Molineux News

Wolves recorded another big win in the Premier League on Sunday, beating Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 at Molineux.

Wolves won their fourth consecutive Premier League match which was a first, and there were more scenes of jubilation after the full-time whistle.

Spurs made it easy at times for Wolves at Molineux, with their defending really poor.

Wolves went in 2-0 up at half-time after a goal by Rayan Ait-Nouri and an own goal by Djed Spence, with Guglielmo Vicario having a half to forget between the sticks for Tottenham.

Tottenham pulled a goal back through Mathys Tel after some questionable defending at the back post by Nelson Semedo.

But Jorgen Strand Larsen then made it 3-1. After Richarlison got it back to 3-2, substitute Matheus Cunha made sure of the points for Wolves.

It was a great display from Wolves, as much as Spurs did make mistakes, and one player who again impressed was Andre in midfield.

And the Brazilian capped off his fine performance by amusing his manager as the game was petering out.

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Vitor Pereira amused as Andre abandons ball chase against Tottenham

One thing Wolves fans have come to learn about Andre is that he is very industrious.

Alongside Joao Gomes in midfield, Andre puts in some serious yards, and together they make life very difficult for their opponents.

Wolves are lucky to have these two, and potentially they could really help the team go places next season, with their partnership only getting stronger.

Andre was his usual workhorse self against Spurs, with data showing he made 10 ball recoveries in the game. But at one point towards the end, Pablo Sarabia played a ball into the right channel for the Brazilian to chase.

Andre gave it for a few seconds, before realising he simply did not have the energy or speed, and turned around to get back into position.

Wolves released footage Vitor Pereira on the touchline and caught his reaction (9:45) to this moment.

The Wolves manager can be seen laughing, as his midfielder gave up, feeling the ball was a lost cause.

The whole footage the club have shared is brilliant, with Pereira kicking and heading every ball with his players throughout the entire match.

Andre is a serious signing for Wolves

Nobody, even Pereira, could blame Andre for giving that ball up at the end, as he had run his socks off in midfield against Spurs.

Wolves have definitely struck gold with the signing of Andre, who Jorgen Strand Larsen recently branded ‘an amazing player’.

It’s remarkable to think he wasn’t actually a nailed on regular at the start under Gary O’Neil, and some did question why he was actually signed.

But his quality is crystal clear now, and he’s one of Wolves’ most integral players. And Lee Naylor and Mikey Burrows were right when they suggested recently that Andre has already at least doubled his transfer value at Molineux in just seven months.

Hopefully, Wolves will be able to hold onto him this summer. His partnership with Gomes, and the fact his fellow Brazilian recently signed a new deal, might be enough to ensure he does not push for an exit.

Wolves recorded a fourth consecutive Premier League win on Sunday, beating Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux.

Wanderers are flying at the moment, with everything beginning to real click now under Vitor Pereira.

Wolves punished Spurs for some really poor defending at Molineux. In many ways, Spurs played a bit like Wolves did this season under Gary O’Neil.

It was refreshing to see Wolves actually capitalise, and show some ruthlessness in the final third.

And even though Wolves did concede two goals, the backline was pretty solid.

Emmanuel Agbadou came in for huge praise for another absolutely superb performance at the back.

And Rayan Ait-Nouri scored and assisted in what was a big display from him on the left side. Ait-Nouri’s assist means he now has 10 for the club in the Premier League.

But for Lee Naylor, there was one one player who was even better than those two players.

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Lee Naylor says Joao Gomes was ‘outstanding’ in Tottenham win

Joao Gomes recently signed a new contract at Wolves, to the delight and surprise of many fans.

The Brazilian is a hugely popular figure around Molineux, with his style of play making him very easy to get behind.

Against Spurs, Gomes was his usual busy self and for Naylor, he was actually Wolves’ top performer.

He said on Matchday Live Extra: “I thought Joao Gomes was absolutely outstanding. Andre was his usual self, amazing, but Joao Gomes was everywhere on the pitch – for me, a Man of the Match performance.

