Premier League players 'had fight in dressing room' after dreadful defeat

Jack Otway
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:13:47 +0000

Wolves teammates Tolu Arokodare and Mateus Mane reportedly came to blows in the changing room following their comprehensive defeat to West Ham last week.

The incident occurred after Rob Edwards' struggling side suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the London Stadium, where Dinos Mavropanos and Taty Castellanos each netted twice for the Hammers.

Both players had been introduced as second-half substitutes during the match.

Wolves currently sit at the foot of the Premier League standings and face the very real prospect of dropping down to the Championship this season.

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The Express & Star reports that tensions boiled over at full-time, with the 25-year-old Nigerian striker and 18-year-old playmaker initially engaging in a fierce verbal confrontation.

What began as an exchange of words allegedly turned physical, with Arokodare reported to have been the one who escalated matters.

The pair had both watched much of the humiliating defeat from the bench before being brought on during the second period.

Their clash adds further turmoil to an already troubled campaign for the Midlands outfit, who have endured a dismal sequence of results under Edwards' management.

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The club subsequently took disciplinary action against Arokodare, issuing him with a fine for his role in the confrontation.

His punishment extended to the pitch as well, with the forward left out of the matchday squad entirely for Saturday's 3-0 loss away to Leeds United, where he remained an unused substitute.

The Nigerian international is now expected to leave Molineux in the wake of the incident.

Arokodare only arrived at Wolves from Belgian side Genk on transfer deadline day last summer, penning a four-year contract with the club.

Mane has since sought to downplay the dressing room confrontation, taking to Instagram to refer to Arokodare as his "big bro" – a post the striker promptly reshared on his own story.

During his time at Wolves, Arokodare has contributed six goals and two assists across 33 appearances for the club.

Mane joined the academy from Rochdale in 2024 before earning promotion to the first team, where he has recorded two goals and two assists in 26 outings.

The teenager, who previously represented England Under-18s before switching allegiance to Portugal Under-21s, has also been linked with a potential departure as Wolves brace for a major squad rebuild should relegation be confirmed.