Molineux News

Sam Johnstone was handed a rare Premier League start against Tottenham Hotspur – and after the game Wolves manager Vitor Pereira was asked about that decision.

Wolves drew 1-1 with Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is a decent result on paper.

But Wolves came so close to taking all three points, only for Joao Palhinha to equalise in the 94th minute.

Wolves gave a really good performance down in north London, especially in the second-half. But sadly, the players’ efforts did not yield maximum points in the capital.

The players would likely have been absolutely gutted. But hopefully, they can also take some real positives from that performance.

Several players had really good games, and one man who impressed again in old gold was Sam Johnstone.

Fans had wanted Johnstone to start against Spurs after he played well against Everton – and the Englishman again did well.

After the game, Vitor Pereira explained why he gave Johnstone the nod over Jose Sa.

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Vitor Pereira shares why he picked Sam Johnstone over Jose Sa vs Tottenham

Jose Sa gave a poor performance against Leeds United.

He then dropped out of the side for the Carabao Cup game with Everton.

Johnstone likely would have played that game regardless of how Sa performed against Leeds. But it was a big chance regardless for the 32-year-old.

After keeping a clean sheet against Everton, Johnstone so very nearly did the same against Spurs.

His selection pleased a lot of fans, and Pereira did suggest that his display against Everton had prompted him to keep the faith.

He said in his post-match press conference: “The reason is because, after the last game I felt that, OK, the team is here. The team is here because he won 2-0. And I need to establish a team. I need to give them confidence.

“And of course, they are competing for the position. Sa is competing with Daniel and Sam. The others, they are competing between themselves. But with a good spirit, to be better, to push themselves and each other, and to help the team.

“I had a conversation with everybody, and they understand the situation. They understand the decisions.”

Johnstone must now stay consistent for Wolves

Johnstone rightly started against Spurs at the weekend, and he again took his chance.

Sadly he could not make it back-to-back clean sheets. There was nothing he could do about Palhinha’s equaliser, but the rest of his performance was solid, and Johnstone’s save from Mohammed Kudus in the first-half was magnificent.

Johnstone must keep starting for Wolves.

He is clearly in good form right now, and given what Pereira said after the draw with Spurs, it does sound like he is ready to reward good performances, which is just how it should be.

For Sa, he must now raise his game to try and displace Johnstone. He did that last season, and the manager will expect him to do so again.

Santiago Bueno has enjoyed a very good start to the new season for Wolves – and Vitor Pereira was keen to talk up an underrated quality of his after the draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

Wolves drew 1-1 with Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, having come within a whisker of winning.

Santiago Bueno scored for Wolves early in the second-half, and the visitors then managed the game really well.

But Joao Palhinha popped up and produced a moment of quality to break Wolves hearts right at the death, in what was a deeply frustrating moment.

But Wolves can take plenty of positives from the game – one of the biggest being that the defence was relatively solid once again.

And it was another good display from Bueno, who came in for praise from Vitor Pereira after the game.

Vitor Pereira hails Santiago Bueno’s mentality after strong start for Wolves

Bueno’s stock has risen in recent weeks, amid the struggles of Emmanuel Agbadou and Toti Gomes.

The Uruguay international had quietly impressed in the first few weeks of the season when called upon, but has now produced two really good performances against Everton in the cup and Tottenham in the league.

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Calls for Bueno to keep his place in the starting XI alongside Ladislav Krejci are loud right now, and it seems Pereira might be ready to stick with him.

The Wolves manager had some nice praise for Bueno after Saturday night’s game, as he brought the player’s mentality into focus.

He said: “In the pre-match press conference I said that I like him, I like Bueno.

“It’s not always speaking about him technically or tactically, it’s about mentality. I like players that can play home or play away, and in the same way. I like this kind of player.”

Bueno must keep starting for Wolves

Bueno – who was praised by Micah Richards after the draw with Spurs – has undoubtedly had an impressive start to the new season and at this point there should be no debate about whether he should be starting.

With Agbadou and Toti struggling like they are, the Uruguayan has to play, and his partnership with Krejci should be given a chance to really blossom.

Pereira’s words about Bueno after the game on Saturday will have been music to the player’s ears, and they do point to an extended run for Bueno.

Potentially, it could just be about whether Bueno and Krejci just play together, or if they are joined by a third centre-back, with Wolves now going between two systems.