“Even when we were chasing back and it might have been one versus one, I never felt that we were going to get done. We had the power, pace and knowhow to deal with it.”

This is interesting, as Ait-Nouri was actually named the official Player of the Match for the game (via Premier League).

Joao Gomes has excelled since signing new Wolves contract

Gomes had been impressing in the weeks leading up to his new contract.

But since actually signing it, he seems to have gone to another level.

The Brazilian has shone in the wins over West Ham United, Ipswich Town and Tottenham, and he is almost playing as if to show is gratitude for that new deal.

Wolves are so lucky to have Gomes.

He has always been a brilliant ball-winner, and someone who runs his socks off. But in recent times he’s definitely improved in the ball, and is arguably a much better carrier now than when he first arrived at the club.

It has been said before, but Gomes signing a new deal with Wolves was simply huge.

Wolves made it four wins on the bounce against Tottenham Hotspur, and Rayan Ait-Nouri left Micah Richards really impressed.

Wolves are in their best form all season now, and things are really beginning to click under Vitor Pereira.

With the win over Tottenham, Wolves moved up to 16th in the Premier League table – their highest position all season.

Wolves have never managed four consecutive wins in the Premier League before, and Pereira has certainly brought back the feel good factor.

One man who was key to beating Spurs on Sunday was Rayan Ait-Nouri, who came in for high praise from Micah Richards following his performance.

Micah Richards lauds ‘composed’ Rayan Ait-Nouri but admits he doesn’t quite know his true position

Wolves took advantage of some very poor Spurs defending on Sunday.

Guglielmo Vicario did not cover himself in any glory for either of Wolves’ first two goals, and it was Ait-Nouri who got the ball rolling at Molineux.

He scored a well controlled volley, before then picking Cristian Romero’s pocket and squaring for Jorgen Strand Larsen.

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Ait-Nouri recorded his 10th Premier League assist for Wolves as a result, with no defender making more.

On the latest Rest Is Football podcast, Micah Richards was full of praise for Ait-Nouri, but admitted he still isn’t quite sure of his exact position.

He said: “Ait-Nouri, who’s a player who I’ve always admired, I think with his position, I don’t quite know if he’s a left-back, a left-wing back or a winger, but what he’s got is skill. He can finish.

Gary Lineker added: “He looks like a real wing-back, doesn’t he?

Richards: “Yes, but he’s played in a variety of positions, he’s even played in a back three, but he’s so composed on the ball.”

Ait-Nouri has the technical ability to thrive anywhere

Ait-Nouri is always fascinating to watch, and this term we’ve certainly seen him take up some interesting positions.

He has, by and large, played as wing-back, which allows him to play high up the field.

But sometimes we have been seen him go into central midfield, presumably to try and help create overloads. His heatmap does indicate that he likes to foray inside.

Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has a big decision to make this weekend, with Matheus Cunha available for selection again after serving his four-game ban.

Cunha was red carded against Bournemouth in the FA Cup, resulting in him missing three games.

But Cunha received an improper conduct charge from the FA, meaning his ban was extended to four matches.

Cunha getting the red card left many fans worried.

In the end though, and perhaps surprisingly, Wolves did not miss Cunha. In fact, it was quite the opposite, with Wolves taking 10 points from the four games Cunha missed – data shows no Premier League side took more points in that time.

Cunha is now available for selection for this weekend’s game with Tottenham Hotspur.

Wolves fans have been divided over Cunha start against Tottenham and there are definitely arguments to say he should or shouldn’t.

Why Vitor Pereira should not start Matheus Cunha for Wolves against Tottenham

Pereira should consider not starting Cunha against Tottenham this weekend.

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One thing has been very clear about Pereira since he came in at Wolves, and that is he is a an who places a lot of emphasis on playing as a team.

Cunha has carried Wolves at times this season. And without him, Wolves would be a lot closer to the relegation zone now, or perhaps even be in it.

