Wolves and Fulham draw a blank as Aleksandar Mitrovic misses golden chance from spot

Rival head coaches Bruno Lage and Marco Silva agreed both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Morgan Gibbs-White could have been sent off in the flashpoint of this game.

This was an incident where both players should have used their brains, instead of using their heads. Deep into the seven minutes of time added on, Gibbs-White reacted angrily to a late tackle from behind from the Fulham striker by shoving him in the chest then going head to head.

Wolves head coach Lage said: “I didn’t see it but if they do that then it should be a red card for both players. For me it’s so clear. We should show more emotional control. If the opponent does something, we cannot react.

“It was a yellow card for both players, and if he gives a red card then it has to be a red card for both players. We don’t want that – we just want to play football.”

Silva said: “There was a reaction from both players, not just from Mitrovic. I know there will be attention on Mitro, as always, and he knows this is nothing new for him.

“If the player from Wolves stayed on the grass and didn’t react, nothing would have happened. The referee and Var decided it was nothing really special and he decided to give a yellow card to both players.”

If this contest proved anything, it was that both teams are searching for their shooting boots.

If Wolves’ need for firepower was in any doubt, confirmation came in the 54th minute. With Raul Jimenez missing the start of the season with a knee injury, an inviting cross from left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri needed just the finishing touch, but neither Hwang Hee Chan or Gibbs-White could connect.

Within three minutes, Lage introduced new £27.5m signing Goncalo Guedes. But the recent recruit from Valencia had little opportunity to impress.

Instead the big chance was presented to Mitrovic. But his weak 81st-minute penalty was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Jose Sa after Ait-Nouri brought down Harrison Reed.

Wolves went close to an opening goal on several occasions in the first half. Pedro Neto and Hwang had shots blocked by goalkeeper Marek Rodak.

Following a mix-up between Rodak and right-back Kenny Tete, Neto was presented with the loose ball but could only poke it across goal to Podence, whose angled effort drifted wide.

Until the penalty, all Fulham had to offer was Bobby Reid’s free header, which was scrambled off the line by a combination of Sa and Ait-Nouri.