Blackburn Rovers held to 2-2 draw by Wolves after controversial penalty

Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers played to a 2-2 draw in their Championship season opener at Molineux. Blackburn held a 2-1 lead late in the match before a controversial penalty was awarded to Wolves in stoppage time.

The penalty decision followed a handball involving Blackburn defender Ryan Alebiosu. While replays suggested the contact occurred outside the penalty area, the decision stood because VAR is unavailable in the EFL. Raúl Jiménez converted the spot-kick to secure a point for Wolves.

Alebiosu, who was named Player of the Match, expressed frustration, stating, “the decision has gone against us,” and noting his belief that the incident happened outside the box. Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray also questioned the call, suggesting the ball struck the player's hand away from his body and outside the area.