There is little doubt he is Wolves’ best player.

But the points Wolves took while he was unavailable has to count for a lot.

Alan Shearer felt Wolves actually looked better without Cunha in the team, and it’s hard to argue against that. When Cunha plays, there is, naturally, a tendency to try and find him all the time, even when there’s potentially better options in a phase of play. He cannot produce every single time.

Pereira was full of praise for Marshall Munetsi for how he’s been supporting Jorgen Strand Larsen, and it’s clear the manager really likes what the Zimbabwe international brings to the table. It’s hard to see him being dropped. Ditto Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who’s been the direct replacement for Cunha in that inside left position.

None of the 11 players who have started the last few games for Wolves deserve to lose their place. Even to accommodate the team’s best player.

And then you have to factor in the longer term.

Realistically, there’s a high chance Cunha leaves Wolves this summer. So Pereira has to use this time to focus on other players who’ll definitely be around.

Furthermore, bringing Cunha back in at the first opportunity just sends out the wrong message – that it doesn’t matter how well you play, you’ll be dropped for a player who is better on paper.

He doesn’t need to risk disrupting the harmony of the dressing room he’s worked so hard to restore, so benching Cunha against Spurs feels like the right call.

Pereira will not be afraid to bench Cunha

He may not have been on the scene for very long, but it’s already clear that Pereira isn’t afraid to make big decisions.

Pereira previously called out Cunha for his body language publicly, which was a fascinating move by the manager.

He also didn’t name Mario Lemina in any matchday squad after his refusal to play for Wolves, until his future was resolved, and also left Craig Dawson out of Wolves’ updated Premier League squad as he didn’t like the defender’s profile. Those things show he’s not afraid to make big calls.

Pereira may well ended up starting Cunha against Spurs. Ultimately, he’ll do whatever he feels gives Wolves the best chance of winning the game.

However, given the recent success of the team and Wolves’ position of safety, starting Cunha this weekend should at least not be a gimme.

Wolves recorded their third straight win in the Premier League on Saturday against Ipswich Town, but now Vitor Pereira has a very big call to make with Matheus Cunha’s suspension over.

Pablo Sarabia and Jorgen Strand Larsen scored in a 2-1 comeback win for Wolves, who went 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

There is now only an extremely slim chance Wanderers will get relegated, and some are already thinking about the summer and next season.

It has been remarkable to see Wolves produce such great performances over the last few weeks.

Because Vitor Pereira has not been able to call on his best player, Matheus Cunha, who has been serving a four-game ban.

Cunha got a red card against Bournemouth in the FA Cup, reading to a three-match ban. But the Brazilian was given an extra game after being charged with improper conduct, relating to his refusal to leave the pitch.

Cunha’s suspension might well have caused Wolves to flounder. But the team have shocked everybody by actually playing brilliantly. Amazingly, Wolves are actually top of the form table since Cunha started his ban.

And that has not got some fans talking about the decision Pereira now has to make on Cunha, with Tottenham Hotspur up next for Wolves.

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Wolves fans torn over Matheus Cunha return as Tottenham game looms

The Wolves team sheet that drops this weekend is going to be fascinating.

Cunha is available again, but Wolves have played so well in his absence.

We all know what an amazing player he is. But there is the notion of don’t fix what isn’t broken for the manager to consider.

For some, he should not be brought back in to start straight away.

@gricey88 said: “No cant change a team that’s won 3 on the bounce.”

@robbowwfc insisted: “Not a chance. Wouldn’t play him again – now we’re safe it’s time to plan for next season.”

@Wanderers2002 added: “Not a chance.”

Having said that, Cunha is by far and away Wolves’ best player, and has made huge contributions to the team’s current position.

Some feel he simply has to come straight back in.

@1robfarmer said: “You always start your best players………fact.”

@brimfieldben added: “First name on the teamsheet.”

