Raul Jimenez Secures Last-Minute Victory for Wolves Against Sheffield United

Raul Jimenez stepped off the bench and ripped the noise out of Bramall Lane with almost the last kick of the game, steering in a 90th-minute winner to snatch a 1-0 victory for Wolves over Sheffield United.

One chance. One touch. One ruthless finish from six yards. The away end exploded.

Late drama after big penalty flashpoint

The game had simmered more than it ever truly boiled, yet it still found room for controversy and a gut punch.

Early in the second half, with the score goalless and the home fans demanding a spark, Sheffield United were convinced they had it. Mateus Mane flicked the ball goalwards, Mark McGuinness stretched out an arm, and the ball clearly struck it before spinning behind. Everyone in red and white screamed for a penalty.

Referee Rob Jones pointed to the corner flag.

On co-commentary duty for Sky Sports, Gary Rowett did not mince his words. “His arm comes out, it hits him on the end of the arm. I think Sheffield United have probably got away with one there,” he said, echoing the feeling inside the stadium.

The Blades never quite shook off that sense of injustice.

Cagey Blades, controlled Wolves

Chris Wilder’s side came into the afternoon with a wild statistic hanging over them: in 14 of their last 15 Championship games at Bramall Lane, they had both scored and conceded. Chaos is usually guaranteed here.

Not this time.

Sheffield United barely laid a glove on Wolves before the break. They had just two touches in the opposition box in the first half and scraped together an xG of only 0.06. For a team usually so front-foot at home, it was strangely muted.

Wolves, under Cesar Peixoto, looked the more coherent outfit without ever turning that control into a barrage of chances. Marshall Munetsi carried the biggest threat, arriving late into the box and testing the Blades’ back line, but Michael Cooper in the home goal was rarely forced into anything beyond routine work.

The pattern held: Wolves probing, Sheffield United waiting for a moment that never quite came.

Key moments as the tension built

The match unfolded in flashes rather than flowing spells:

• On 19 minutes, Rodrigo Gomes whipped in a fierce cross to Munetsi, whose first-time drive was firm but too straight, allowing Cooper to gather.
• Then came the 50th-minute storm. Mane’s flick, McGuinness’ outstretched arm, the furious penalty appeals, and Jones signalling only for a corner. The crowd raged; the scoreboard stayed blank.
• Five minutes later, Hugo Bueno latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the area and bent a curling effort just wide of the right-hand post, Cooper rooted as it shaved past.
• On the hour, Ladislav Krejci hauled down Sydie Peck and walked a tightrope, avoiding a second yellow that would have left Wolves a man light.
• Just when the Blades finally sparked, they couldn’t land the blow. On 67 minutes, debutant Jordan Ayew burst in from the right, drilled a vicious cross-shot across the face of goal and watched it skid agonisingly past the far post. Bramall Lane gasped; Wolves survived.

The longer it stayed 0-0, the more it felt like one moment would decide it.

Jimenez, the veteran closer

Peixoto turned to his bench for that moment, and his captain delivered.

At 35, Raul Jimenez is no longer the relentless runner of his early Premier League days, and his manager knows it. “He’s 35 years old, so we have to manage him the best way,” Peixoto told Sky Sports afterwards. With three games in a week, Wolves had kept him in reserve.

When it mattered, he was fresh. And ruthless.

As the clock ticked to 90, Andre picked out Kieran Trippier, who shifted the ball on for Tommy Doyle. The midfielder slid a clever pass into the box, and there was Jimenez, ghosting into space. One sweep of his right foot, low and precise, and the ball was in the net before Cooper could react.

The away fans erupted; Wolves’ bench spilled onto the touchline. Sheffield United slumped.

Peixoto hailed the impact of his replacements. “It was important the guys who came from the bench pushed in the last minutes to try to score. We scored and we won,” he said. “I think we deserved it because we were the better team, but it was a difficult game for us.”

He reserved special praise for his captain’s all-round influence. Jimenez, he stressed, had not just provided the finish but helped marshal the side from the bench and on the pitch, especially defending set-pieces.

Wilder left to rue fine margins

For Wilder, it was a familiar Championship lesson: switch off once, and you pay.

“It’s top-end Championship football when you’re playing teams like we have done today. They punish you if you just switch off for a moment,” he said. “The players maybe didn’t get what they deserved from the game, but that’s how the Championship is at times, so we have to roll with that and handle it.”

He pointed to a disciplined defensive display, particularly after the break. “Especially in the second half, we limited a very attacking team to virtually nothing. I don’t think Michael had a save to make,” he argued.

The frustration lay at the other end. Sheffield United reached promising positions, Ayew’s near miss the standout, but never found the quality to tilt the game their way. “It’s just disappointing, with the positions we’ve got into, that we’ve not found that little bit of quality to get our noses in front,” Wilder admitted.

So the streak of chaotic, goal-heavy home games is over. The penalty shout lingers. The late lapse stings.

Wolves walk away with a statement away win, their veteran striker reminding everyone he can still decide tight games. Sheffield United are left staring at the table and the fixture list, asking themselves how many more nights like this they can afford in a division that rarely forgives a single moment’s sleep.