Lopez Shines in Wolves' Victory Over Preston
Lopez did not glide into this season. He stumbled through the last one, struggled for rhythm, and ended it back on loan at his former club. Now he looks like a player reborn in old gold.
Having opened his account in the League Cup earlier in the month, he carried that confidence straight into this contest. His standout moment came when he simply burned past Preston defender Liam Lindsay, leaving him trailing in open grass. Lopez drove the ball all the way into the box, never breaking stride, before thumping a ruthless finish beyond Daniel Iversen.
The tone of the night changed with that run. Wolves suddenly carried menace every time they crossed halfway.
Raul Jimenez, back for a second spell and clearly eager to write a new chapter, almost made it 2-0 within minutes. The Mexican darted across the near post and flicked goalwards from close range, only to watch the ball skid agonisingly wide.
Preston, slow out of the blocks, finally stirred. A spell of pressure brought their best chance of the half when Callum Lang’s effort squirmed towards goal, only for Marshall Munetsi to read it and nod the ball off the line. That intervention kept Wolves in front and briefly silenced the home crowd.
Just as Preston began to grow, Wolves nearly punched again. On the stroke of half-time, Rodrigo Gomes let fly from the edge of the box with a low drive that seemed destined for the corner. Iversen flung himself across and got the faintest of touches, enough to turn it away and keep his side alive.
The match sat on a knife-edge as both managers turned to their benches after the interval. The game needed a spark. The visitors found one.
Armstrong stepped off the bench and changed the mood completely. On 71 minutes, he combined neatly with Jimenez, a sharp one-two slicing Preston open. Released inside the area, Armstrong stayed calm and drilled home to double the lead.
That goal broke Preston’s resistance. Wolves began to play with a freedom that simply was not there in the opening quarter of an hour.
Lopez, already brimming with confidence, then added a second to his personal tally. Another smooth move ended with the ball at his feet on the edge of the box, and he swept a precise finish into the corner with eight minutes left. Clinical, composed, and the kind of strike that announces a player’s return to form.
Preston did find a response. Thompson produced a tidy finish of his own to pull it back to 3-1, a reminder that the hosts had their moments. But by then, the damage was done.
Lopez had his brace. Wolves had their win. And a player who spent last season searching for himself suddenly looks like a forward ready to drive this campaign.