@mralitastic insisted: “Cunha is the perfect player to play against spurs highline. It’s what is best for Wolverhampton Wanderers – in a nutshell.”

A tough call looms for Vitor Pereira over Cunha ahead of Wolves vs Tottenham

The feeling about Cunha starting against Tottenham is pretty divided at the moment.

The positive thing for Pereira is that Wolves are now in a healthy position in the Premier League table and in good form.

It will be truly fascinating to see what the Wolves manager does here, because he’s been full of praise for the 11 starters of the past few weeks and none of them deserve to be benched.

Pereira risks upsetting dynamics by bringing Cunha straight back in, so it would no surprise to see him named on the bench this weekend.

Wolves are going to be busy this summer, and several players will surely be the subject of transfer interest from other clubs.

It’s looking like Wolves will be staying in the Premier League for next season.

The club have opened up a nine-point gap, which is big. And considering how poor the bottom three have been, one would expect Wolves to seal their safety fairly soon.

Eyes are already on the summer, with several players likely to be moving on – either as free agents when their contracts expire, or to join other clubs for big money.

And one club who could be looking to raid Wolves this summer are Tottenham Hotspur.

And they are ready to come armed with a war chest, with two players of interest.

Tottenham eye double transfer swoop for Matheus Cunha and Joao Gomes

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham Hotspur are primed and ready to move for two of Wolves’ best players.

They are Matheus Cunha – who’s publicly suggested he’s ready to leave Wolves – and Joao Gomes.

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And Spurs are said to be ready to allocate up to £100 million to sign the pair this summer.

Of course, we know that Cunha has a release clause worth £62.5 million and given the level of interest in him, it’s unlikely the Brazilian will leave for anything less.

So that potentially means Spurs would he looking to pay just under £40 million for Gomes.

That would see Wolves make around three times what they paid to sign the midfielder from Flamengo.

Wolves ready to fight to keep Gomes

So Spurs are looking to land Cunha and Gomes this summer.

There is an acknowledgment from most that Cunha will be departing. But there is a lot more hope that Gomes will stay at Molineux.

Molineux News were recently informed that Wolves don’t really want to lose Gomes this summer and want him to stay and continue building his brilliant partnership with Andre.

So Spurs may well need more than £100 million if they’re going to get both Cunha and Gomes.

In fact, it was previously suggested Wolves would want at least £50 million for Gomes, but we will see what transpires and if Gomes agitates for a move.

Given how he’s been since he arrived at Wolves, it would be a major surprise if he did that.

Wolves very nearly signed Kevin Danso in the January transfer window but, the Austrian chose Tottenham instead.

Vitor Pereira headed into the January window knowing that his defence needed to be addressed.

The Wolves manager’s wishes were met as the Old Gold welcomed Nasser Djiga and Emmanuel Agbadou, with the latter adapting rapidly.

Agbadou has impressed Wolves since he arrived at Molineux, something that Tottenham can’t say about Danso just yet.

Vitor Pereira’s transfer call on Kevin Danso proven right

While the plan was to recruit Danso after signing Agbadou, the window slammed shut with the Austrian wearing a Spurs shirt.

Fortunately, Wolves welcomed Djiga to soften the blow but, a fresh insight into the transfer has re-emerged following Danso’s baptism of fire on his return to English football.

In January, The Athletic reported the ins and outs of Agbadou’s transfer to Wolves from Stade Reims, where it was revealed exactly what Pereira thought of Danso.

The piece constructed by journalist Steve Madeley read:

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“Scouting staff have watched both Agbadou and the Lens defender Kevin Danso, but Agbadou was eventually deemed a better fit for Pereira’s needs.”

Danso joined Spurs after the Premier League side hijacked Wolves’ deal for the former RC Lens star, something that hindsight has suggested was a blessing in disguise.

In his first two starts for Ange Postecoglou’s side, the centre-back has conceded six goals, most recently enduring an FA Cup nightmare against Aston Villa.

