Molineux News

Wolves player ratings vs Tottenham, Vitor Pereira remains unbeaten as two players get 8/10s

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Jorgen Strand Larsen rescued a point for Wolves in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham to ensure Vitor Pereira remains unbeaten.

Wolves got off to a perfect start when a well-worked free-kick allowed Hwang Hee-Chan to laser the ball into the net off the post.

However, Spurs equalised immediately with set-pieces being the bain of the Old Gold’s backline yet again as Rodrigo Bentancur made it 1-1 with a header.

Tottenham then had a penalty late in the first half but Jose Sa was equal to Heung-min Son’s tame effort. Yet, the hosts would still make it 2-1 on the cusp of half-time as Brennan Johnson was found inside the box to slam Spurs in front.

After dominating large periods of the second half, Wolves got their reward as Larsen netted a vital equaliser late on to give Pereira’s men a point.

Now, Molineux News has graded each player’s performance after a well-fought draw on the road.

GK – Jose Sa – 6/10

Had a nervy moment when Dominic Solanke almost pinched the ball from the ‘keeper’s feet.

However, Sa pulled off a fantastic stop to save Son’s penalty just before the break.

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In the second half, Sa had to make a couple of decent saves which helped to keep the visitors in it.

RWB – Matt Doherty – 6/10

Matt Doherty continued his consistent run of form where he did little wrong against his former club. The wing-back made some excellent tackles, and bar from one poor moment, he was solid.

CB – Nelson Semedo – 6/10

In a difficult evening for the defence, Nelson Semedo had some sloppy moments but also made some crucial interventions.

The defender’s performance was far more inconsistent than he would have liked, but he ultimately got the job done.

CB – Craig Dawson – 4/10

Back in the starting lineup, the defender did not impress. Craig Dawson should have done better for Bentancur’s headed goal which allowed Spurs to quickly equalise.

From here, the Englishman continued to struggle and did not do enough to prevent the hosts from going ahead before the break.

CB – Santiago Bueno – 7/10

Had an all-round solid game despite some shaky moments. Since Pereira’s appointment, Santiago Bueno has definitely become more consistent which will help the club in the long run.

The Uruguayan international saved Tommy Doyle’s blushes as he saved a certain goal late on with a vital clearance when the ball was rolling into the net.

LWB – Rayan Ait-Nouri – 8/10

Picked up a nice assist for Hwang’s opener when the wing-back cleverly slid the ball to the attacker.

As the game continued, the Algerian international remained prominent in attack and played some lovely balls. This ultimately saved Wolves as a wonderful pass found Larsen late on who netted a vital equaliser.

Hopefully, Wolves fans are now starting to see Rayan Ait-Nouri back to his best after a difficult few months.

CM – Andre – 7/10

Andre was perhaps slightly unfortunate to give away the penalty but he still gave the referee a decision to make which was never going to be overturned.

However, as a whole, Andre was excellent on the ball and helped Wolves dictate the play for large periods until he was forced off with an injury mid-way through the second half.

CM – Joao Gomes – 7/10

Should have been closer to Johnson for his goal right on half-time. However, he helped control the middle of the park for long periods.

Joao Gomes’ partnership with Andre is developing nicely and hopefully, that can continue into 2025.

RW – Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 5/10

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde returned to the lineup but simply did not do enough. The Frenchman gave the ball way too often and was far too passive at times.

At half-time, he was rightly subbed off and it is difficult to imagine when he will be starting again.

ST – Hwang Hee-Chan – 7/10

Hwang’s opener was nothing short of sensational. From a well-worked set-piece, the South Korean international managed to bend the ball into the bottom corner from just outside the box to give him his second goal in as many games.

However, from here, Wolves struggled to find Hwang which led to him ghosting through periods.

LW – Matheus Cunha – 7/10

Matheus Cunha continued his fine form with another solid performance vs Tottenham. Everything went through the Brazilian as he showed his skill in both attack and defending. However, he was forced off at half-time with a presumed knock.