But regardless of the system, Bueno really does deserve a run in the team now.

Wolves came so close to beating Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, but at least there were several great performances in old gold.

Vitor Pereira’s frustrations at full-time were clear to see, after Joao Palhinha’s 94th-minute strike cost Wolves two big points.

Wolves had played well in the game, and would have been full value for a win.

Pereira again set up with a back four, but moved to a back five at half-time. The players appeared comfortable in both systems, with the personnel changes serving the team well.

Santiago Bueno has come in for a lot of praise following the draw with Tottenham. Not only did he score, but he was solid throughout the contest.

After the game though, Bueno had some nice words for Jhon Arias.

Santiago Bueno drops Jhon Arias verdict and prediction after Tottenham draw

Arias arrived at Wolves as the second new recruit of the summer after Fer Lopez.

He joined the club from Fluminense for around £19 million, and there was particular excitement about his signing given Pereira had seen him up close in Brazil.

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He was also someone who was ready to go in terms of making an impact.

But for the most part, Arias has been fairly underwhelming so far.

However, against Spurs he put in his best display for Wanderers. Sky commentator Alan Smith described Arias as ‘special’ in terms of the influence he provided in north London.

And after the game, Bueno insisted his fellow South American will prove to be a great signing.

He said (via Wolves official): “Honestly, he’s a guy with a lot of talent. From the very first day he joined us, he’s been showing it.

“Little by little, he’s gaining confidence too, and I think he’ll be a key player for us.”

Arias is getting there at Wolves

Some have been slightly disappointed with the way Arias has started at Wolves.

But his transition cannot have been easy. The Premier League is a big step up from the Brazilian league and Arias will still be working out the style and getting used to the physicality.

Upon arrival, Arias also admitted he needed to improve his English, so once he does that things will be a lot easier.

Furthermore, there is perhaps some added pressure for Arias due to being the club’s marquee signing and the fact he’s taken the number 10 shirt.

But against Spurs, he was very lively, especially in the second-half. This came after another decent display against Everton in the Carabao Cup, in which he was involved in the goal scored by Marshall Munetsi.

The verdict from Bueno is encouraging. Clearly in training he’s making a big impression – we just now need to see that in games more often.

Wolves may not have got the three points against Tottenham Hotspur, but there was one very nice moment for Hugo Bueno.

Vitor Pereira’s side came agonisingly close to beating Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The visitors took the lead in north London through Santiago Bueno, who poked home from just a couple of yards out after Tottenham failed to clear a corner.

And Wolves looked like they would go on to win, only for Joao Palhinha to bail Spurs out right at the death with a strike from the edge of the box.

It was a killer for Wolves, and the players would have been gutted that their efforts did not count for maximum points.

But there were undoubtedly a lot of positives for Wolves – and Hugo Bueno also enjoyed a lovely career moment.

Hugo Bueno’s journey at Wolves takes exciting turn as he wears captain’s armband

Pereira made just one change to the side that started against Everton.

That meant Matt Doherty was the captain against Spurs as he was against the Toffees.

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But as the Irishman picked up a yellow card in the first-half, Pereira then decided to take him off at the break, meaning a change of captain was required.

The armband went to Joao Gomes, but following a yellow card for the Brazilian, Pereira also brought him off.

Jorgen Strand Larsen then became Wolves’ third captain of the night, but he then made way for Tolu Arokodare on 82 minutes.

And so, for the first time ever, Hugo Bueno sported the captain’s armband for Wolves’ first-team. He even kept it on despite Toti Gomes’ entry into the game in injury-time. Toti, of course, is Wolves’ club captain.

Given the rate at which Pereira was making changes, it was skipped over by the Sky Sports commentary team as to who was wearing the armband – but it was certainly a great moment for Bueno.

Hugo Bueno is growing in stature at Wolves

It was incredibly satisfying to see Bueno wearing the captain’s armband at the end of Saturday night’s game.

Bueno joined Wolves’ academy in 2019 from Areosa, and has worked extremely hard to get to this position.

Last season, he went out on loan to Feyenoord in a bid to get minutes under his belt with a view to coming back to Wolves and challenging for a place in the starting XI. It was shared that Bueno was ‘desperate’ to be a regular for Wolves this season after returning.

Wolves then signed David Moller Wolfe, which was potentially bad news for Bueno. But he has responded superbly and so far, has been one of Wanderers’ best players in 2025/26. He’s certainly been one of the most creative and Bueno simply has to keep starting for Wolves.

