After seeing Hwang drive a free-kick wide, Wolves manager Vítor Pereira made a quadruple change, including the introduction of Strand Larsen, whose goal had won Wolves the Premier League fixture at Molineux in April.
And history repeated itself as the No9 scored two goals in under two minutes to win the tie for his side.
With eight minutes to play, André’s deflected shot was kicked out by Areola as far as Strand Larsen, who fired into the roof of the West Ham net.
Within two minutes, the substitute had scored again as Arias’s shot was blocked by Areola’s legs as far as Jackson Tchatchoua, whose cross was powered in at the near post by Wolves’ big No9.
Paquetá volleyed over late on, but West Ham could not fashion a second comeback, and our Carabao Cup challenge fell at the first hurdle.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Johnstone, R.Gomes (Tchatchoua 73), Mosquera (Doherty 72), Agbadou, S.Bueno, H.Bueno, André, Bellegarde (J.Gomes 73), López (Strand Larsen 73), Arias, Hwang © (Kalajdžić 81)
Subs not used: Bentley (GK), Wolfe, Munetsi, Chirewa
Goals: R.Gomes 43, Strand Larsen 82, 84
Booked: Agbadou, André
West Ham United: Areola, Walker-Peters, Todibo (Füllkrug 86), Mavropanos, Aguerd (Kilman 70), Diouf, Rodríguez (Wilson 86), Ward-Prowse, Souček, Paquetá, Bowen ©
Subs not used: Hermansen (GK), Scarles, Potts, Orford, Irving, Marshall
Goals: Souček 50, Paquetá 63
Booked: Ward-Prowse
Referee: Darren England