Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Swansea City. The FA Cup Third Round.
MolineuxAttendance22,976.
Saturday 6 January 2018 18:18, UK
Wolves and Swansea must go again after their FA Cup third-round tie at Molineux ended goalless and with both sides down to 10 men.
Wanderers have an impressive record against top-flight opposition in the past 12 months, having won at Stoke and Liverpool in the FA Cup last season, and Nuno Espirito Santo's runaway Championship leaders have also beaten Southampton this campaign in the Carabao Cup, while they also took Manchester City to penalties in the same competition.
But while Wolves did have the better chances to score early on, they could not yet add Swansea to the list and their task was not helped by Ruben Vinagre's red card five minutes before half-time.
Swansea came into the game a bit more thereafter, but they were then also reduced in number after 67 minutes when Leroy Fer was sent off and neither team could make the breakthrough.
Both managers made six changes but Wolves settled quickest and Bright Enobakhare had the ball in the net early on, only to be denied as referee Anthony Taylor had already blown for a foul.
Enobakhare was involved again after seven minutes, forcing Kristoffer Nordfeldt into a parrying save with a shot from just inside the penalty area and the Swansea goalkeeper was busy again shortly afterwards, getting down low to repel an effort from Morgan Gibbs-White.
Swansea eventually settled but never threatened the Wolves goal, with the hosts still enjoying the majority of the possession. A 40-yard strike from Renato Sanches, although on target, drew cheers of derision from the home supporters.
Nordfeldt continued to impress and produced his best save after 25 minutes to tip Helder Costa's 20-yard strike round the post. He then palmed out a header from Alfred N'Diaye on the half-hour mark, although Enobakhare should have
put Wolves ahead from the loose ball only to drag his shot wide.
Despite Wolves' dominance, it was Swansea who came closest to scoring before the break when Martin Olsson crashed a free-kick against the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.
The dynamic of the tie changed five minutes before half-time when Ruben Vinagre was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Nathan Dyer.
But Swansea still struggled to create chances. Wilfried Bony could not get a header on target early in the second half and it was not until the hour mark that Will Norris was forced to make a save, diving to his left to push away a fiercely-struck shot by Bony.
And Swansea's numerical advantage would not last much longer as Fer saw read on 67 minutes, albeit in harsh fashion for a trip on Costa on the halfway line.
Wolves had their first opportunity of the second half at its midway point when Kortney Hause sent a header narrowly over the crossbar from Barry Douglas' free-kick.
Substitute Rafa Mir, on his Wolves debut, then had a late chance but saw his goalbound effort blocked.
