Tony Mowbray’s return to Blackburn Rovers looked destined to begin with the sort of victory that makes a manager immediately suspicious of his own good fortune. Instead, Wolves produced a late twist worthy of a Championship opening weekend, with returning hero Raúl Jiménez converting an injury-time penalty to rescue a 2-2 draw at Molineux and deny Blackburn three points.
The result was particularly painful for Mowbray, who had watched his side recover from an early Marshall Munetsi goal through Sean McLoughlin and Andri Gudjohnsen. Blackburn appeared to have done enough to silence the home crowd until a late handball decision against Ryan Alebiosu handed Wolves a route back into the contest. Mowbray was furious with the decision, while the returning Jiménez showed precisely why Wolves supporters still remember him so fondly.
Mowbray’s Dream Return Meets the Championship’s Favourite Plot Twist
Mowbray, back at Blackburn after four years away, had every reason to believe his comeback story was being written perfectly. Blackburn had finished only 20th last season, yet they produced an impressive response against a Wolves side freshly relegated from the Premier League and widely expected to challenge for promotion. For long periods, Rovers looked organised enough to turn Molineux into an unexpectedly uncomfortable welcome party for Wolves’ new Championship campaign.
Then came the penalty. In the third minute of stoppage time, Alebiosu was penalised for handball after a cross struck his arm, although the location of the offence immediately became the evening’s main talking point. Mowbray reportedly stormed down the tunnel at full-time, while Blackburn supporters were left wondering whether the Championship had already decided to introduce its traditional weekly dose of refereeing controversy.
Jiménez Returns, Scores and Collects the Plot
For Jiménez, the ending was almost cinematic. The Mexican forward returned to Wolves after his World Cup involvement and came off the bench to score the penalty, his first Wolves goal in 1,311 days. His history at Molineux makes the moment even sweeter for the home supporters: he previously became a major figure in Wolves’ Premier League rise and scored 57 goals for the club before leaving in 2023.
Wolves manager César Peixoto, however, will know that one rescued point does not hide the problems exposed by the match. Wolves lost their organisation after taking the lead and allowed Blackburn to turn the contest around, with Peixoto admitting that his players became too emotional rather than maintaining their structure. So while Jiménez has already delivered the headline, Blackburn have delivered the warning: relegation favourites, promotion favourites and returning managers may all be discovering that the Championship has absolutely no interest in following anyone’s script.
The 2-2 draw therefore leaves both clubs with mixed emotions: Wolves have escaped an embarrassing opening defeat, while Mowbray can take genuine encouragement from Blackburn’s performance despite the controversial ending. Jiménez may have stolen the spotlight, but the bigger story is that the Championship has started with a reminder that reputations count for very little once the whistle goes. OGM News FC will be watching closely for the next chapter—and, judging by this opening-night drama, readers should probably keep their eyes on the referee as well.