Sub – Goncalo Guedes – 6/10

Added the extra attacking threat Wolves needed in the second half as he took over Bellegarde’s duties.

Sub – Jorgen Strand Larsen – 8/10

Came on at half-time and was fairly quiet until a vital moment at the end. A wonderful ball found the striker and despite the difficult angle, he thundered into the roof of the net.

The fact Larsen managed to find the net from there is a testament to the striker and proves how good he is.

Sub – Tommy Doyle – 5/10

Made a poor mistake late on which almost cost Wolves.

Sub – Rodrigo Gomes – 6/10

Didn’t have time to make an impact

Sub – Carlos Forbs – 6/10

Had a strong cameo from the bench where he caused Spurs issues.

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Chris Sutton drops three-goal score prediction ahead of Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolves

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Wolves are looking to make it three wins out of three under Vitor Pereira against Tottenham Hotspur today in the Premier League.

Wanderers are down in north London hoping to continue their good form under the new manager.

Pereira has only been in the job 10 days, but has had a significant impact.

Wolves produced much-improved performances against Leicester City and Manchester United, winning both games, scoring two goals and not conceding.

The back-to-back clean sheets are especially encouraging, given how fragile Wolves have looked defensively this term.

Optimism is high heading into this game with Spurs, who have a number of injuries at the moment – and Chris Sutton has given his score prediction.

Chris Sutton predicts Tottenham will beat Wolves despite their recent struggles

Wolves have won four of the last five meetings with Spurs.

In this fixture last season, Wolves won 2-1 with Joao Gomes scoring both goals, including a header from a corner.

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You never quite know what Tottenham will do under Ange Postecoglou. But the general theme of their season has been that they have struggled against sides they were expected to beat, and teams at the lower end of the table.

Wolves are down the wrong end of the table, but fans are hoping that will soon change under Pereira.

But pundit Chris Sutton thinks Pereira’s 100% record will end today.

Predicting a 2-1 home win, he told BBC Sport: “It definitely does not help that he (Postecoglou) is so short of fit centre-backs at the moment and, overall, says this is the worst injury crisis he has ever faced as a manager.

“Ange is just going to have to get on with it, but this game looks a lot tougher than it might have done a couple of weeks ago.

“Wolves have won their first two matches under new manager Vitor Pereira and, after shipping a load of goals under Gary O’Neil, they kept two clean sheets too.

“I am still backing Spurs here though, despite their defensive issues. They did not score against Forest but had some decent chances and, at home, I think they will find a way to win.”

A big chance for Wolves to beat Tottenham again

Spurs have the potential to beat anyone in the Premier League – but they also have the potential to lose to anyone.

Currently, they’ve got a number of key players out such as Micky van de Ven (hamstring), Cristian Romero (quad) and Guglielmo Vicario (foot).

It will be a makeshift backline for Spurs and that should leave Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen very hungry.

If Wolves can just keep things tight at the back – as they have done in the last two games under Pereira – then there will be an excellent chance of winning this game and keeping the ball rolling under the new manager.

Matheus Cunha was hit with an FA charge following his antics after the game with Ipswich Town, but it looks as though he’ll still be OK to play today, which is a major boost.

If Wolves can get the ball to their talisman in dangerous positions, then the Brazilian is bound to cause major problems for that vulnerable backline.

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Ange Postecoglou already ‘sure’ of one thing about Vitor Pereira ahead of Tottenham vs Wolves

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Wolves return to action in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon to conclude 2024’s action.

It’s been an eventful year for the Old Gold, who struggled under Gary O’Neil before hiring Vitor Pereira.

The new Wolves manager has implemented a much needed boost to the squad he inherited from O’Neil, winning his first two games in charge.

Now, Pereira will be targeting a third consecutive win following his arrival, as Wolves travel to north London to face Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou shares Wolves verdict ahead of Spurs clash

Wolves have fond memories of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Joao Gomes stunned Spurs only last season.

For all of O’Neil’s faults, the Englishman had an exemplary record against the Lilywhites in 2023/24, taking six points from Ange Postecoglou.

