Jimenez penalty rescues Wolves on night of homecomings at Molineux
Raul Jimenez scored a stoppage-time penalty to earn Wolves a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Molineux on 14 August 2026 — his first goal since returning to the club for a second spell.
It was a night built on returns. Jimenez, who started on the bench after a late start to pre-season following the World Cup with Mexico — where he scored against England — had already won over the South Bank before kick-off, buying scarves for every supporter in that stand to thank them for the welcome home. When he stepped up in stoppage time, the penalty awarded for handball by Blackburn defender Rayan Alebiosu after Jackson Tchatchoua's cross struck his arm, he sent the keeper the wrong way and Molineux erupted.
Wolves' early opener had a familiar feel too. Marshall Munetsi, back at the club after a loan at Paris FC, finished left-footed from a pass by Fer Lopez — another returnee, who had spent last season on loan at Celta Vigo and has been invited by the new head coach to make the No 10 position, the creative attacking midfield role, his own. For twenty minutes that looked like the story: Wolves front-footed, the returning players settling in, the Championship — England's second tier, where Wolves now find themselves after nine years in the Premier League — looking manageable.
Blackburn had other ideas. Sean McLoughlin headed in a right-wing cross from Ryoya Morishita to level the scores, and suddenly the night felt heavier. Blackburn, managed by Tony Mowbray — formerly of West Bromwich Albion and a man who knows this league inside out — finished 20th in the Championship last season. They came to Molineux with no expectation and nearly left with all three points.
The backdrop for Wolves is one of rebuilding. Cesar Peixoto, who replaced Rob Edwards as head coach, arrived with no experience of English football. His previous job was at Gil Vicente in Portugal, where he led them to sixth in the first division — a strong finish that earned him the Wolves job. His approach, a high press — pressing the opposition high up the pitch to force mistakes — had shown promise in a Carabao Cup win over Port Vale during pre-season. Against Blackburn, it produced the early goal but could not sustain control.
For a club adjusting to life outside the top flight after nearly a decade, the fixture had the feel of a new era taking its first uncertain steps. Jimenez, Munetsi, and Lopez all coming back; a new manager with fresh ideas; and a stadium still learning what this team is.
The point felt like more than a point. Not because the performance was polished — it was not — but because a player who chose to come home delivered the moment that mattered. The scarf-giving, the bench, the wait, and then the penalty. Molineux will remember this one.