The Wolves target was caught napping as Jacob Ramsey put the Villans 1-0 up against Spurs, with the fixture eventually ending in a 2-1 defeat for the Lilywhites.

Sofascore handed Danso a 6.2 match rating on the night, the lowest of any starting player at Villa Park, highlighting that the former Southampton loanee has quite a way to go to readapt to the English game.

Judging a player after two games after a mid-season transfer is rather abrupt but, when comparing the Austrian’s start to Agbadou’s, there’s a stark difference.

Wolves struck gold with Emmanuel Agbadou

The FA Cup fourth round was difficult for Danso and Spurs but, was an outing to savour for Wolves, who cruised past Blackburn Rovers.

Once again, Agbadou impressed at the back, building on his admirable start to life in the Old Gold.

It was only before the game that Steve Bull waxed lyrical about Agbadou, praising the centre-back’s quality, proving that Pereira’s early transfer call was indeed spot on.

After missing out on Danso, it’s fortunate that Wolves had a happy ending to their transfer story, acquiring Agbadou who so far, has performed at far greater levels than the Old Gold’s fellow transfer target.

Wolves will not be signing Kevin Danso, with the defender having now completed a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Wolves had been trying to sign Kevin Danso for days, having returned for the player following an attempt to land him earlier in the window.

The club made a couple of offers for Danso, but couldn’t agree a fee with Lens.

On Thursday night, Molineux News was told a move for Danso was highly unlikely for Wolves. But then after the game with Aston Villa, it looked as though the club were set to land Danso after all, after a breakthrough.

But just moments after news came through of Danso being set for a Wolves medical, Tottenham were said to be executing a hijack.

Danso has this morning completed a move to Tottenham, and some interesting details have emerged about his move.

Wolves left seething by Kevin Danso transfer saga with player joining Tottenham

According to John Percy, Wolves have been left ‘incredibly frustrated’ by Kevin Danso’s last-minute move to Tottenham.

Percy reported that Wolves had actually finally reached an agreement with Lens, but then there was a U-turn.

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Journalist Ben Jacobs provides more details on the matter.

Speaking about Spurs’ late move for Danso, he told a user on X: “They (Spurs) were put off by the original €30m+ price tag.

“Then when Wolves agreed a loan, they first called to say they would match it knowing the player was keen. And finally got a deal for €25m. Late window price drop made the difference to the final formula.”

Someone else then asked Jacobs why the ‘late window price drop’, to which he replied: “It did as well. Wolves bid almost €20m prior to deciding a loan was more preferable. They didn’t want to go to €25m.”

Disaster over Danso for Wolves

So Wolves won’t be signing Danso after all, and the whole situation has just been a mess.

Wolves deserve a lot of criticism over this because the need for another central defender on top of Emmanuel Agbadou has been clear for weeks.

Wolves have needed someone in, so they can get settled and hit the ground running.

The club then reignited their interest in Danso, who had already reportedly refused a move to Molineux earlier in the window, which was perhaps a red flag in hindsight.

Now, just hours before the transfer deadline closes, the player has decided to move to Tottenham.

It’s poor from Danso, who had seemingly given Wolves the green light. However, there was always a chance something like this could happen and Wolves are now really scrambling for that second central defender.

Ultimately, it’s come down to Spurs meeting what Lens were originally asking for. The permanent move is more favourable for them, and they have chosen to do business with Spurs over Wolves. Seemingly, Danso was never hugely set on joining Wolves specifically, otherwise he would have rejected Spurs’ late approach.

Wolves came from behind to draw 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday – and some interesting footage of Hwang Hee-chan has now emerged.

Vitor Pereira remains unbeaten since taking over from Gary O’Neil, with Jorgen Strand Larsen striking a late equaliser in north London.

Wolves had trailed 2-1 for most of the second-half, after Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson had cancelled out Hwang Hee-chan’s opener.