Pereira will now look to do the same as he prepares for his trip to north London on match week 18, where Wolves will be hungry to extend their winning streak.

After Pereira made history from Wolves’ win over Manchester United, the squad will travel to the capital full of confidence, which Postecoglou admitted he’s wary of.

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Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Australian spoke about Wolves in reaction to Pereira’s strong start in the Midlands.

“I think it’s more sometimes the new manager comes in and gets a reaction from the players and they kind of realise they get a new opportunity to show themselves and I think you just see the best version of them,” Postecoglou said about Pereira’s impact.

“Irrespective of their form, you always knew they had quality players in there who could hurt any team. We didn’t have a good look at the game [vs Man Utd] but they had an impressive victory and I’m sure they’ll be coming here full of confidence.”

Postecoglou predicted that Wolves will head to Tottenham riding a wave of confidence installed by Pereira, whom he is familiar with in the world of football.

Vitor Pereira’s record against Postecoglou

While this is the Wolves boss’ first experience of English football, Pereira faced several Premier League managers earlier in his career.

One of which was Postecoglou, who was the manager of Japanese club Yokohama when Pereira oversaw things at SH SIPG.

The duo met twice during their time coaching in Asia, with their head-to-head record split, as the Wolves manager won once, and Postecoglou won once.

The Australian commented on his knowledge of Pereira from their previous jobs, saying that he knows the Portuguese ‘pretty well’.

It’s set to be a different calibre of meeting between the two coaches on Sunday, as Wolves and Spurs prepare to battle for three Premier League points.

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£25m Tottenham player could come back to haunt Wolves after Nuno Santo failed to sign him in 2019

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The arrival of Vitor Pereira as manager has seen the feel-good factor return to Wolves after a terrible start to the season.

Wolves have clinched consecutive Premier League victories and clean sheets against Leicester City and Manchester United to move out of the relegation zone.

It’s the first time since matchday 12 that the Old Gold have escaped the bottom three, with Vitor Pereira’s Wolves squad oozing confidence.

Several first-team players have returned to their best form in those wins. Matt Doherty was fantastic as a centre-back against Man United while praise came in for Andre who blew away Lee Naylor with his display.

Next up for the Old Gold is another tough test as they face a trip to Tottenham who own a player Nuno Espirito Santo almost signed in 2019.

Wolves almost signed Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski in 2019

Wolves are familiar with being haunted by former targets or players they nearly captured in years gone by.

In the disappointing defeat to Bournemouth, former Wolves target Evanilson helped the Cherries on their way by winning three penalties – the first time any player has done that in the Premier League.

Now, Swedish playmaker Dejan Kulusevski will be looking to come back to bite the Wanderers. Wolves almost signed Kulusevksi from Atalanta after Nuno Santo was prepared to sanction a £13m offer, per Birmingham Live.

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Unfortunately, the Italian side wanted closer to £21 million and the winger ended up signing for Juventus in a £29m deal in January 2020 before being captured by Tottenham on an 18-month loan two years later.

Kulusevski then made his move to North London permanent for £25m in the summer of 2023 and the rest, as they say, is history.

What Gary Neville once said about Kulusevski

In nearly three years in England’s top flight, Kulusevski has emerged as one of the Premier League’s best playmakers.

The 24-year-old has been tipped to become the successor to Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City and the statistics prove why.

Under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou, the silky Swedish international has reached new heights, posting an impressive 13 goal involvements in 27 matches in all competitions this term.

Further, in Spurs’ memorable victory over Man City, Kulusevski ran the show and he left Gary Neville amazed by his performance on Sky Sports commentary, via Hotspur Related.

“Kulusevski was special out there. The way he ran past players, with his quality and strength, it was an absolutely fantastic performance,” Neville said.

This weekend, the Tottenham star will be looking to come back to haunt Wolves as they perhaps regret not signing him as a 19-year-old over five years ago.

