Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is having a rough start to the season.
Wolverhampton fell 1-3 to Liverpool in the fifth round of the 2023-24 English Premier League at Molineux Stadium on April 16. With four defeats in five games this season, it’s already looking like a tough year ahead for Wolverhampton.
Hwang Hee-chan has been the lone bright spot in a slumping Wolverhampton side. Once again, he started on the right wing and scored the opening goal just seven minutes into the game.
In an attacking situation, Hwang found himself deep in the Liverpool box, and when Pedro Neto whipped in a cross from the left, he found himself on the other side of the box with a direct shot. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson fought hard to keep the ball out of the back of the net, but only after it had crossed the line.
Hwang celebrated with open arms. It was his third goal of the season. His pace is such that he is tied for fifth on the individual goalscoring list with Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United), and Solly March (Brighton & Hove Albion).
Hwang scored his first goal of the season against Brighton in the second round, after coming on as a substitute and taking on the role of joker, and he certainly lived up to his manager’s expectations. After scoring his first goal of the season with a header, Hwang followed it up with a goal against Crystal Palace in Round 4. You have to give Hwang credit for his goal-sniffing, getting into good positions, albeit with a bit of luck.
He’s firmly established himself as a starter against Liverpool and rattled the net in the seventh minute, making him the only scorer for a Wolverhampton side lacking in goals. He also continued his strong form against Liverpool. He already has three goals and one assist against the Reds. He has been particularly lethal against the Reds since his goal against them in the 2019 UEFA Champions League with Salzburg, when he beat an impregnable Virgil van Dijk.
In his third year at Wolverhampton, Hwang has scored 11 goals in all competitions, including this one. He’s had a bit of a rough start to his career at Wolverhampton, starting out on loan and then earning a permanent move. He’s been plagued by injuries that seem to come out of nowhere, which is why he’s made it a priority to stay healthy on the field before heading to England this season.
You can count on a sturdy bull. Hwang’s fortitude in the face of Premier League giants Liverpool is uncharacteristic. According to soccer statistics company Opta, more than half of Hwang’s 11 Premier League goals – six – have come this year. That’s six goals since March alone, which speaks volumes about his form given Wolverhampton’s history.
What’s more, Hwang is not playing long minutes. In four games this season, he has only played 137 minutes and scored three goals. There’s plenty of room for Hwang to increase his goals as he gets fitter and gets more playing time. It’s early to expect a career high.
At the end of the day, the problem is that Hwang can’t convert his goals into wins. Wolverhampton took a 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to Hwang’s goal, but they couldn’t hold on to it.
In the second half, they conceded a goal as Liverpool pushed forward. In the 10th minute of the second half, they conceded the equalizer to Cody Hackpo. Hwang Hee-chan, who had been putting Liverpool under pressure, was substituted in the 15th minute of the second half for injury reasons. Hwang is still suffering from a thigh problem after traveling with the national team during the A-match.먹튀검증
The loss of Hwang allowed Liverpool to push forward in attack, and with 10 minutes to go, Liverpool turned the game on its head. Mohamed Salah was assisted by Andrew Robertson, who finished with a sensational shot to make it 2-1. Wolverhampton, who missed the big one, self-destructed with an own goal from Hugo Bueno in stoppage time to go down 1-3.