But Strand Larsen – who started the game on the bench before coming on at half-time for the injured Matheus Cunha – got Wolves level on 87 minutes with a thumping finish from a tight angle, after a great through ball by Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The result meant Pereira actually made Wolves history, by becoming only the fourth manager not to lose any of his first three top-flight matches after Andy Beattie, Ronnie Allen and Sammy Chung.

There were lots of positives again for Wolves, and it was a great day for goalscorer Hwang, who seemingly made another important contribution during Sunday’s match.

Hwang told Jose Sa which way to dive for Heung-min Son’s penalty in Tottenham vs Wolves

In the 42nd minute, a controversial incident occurred when Andre was deemed to have fouled Johnson in the area.

Referee Chris Kavanaugh pointed to the spot, despite Johnson stepping across Andre and bringing the Brazilian down.

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Spurs captain Heung-min Son stepped up to take the penalty, but could not convert, with Sa making a superb stop down to his right-hand side.

Now, footage taken by someone at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Sunday is doing the rounds on social media of Wolves forward Hwang actually gesturing to Sa to dive to his right.

The clip – shared by Men in Blazers – shows Hwang frantically pointing, with Spurs defender Radu Dragusin trying to pull the South Korean’s arm down in an attempt to stop the communication.

It’s unclear whether Sa actually saw Hwang’s gesture, as he was stood on the halfway line. But it’s possible he did since he dived that way.

Hwang will have seen many Son penalties in training

It’s interesting to see such footage emerge from Sunday’s game, but probably not all that surprising.

Of course, Hwang knows Son very well with the pair being regulars in the South Korean national team.

The pair have been international teammates since 2016, and there’s no doubt that Hwang will have seen Son take many penalties in training.

It’s probably unlikely Hwang has studied Son’s recent penalty pattern in the Premier League. He probably urged Sa to go the way he did because he’s seen Son whipping the ball to that bottom left corner more often than not in South Korea training.

It’s just a shame that Wolves went on to concede just moments later in the game. But props to Hwang for briefly helping to give his side a chance.

Vitor Pereira made it seven points from a possible nine, as Wolves drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur.

Wolves continued their good form under the new manager, mounting a comeback against Spurs down in north London.

Hwang Hee-chan gave Wolves the lead after a well worked free-kick.

But the hosts got their noses in front, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson both scoring later on in the first-half.

Johnson’s goal came after Jose Sa had made a penalty save from Heung-min Son. Most felt that justice was done, because the challenge from Andre on Johnson wasn’t a foul.

Sa came in for praise from Pereira after the game, and the Wolves manager also shared how he can tell the Portuguese has personality.

Pereira praises Jose Sa after performance for Wolves against Tottenham

The goalkeeper situation at Wolves has certainly been a point of interest this season.

Currently, Sa has the number one shirt, after losing it when Sam Johnstone first came in from Crystal Palace.

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But Johnstone has failed to impress, and Sa has played all of the games Pereira has been in charge for.

And seemingly, Sa is appreciated by Pereira – even though he did nearly give his manager a ‘heart attack’ at one point during Sunday’s game with Spurs.

Pereira said: “Fantastic save on the penalty. And after, he tried to get me a heart attack with a bad control! But you know what I like is that, when I do a mistake, I cannot keep my mind in the mistake – I must react.

“After a few seconds, a long ball in the space and he went there to control the space. It means that he reacted after the mistake. For me, this is important, because he showed personality.”

Jose Sa has responded well to Pereira’s arrival

There’s been a lot of talk around the messy goalkeeper situation at Wolves this season, but Sa has responded well to the new manager’s arrival.

It would now be no surprise if Pereira stuck with £7 million signing Sa for the foreseeable.

The 31-year-old has started the Pereira era pretty well so far, having made nine saves across Pereira’s three games – one of course being from Son’s penalty on Sunday.

We know Sa can be erratic sometimes.

But fans have often seen him come in clutch over the past few years, and Pereira seems to be taken by Sa’s personality.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Johnstone – surely, he can’t be too happy about the situation having joined the club in the summer for £10 million.