Hwang Hee-chan scores as Wolves beat Brentford to climb seven points clear of relegation

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan celebrates scoring his side's second goal during a Premier League match against Brentford at Molineux in Wolverhampton, England on Saturday. [AP/YONHAP]

Hwang Hee-chan came on as a substitute to score a crucial security goal on Saturday as a triumphant Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Brentford 2-0 to move seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Hwang, who has struggled with injuries throughout this season, scored his second goal of the season in only his third appearance since early April, tapping in a pass from Matheus Nunes in the 69th minute.

Hwang’s effort followed an earlier goal from Diego Costa, the veteran striker's first in the Premier League in five years.

Saturday’s win marked the second in a row for Wolves, only the second time in 13 months that the midlands club has managed back-to-back league victories. That both of those have been in the short time since Julen Lopetegui took the helm in November says a lot about his impact on the club.

Wolves, who were in last place when Lopetegui arrived, have picked up 24 points in 16 games. They have won five of eight home games under Lopetegui, a home record only beaten by Manchester United and Arsenal over that period.

Despite being regularly sidelined with injuries, Hwang has also performed well under Lopetegui’s leadership.

The Korean midfielder, who had been stuck in a dry spell for a year and sidelined early in the season, found new life under Lopetegui and picked up two assists and his first goal in months in cup games within a month of the Spaniard taking the helm.

Hwang was out with a hamstring injury for five games from the start of February, returning on March 12 to score his first league goal of the season off the bench. He was immediately back on the injury list, missing two more games before returning for the 1-0 win over Chelsea last week and a goal this week against Brentford.

Having played mostly from the bench as he recovers from injury, Hwang has technically scored two goals in just over 90 minutes played in the last month and a half, an encouraging sign that the Lopetegui approach is still working for him.

“Always we are happy with wins because we need a lot of wins to achieve our aim,” Lopetegui said after the game. “Today was a very difficult match, it’s not easy to win two matches consecutively at home. After we played against a very hard team, away one of the best teams in the Premier League, and I think we’ve won a good match.

“We suffered in the moments we had to suffer, but we deserved in the end to win against a very good team. Three points more, we continue, we need more points in front of us to achieve our aim, so we have to be ready.”

With another clean sheet on the books, Lopetegui is back on the hook for another meal out for him and his squad, a promise he committed to early in his tenure and has kept up over the last few months.

“I’m very pleased to take my players for a meal, of course,” Lopetegui said. “It’s a good investment for me, for sure. It’s a good thing for them, but me too, because with a clean sheet you are closing to winning each match.”

Wolves will be back in action next Saturday as they face Leicester City on the road. With Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Everton among their final seven opponents, the midlands club has the potential to climb even further up the table before the season ends.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]