Firpo, but Michael Salisbury and VAR officer David Coote disagreed.

Leeds’ fast start suddenly turned into rear-guard action as the bodies came on the line to deny the hosts, who forced the pace after falling behind.

Only the squandering of Pedro Neto stopped Wolves when Daniel Podence caught Ayling dozing. His shot was parried by Illan Meslier, but Neto messed up his lines on the follow-up.

For a while, Wolves swarmed over Leeds, suffocating the visitors, forcing them to make last-minute mistakes and interventions, and a draw seemed inevitable.

However, Lopetegui’s side alone was to blame. Wasting their chances when they arrived they left Leeds free, especially Semedo.

Rubén Neves’ perfect pass was only surpassed by Max Kilman’s low cross that bounced off Semedo’s path unmarked, only for Max Wober to block his attempt on goal.

Neves drilled wide from distance and apart from the goal Leeds had offered very little attacking intent. Meslier’s wasted time infuriated Molineux, but the visitors almost got the second nine minutes before half-time.

A good corner grind found Weston McKennie and although the USA international was unable to connect properly, he caused enough trouble and was deflected.

It was enough to give Leeds a breather, with a delay to treat Harrison after a late challenge from Dawson briefly changed the momentum of a game that had grown increasingly moody.

Dawson, who already had a booking, was taken off at half-time and Wolves thought they had leveled soon after.

Podence’s corner was headed on target by Nathan Collins and finished by Mario Lemina, but the celebrations were interrupted by an offside flag.

If the hosts thought it would herald the start of a comeback, they were wrong, with Leeds grabbing a second four minutes into the half.

It was poor defending by Wolves as Neves, who was watching the ball, allowed Ayling to break free and he was left criminally unmarked to head in at the far post.

With the hosts in shock, Pablo Sarabia deflected wide but Leeds were in dreamland after 62 minutes.

Joao Gomes had denied Harrison a second with a smart block, but only delayed a third when Kristensen sprang into action.

The substitute had only 31 seconds to go before robbing Jonny, who was unable to cope with a Harrison cross, at the far post and fired through Jose Sa’s legs.

Jonny quickly, and spectacularly, got a goal back when he fired from 40 yards with Meslier running to punt.

It gave Wolves hope and, after Meslier made a brilliant save from Cunha, the striker created a grandstand finish when his shot from the edge of the box sliced ​​past Wober to make it 3-2 with 17 minutes remaining.

But Jonny was sent off after a reckless tackle on Ayling with six minutes left to end Wolves’ comeback.

Rodrigo then wrapped it up in stoppage time when he ran in to hit Sa.

It provoked protests from Wolves when Marc Roca appeared to pull Traore in preparation with the bench outraged and Nunes, who had to be contained, was sent off for dissent.