Preston North End 1-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Fer Lopez scores twice in Wolves win
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston North End and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Deepdale on Saturday; Fer Lopez scores twice either side of Adam Armstrong in a comfortable win for Cesar Peixoto's side.
Saturday 22 August 2026 17:21, UK
Fer Lopez bagged a brace as Wolves secured their first victory of the Championship season with a convincing 3-1 success over Preston at Deepdale.
The Spaniard put Wanderers ahead with an eighth-minute rocket and substitute Adam Armstrong tucked home a 71st-minute second, just four minutes after stepping on to the pitch.
Lopez put a cherry on top of the cake with a poacher's finish in the 82nd minute as Cesar Peixoto's men really flexed their muscles, but substitute Jordan Thompson managed to bag a 25-yard consolation in the first minute of stoppage time to give the home faithful something to cheer.
It was a much-needed victory for the relegated Premier League side but Preston are now without a win in their opening two Championship matches.
- Watch FREE Championship highlights | Latest EFL news and rumours
- Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream EFL games with no contract📺
A packed-out away end were on their feet from the off as Lopez ran in from the flank, virtually unchallenged from halfway having left Andrew Hughes for dead, before slamming past goalkeeper Daniel Iversen at his near post.
Wolves nearly doubled down on their rapid start twice in the opening 15 minutes as Marshall Munetsi dragged wide from a central position from just inside the box before Raul Jimenez back-flicked Jackson Tchatchoua's low delivery agonisingly wide of the far post.
Despite the setback, Ali McCann nearly rewarded a buoyant and lively home support with a shot from the edge of the box that deflected narrowly wide just shy of the half-hour and, from the resulting corner, Toti Gomes had to head Callum Lang's header off the line.
Preston did well to weather the early storm but needed Iversen to tip Rodrigo Gomes' low drive away as the Portuguese star wriggled into some space in first-half stoppage time.
Wolves began the second half how they started and indeed finished the first, with Iversen making a tremendous save to keep out Mateus Mane's first-time effort as he combined with Gomes.
Peixoto sent on Championship-proven goal-getter Armstrong in the 67th minute and the 29-year-old made his mark shortly afterwards as he coolly slotted beyond Iversen having played a one-two with Jimenez.
That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back as Lopez prodded in his second of the game following good work from Mane, whose teasing cross was flicked on by Tommy Doyle and turned in at the back post.
While Wolves were cruising to victory, there was still time for a moment of ingenuity as Thompson caught out Jose Sa with a well-placed shot from outside the box having been teed-up by Delano Burgzorg.