Him wearing the captain’s armband just shows that he’s rapidly growing in stature at Molineux as a first-teamer, and that Pereira does see him as a potential leader.

This is also a really good thing for the current Wolves academy players. To see Bueno shining in the first-team and now even wearing the captain’s armband, even if only for a short time, must be inspiring.

Wolves got their first Premier League point of the season against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night – and Andy Thompson and Lee Naylor were in no doubt as to who the best player was.

Wolves were just seconds away from winning the game, having gone 1-0 up in the second-half through Santiago Bueno.

But right at the death, Joao Palhinha struck for Spurs to break Wolves’ hearts.

A win would have been huge for confidence.

It was only a point in the end which was disappointing. But Wolves can still take real heart from the performance going into Brighton next weekend.

Against Spurs, Wolves again started with a back four, and in the second-half Pereira changed it to a back five.

Wolves looked good in both formations, and Andre certainly excelled regardless of the change.

Andy Thompson and Lee Naylor hail Wolves star Andre after Tottenham draw

It has been an interesting start to the new season for Andre.

In only Wolves’ second game against Bournemouth, Pereira dropped Andre, preferring a midfield two of Joao Gomes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

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Then, a few weeks later against Leeds, Pereira again dropped the Brazilian.

But the maestro has seemingly been using those omissions as fuel, because against Everton Andre was very impressive, not wasting a single pass, and against Spurs he was superb again.

Indeed, for Andy Thompson and Lee Naylor, he was Wolves’ best player.

“I still don’t understand why he doesn’t start (sometimes). You know what you’re getting from him, from the two of them, him and (Joao) Gomes in midfield.

“You know the two of them absolutely hunt everything down.

“I just think the pair of them make a massive difference to our side when they play together.

“I thought that he (Andre) played well. He was everywhere. He put his foot in when he needed to, passed the ball when he needed to, his decision-making…”

Lee Naylor said: “He was a beast.”

Wolves should be built around Andre

It has been a travesty to see Andre sat on the bench a few times this season, and one does wonder exactly why that has been the case.

Especially when there is no obvious better alternative.

Andre is a luxury player, and someone Wolves actually did really well to even sign in the first place, because several other big clubs were sniffing around him.

Potentially, he might not stay for too long at Wolves, so while he’s here he simply cannot be sat on the bench while he’s available. Unless he’s in truly dismal form, which just hasn’t been the case.

Wolves came agonisingly close to their first Premier League win of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, and Lee Naylor has lavished praise one star after the 1-1 draw.

Wolves were stung by a last-gasp equaliser at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after Santiago Bueno had put the visitors ahead.

Vitor Pereira’s side were much better than in recent weeks, and built on the good performance in the Carabao Cup against Everton.

But they were just undone by a rare moment of quality at the end, with Joao Palhinha striking from the edge of the box.

That strike meant no back-to-back clean sheets for Sam Johnstone, which was a shame given how he has performed in recent weeks.

But he at least came in for high praise from former Molineux defender Lee Naylor.

Lee Naylor hails Sam Johnstone after Wolves’ draw with Tottenham

Fans had wanted to see Johnstone keep his place for Wolves after he had impressed against Everton.

He made a string of saves in that game, which came just days after Jose Sa put in a poor performance against Leeds United.

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Those fans got their wish – and Johnstone again vindicated his selection.

Johnstone pulled off an outrageous save from Mohammed Kudus in the first-half, which left Wolves fans amazed on social media.

It was a real shame he couldn’t keep a clean sheet as he had deserved one. But there was nothing he could do about Palhinha’s deadly accurate finish.

Lee Naylor heaped praise on Johnstone after last night’s game, and also gave credit to Pereira for sticking with him.

He said on Matchday Live Extra: “Really, really good. I know Matty (Murray) gave him Man of the Match the other night.

“I think he’s had two good performances. He’s backed the one at Everton with an unbelievable one today.

“Fair play to the manager as well for recognising that he’s come in and done well, and he’s kept the shirt. I think the manager is true to that, in how he goes about managing the lads, and giving opportunities.

“Sam’s come in and I think his decision-making, his saves have all been on it. I can’t fault him at the moment, honestly.”

Johnstone is the clear Wolves number one right now

It is good to see Johnstone in a good vein of form for Wolves, given his struggles last season.

