Hwang Hee-chan’s Struggles: Why Wolverhampton’s Star Player Faces Harsh Criticism After Brighton Defeat
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[MyDaily — Reporter Noh Chan-hyeok] Hwang Hee-chan started up front for Wolverhampton Wanderers and was on the pitch for 90 minutes. He worked hard throughout, but the scoreline and the postgame assessments were merciless.
Wolverhampton suffered a 3-0 defeat at Brighton in the 35th round of the 2025–26 Premier League at the Amex Stadium on May 9 (KST). Deployed as the team’s lone striker, Hwang lasted 89 minutes.
The Wolves’ defense crumbled almost immediately. In the first minute Jack Hinshelwood nodded home from a cross by Maksim de Kuijper. Five minutes later, Lewis Dunk powered in another header from a corner.
The visitors unravelled completely when Jankuba Minte added a third in the 41st minute of the second half. Wolves — already relegated to next season’s EFL Championship — suffered their 24th defeat of the campaign (3 wins, 9 draws, 18 points) and remain at the foot of the table. Brighton ended the game on 53 points, sitting seventh.
It was an especially frustrating night for Hwang. In the eighth minute a dribble and the resulting cross were snuffed out by the defense, and early in the second half he conceded a foul and picked up a yellow card. Most painfully, a clear chance in the 10th minute of the second half saw his shot smash off the post.
Stat sites were brutal in their verdicts. FootMob gave Hwang a 5.7 — among the lowest ratings on the pitch — and SofaScore only slightly higher at 5.9.
Recently, British outlets have labeled Hwang the worst Wolves player this season. On May 1, Football365 named the worst player for each Premier League club — and Hwang topped the list for Wolverhampton.
FootballLeagueWorld noted that Hwang has been at Wolves since 2021 but that his slump has continued, adding that many supporters would prefer to see him loaned out or sold.
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