Hwang Hee-chan scored the first goal in the eighth minute of the second half when he faced Aston Villa 0-0 in the eighth round of the English Professional Football Premier League (EPL) in the 2023-24 season at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England on the 8th (Korea Standard Time). Wolverhampton drew 1-1.
As a result, Hwang Hee-chan scored his fifth EPL goal and sixth of the season (5 EPL goals, 1 League Cup goal). After scoring goals in the third round of the League Cup against Ipswich (Sept. 27) and the seventh round against Manchester City (Sept. 1), he also scored goals in three consecutive matches. In addition, according to soccer statistics company Optazo, Hwang Hee-chan was involved in scoring goals in five consecutive home games. It is a new record for Wolverhampton.
Hwang Hee-chan also rose to fourth place (13 goals) in the EPL scoring rankings of Asian players. He scored five goals in the 2021-22 season when he joined Wolverhampton, failing to meet expectations with only four goals (3 regular league goals, 1 FA Cup goal) last season.
It was a game in which Hwang Hee-chan, who started as a left striker, showed outstanding concentration with his “nosey fighting spirit.” Hwang Hee-chan was hit in the face by Aston Villa Douglas Luiz’s elbow in the second minute of the second half, causing bleeding in his nose. Hwang Hee-chan, who was treated by the medical staff on the ground and blocked his nose, changed his direction from the right side of the goal area to the left foot and shook the net in the subsequent counterattack situation. Hwang Hee-chan, who was complaining of discomfort in his left leg, was replaced by Fabio Silva in the 41st minute of the second half and rested. 스포츠토토
However, Hwang Hee-chan’s goal did not become the final goal. Wolverhampton conceded the equalizer to Aston Villa’s Pau Torres two minutes after Hwang Hee-chan scored. This season, Wolverhampton is enjoying the “Hwang Hee-chan effect” both inside and outside the ground. On the 7th, The Athletic published an article titled “How Wolverhampton benefits from Hwang Hee-chan’s performance,” highlighting the marketing profits Hwang Hee-chan brought to the team. Hwang Hee-chan, who was on a one-year loan from RB Leipzig (Germany) to Wolverhampton in August 2021, signed a full transfer contract with Wolverhampton in January 2022 until 2026.
The Athletic noted Wolverhampton’s explosive growth in the “Korean marketing market” after Hwang Hee-chan’s recruitment. The number of Korean followers on the Wolverhampton social media (SNS) increased by 50 times (5,000%) compared to the 2021-22 season to 110,000 last season. In addition, the number of Korean subscribers to the Wolverhampton YouTube account also rose from 10% to 15%. Wolverhampton also saw its online product sales revenue to South Korea rise 1264 percent (12.64 times) over the two years when Hwang Hee-chan joined the team.