His time at Wolves has certainly been peculiar.

After his £10 million (BBC Sport) transfer last year, Johnstone struggled and then Gary O’Neil left the club, with Pereira coming in and preferring Sa.

In the summer, Johnstone may have even left, with speculation suggesting he was open to a departure.

He has had to be patient for opportunities. But now he is taking them, and currently he is Wolves’ number one.

Wolves came so close to getting three points against Tottenham Hotspur, and there have been clear improvements of late.

Wolves fans were left gutted last night as Joao Palhinha’s last-gasp equaliser denied Vitor Pereira his first Premier League win of the 2025/26 campaign.

It had been a really good performance from Wolves.

There was full commitment from everyone, and the defence once again looked much better starting with a four.

Ultimately, a rare moment of quality stung Wolves. It is a huge shame, because the performance warranted three points.

There were plenty of positives to take though, and after the game Pereira shared one reason why performance levels have increased in the last week or so.

Vitor Pereira says increased time working together is behind Wolves’ upturn

Last night’s draw was really frustrating, as much as everyone would have taken it before a ball was kicked.

But Pereira can take real heart from the performance.

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Jhon Arias impressed for Wolves and finally showed why he has been brought in.

Sam Johnstone again did well, leaving fans wowed with his save from Mohammed Kudus in the first-half. He surely has to start again next weekend against Brighton.

And Wolves have looked more solid at the back.

For Pereira, the key reason behind this upturn is the fact that he’s simply been able to spend more with the group.

He said (via Wolves official): “The difference is now we are working together. Before, we didn’t have time to work together. Now, everybody knows what we want, we can play in different systems.

“The first half was difficult for us, difficult to control the crosses, but the second half, in my opinion, was very good. The last game was very good.

“Two games without losing. But we need to keep this spirit. We need to increase our level and to rest a bit.”

First Wolves win is coming

It is natural that everyone is now getting used to one another and hopefully this first Wolves victory in the Premier League is not far away now. Ideally, it will come next weekend against Brighton.

Ultimately, Pereira did not come into the new season as prepared as he’d hoped, and that has been a big reason for Wolves’ struggles.

With so many players arriving late in the window, we were bound to see Wolves start sluggishly.

But the performances against Everton and Tottenham will leave fans feeling more optimistic.

Some good football was played against Spurs at times, and with the defence looking more solid, Wolves should now start to pick up more points.

Wolves’ first point of the season finally arrived, but it could have been so much more had it not been for Joao Palhinha’s last equaliser in a 1-1 draw vs Tottenham.

Despite the late disappointment, there were many positives to take.

The performance of Jhon Arias was exceptional, and his display resulted in Alan Smith calling the Colombian a ‘special’ player.

Santiago Bueno also popped up with his first goal for the Old Gold, and Bueno was praised by Micah Richards on Match of the Day.

However, Vitor Pereira had kind words for another Wolves player after his performance against Tottenham Hotspur.

Vitor Pereira calls Marshall Munetsi an ‘animal’ vs Tottenham

Vitor Pereira has lauded Marshall Munetsi as an ‘animal’ after his performance in Wolves’ 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Portuguese manager was speaking to the press following the game and heaped huge praise on the midfielder.

Pereira said, “Munetsi is like an animal. Running and running and running, I know what I can expect from him. Very honest player.”

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The Wolves boss’s words highlight how important he feels Munetsi is to his team. The relentlessness that Munetsi offers was a huge reason Wolves improved defensively last season.

The January signing admitted that was his role in Wolves’ attack last season.

Now, Vitor Pereira’s latest tactical switch has reinvigorated the midfielder, and he is starting to showcase his quality even more.

Marshall Munetsi is much improved playing in midfield

It is not a surprise that Munetsi impressed against Spurs.

When you play players in their natural positions, you are always more likely to get a better performance out of them.

The Zimbabwean has often been criticised for his displays as part of Wolves’ attack, but in midfield, he has been excellent.

The switch to a back four system has been a revelation for the Old Gold, in both getting results and improving players so far, including Munetsi.

Hopefully Vitor Pereira sees the displays of Munetsi and decides to use him consistently in his best role, rather than shoehorning him into the side.

Wolves took a point against Tottenham Hotspur and one player is receiving his flowers after a top performance in north London.