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Vitor Pereira handed big opportunity as Spurs are set to be without nine stars for Tottenham vs Wolves

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Wolves have been handed a massive opportunity to pick up a result in Sunday’s match vs Spurs.

In a quick turnaround, Vitor Pereira is set to take charge of his third Wolves game on Sunday since he was appointed.

So far, the Portuguese manager has overseen two victories in two games which has lifted the side out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Boxing Day’s 2-0 win over Man United was particularly impressive as they limited the Red Devils to zero clear-cut chances.

Now, Pereira faces his biggest challenge so far as the club travels to London to take on Spurs.

However, Wolves have been handed a massive opportunity to pick up a result due to Tottenham’s dire injury record.

Tottenham are set to be without nine players for Sunday’s clash vs Wolves

Spurs are set to be without multiple stars for Sunday’s clash vs Wolves. The club have been in crisis in recent weeks with injuries continuing to pile up.

Their recent defeat to Nottingham Forest did not help matters as Radu Dragusin was forced off the pitch with an ankle injury.

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On top of this, Djed Spence is also unavailable after he was sent off vs Forest for two bookable offences.

The duo join Guglielmo Vicario, Christian Romero and Richarlison who are all set to be out for the clash due to their long-term injuries.

Micky van der Ven and Wilson Odobert also remain on the sidelines, while the game will likely come too early for Mikey Moore and Ben Davies.

Wolves have a massive opportunity to punish Spurs further

Spurs’ struggles with injuries have been well-documented throughout recent weeks. The club have won two of their last nine games, with their defence being considerably depleted.

Now, that even more players are out of action, it presents a chance for Wolves to inflict further misery on the capital side.

A victory could potentially move the Old Gold clear of the relegation zone and up to 15th.

It would prove to be a massive result for Pereira’s side given the difficult fixtures that are on the horizon.

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Wolves planning to make transfer offer Europa League’s top goalscorer who recently stunned Tottenham

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Wolves are always on the lookout for those hidden gems – and the club look ready to make an offer for one played who recently stunned Tottenham Hotspur in Europe.

Wolves got off to a tricky start this season after a very tough run of fixtures, but have come into a bit of form recently.

It’s now four games unbeaten for Wolves, who have won back-to-back games in the Premier League to climb out of the relegation zone to the delight of supporters.

The hope is that things will click for Wolves from here on in, and that a relegation battle won’t be a worry come the end of the season.

Wolves could be in for an interesting summer regardless of the fate of the club, and apparently, an offer could be made for Galatasaray star Yunus Akgun.

Wolves plan to make offer for Yunus Akgun in summer 2025 transfer window

As reported by Takvim, Wolves are planning to make an offer for Yunus Akgun Galatasaray next summer.

After loan spells with Adana Demirspor and Leicester City, Akgun has risen to prominence in recent times and has scored six goals and made two assists in 17 appearances so far this season.

Four of those goals have come in this season’s Europa League, making him the joint-top goalscorer in the competition so far, along with Samu Aghehowa of FC Porto and Olympiacos forward Ayoub El Kaabi.

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Wolves are said to be keeping a close eye on the Turkish star.

The 24-year-old has 14 caps for the Turkey national team, and is capable of playing on either wing, although this season he’s predominantly played from the left side.

Akgun recently made headlines for scoring a stunning volley against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League, with Galatasaray going on to win that game 3-2.

Wolves could be preparing to lose Pablo Sarabia

With Akgun being left-footed and capable of playing from the right side, one instantly thinks about how he could potentially be a replacement for Pablo Sarabia.

The Spaniard is out of contract next summer, and it would be no surprise if Wolves allowed him to leave on a free.

It was reported recently that Wolves are ‘unlikely’ to offload Sarabia in January, with the player set to see out his contract.

Sarabia has interest from Sevilla, so it’s hard to see him sticking around too much longer.

Hwang Hee-chan has had a poor season so far and might be someone who could move on next summer, and Goncalo Guedes has also been linked with Villarreal.

So there could well be scope to sign a new winger and Wolves fans will hope Akgun can deliver if signed.

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