Vitor Pereira’s side finally ended their losing run in the Premier League – but there’s disappointment as Wolves came so close to actually winning.

Santiago Bueno had put Wolves ahead of 54 minutes, turning in from close range.

Wolves then played really well, knocking the ball around with confidence while keeping Spurs well at bay.

But sadly, Joao Palhinha produced a rare moment of quality for Spurs right at the end, meaning Wanderers took just the one point.

This really will sting, but as Micah Richards said on Match of the Day, there were positive signs for Wolves.

One of those positive signs was how well Santiago Bueno played – and his teammates made sure to hype him up after last night’s game.

Joao Gomes and others praise Santiago Bueno on Instagram after Tottenham draw

Pereira set up with a back four against Tottenham, as he did against Everton in midweek.

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Ladislav Krejci and Bueno were the central pairing again, with Matt Doherty and Hugo Bueno at right and left-back respectively.

Some wondered if either Emmanuel Agbadou or Toti Gomes, or both, would come back into the side.

But Bueno kept his place – and he certainly justified his selection.

Not only did he score his first goal Wolves, but he also defended solidly throughout, winning the most duels, tackles and interceptions (via Squawka).

Bueno posted on Instagram after the game saying: “We couldn’t get the result we wanted, but it was a great effort from the team. Amazing away end, see you next weekend at Molineux! COYW 🐺⚔️”

A number of Wolves players commented on his post, with Joao Gomes perhaps summing up the feeling the best:

Bueno is now a Wolves starter

It has been a great week for Bueno, after strong performances against Everton and now Tottenham.

Prior to these two games though, Bueno had quietly impressed while Agbadou and Toti had been struggling, so it was only right that he has now come into the team.

And he deserves to stay there now, with the backline having looked a lot more solid with him in it.

Krejci has also had a big impact, and Pereira should allow the pair to develop their partnership.

It would be nice to see Bueno get an extended run in the side. Since he arrived from Girona, he hasn’t really had that, but he now arguably finds himself in his best form and he must be allowed the chance to build momentum.

Wolves got their first point of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, and Gary O’Neil shared his verdict on the team after the game.

Wanderers drew 1-1 against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League, but there are feelings of disappointment today.

Wolves were so close to all three points, after Santiago Bueno scored on 54 minutes.

But Joao Palhinha struck in the 94th minute for Spurs to break Wolves hearts and deny Vitor Pereira his first Premier League win of 2025/26.

It will have been a very tough one to take for the players, who gave everything.

But there are at least lots of positives to take, and the hope is that the players will ultimately take heart from this performance and go forth with confidence.

Jhon Arias was Alan Smith’s Player of the Match against Spurs, with the Colombian producing his best display in old gold yet.

After the game, former Wolves manager Gary O’Neil was in the Sky Sports studio to give his thoughts about the game.

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Gary O’Neil optimistic for Wolves after Tottenham draw

Pereira didn’t make too many alterations against Spurs following the Carabao Cup win over Everton.

Only Joao Gomes came in, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde dropping to the bench.

Wolves again started with a back four and looked relatively solid, before changing to a five.

Undoubtedly, Wolves have made big strides after that awful defeat against Leeds United – and Gary O’Neil liked what he saw.

And O’Neil – sacked at Molineux last December after poor results – also gave a classy response when asked if it will be a ‘scrap’ for Wolves for the rest of the season, suggesting that he is rooting for his former club.

He said: “I think it’s too early to say. I think we can look at the table at the moment, some teams have had a lot easier fixtures than others. It’s difficult to look into exactly where you are.

“I think Vitor makes a good point. There was a big turnover in the squad, a lot of players left, a lot of players were signed. They do need time to work. They have seen an improvement in the last couple of games in their own performance.

“Let’s hope it continues because I think we, well me especially, want to see Wolves performing how they did in that second-half and causing teams problems.

“I think today they go home, it will hurt for now, but they go home and take big positives from today’s performance and they look to build on it.”

Wolves must build on Tottenham performance

Seeing Palhinha’s strike nestle in the bottom corner was crushing, as Wolves’ performance had merited three big points against Spurs.

The result will sting for the players, but they can be proud of what they did in north London and take confidence going into the game with Brighton.

It was a committed and determined display from Wolves and only a rare moment of quality from the opposition prevented a victory.

Wolves can take real heart from the performance, and replicating that kind of level is sure to yield three points in other games.