Molineux News

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.

After enjoying a career-best league campaign in front of goal in 2023/24, many Wolves fans expected Hwang Hee-chan to really kick in 2024/25.

However, in the first half of 2024/25, the South Korean painfully struggled for form, failing to score in any of his first 13 Premier League appearances. As a result of this torrid run, Hee-chan was eventually dropped by former Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.

Since O’Neil lost his job in mid-December and was replaced by Portuguese boss Vitor Pereira, Hee-chan has begun to show some signs of life in front of goal once again.

The forward netted his side’s second in a shock 2-0 win over Manchester United on Boxing Day, before doubling his tally for the 2024/25 campaign with a wonderful sweeping effort in an impressive 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in north London over the weekend.

Hwang Hee-chan has 100% shot conversion rate in Premier League after Tottenham goal

Rather remarkably, those two goals actually came from his first two shots on goal of the season, meaning that Hee-chan now has an impressive 100% shot conversion record in the English top-flight for the 2024/25 campaign.

The South Korean was eased into shooting again with his first goal, side-footing the ball home from close range after being teed up by star teammate Matheus Cunha against Man Utd.

His second goal then came in his first start under Pereira – and first Wolves start since mid-September – against a struggling Spurs side, and showed off his ability to score from long range too as he curled beautifully into the bottom corner from 20-yards out.

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Vitor Pereira reveals Hwang Hee-chan’s goal came from the training ground

Hee-chan has undoubtedly been boosted by the backing he’s received from new manager Pereira since he’s taken charge.

The forward has been backed publicly by the new Wolves boss, with Pereira hailing Hee-chan as a player who can ‘score a goal from nothing’ prior to the game against Tottenham.

Speaking after the game, Pereira discussed the South Korean further, revealing to the press that his stunning goal in the 2-2 draw came courtesy of some hard work on the training ground:

“It was the space that we had analysed from this team and we saw they concede this space, and we tried in the training and in the game,” said Pereira.

“Sometimes we work a lot at something in training and it’s not possible in the game, but today it was like a laboratory goal.

“We had two assistants directly studying the set-plays and they proposed the movement and they proposed the space – they do this every match, and this is their work. They asked me if I agree with the space, and I said to them, ‘I believe it can work’.”

Wolves rescued a point against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to keep the ball rolling under new manager Vitor Pereira.

Wanderers have now taken seven points from a possible nine under the Portuguese, and the 2-2 draw was a good result in the end.

Wolves took the lead through Hwang Hee-chan, but then found themselves trailing at half-time after goals from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson.

Wolves lost Matheus Cunha at half-time, with Pereira confirming Cunha informed him he was injured.

So Jorgen Strand Larsen replaced him, with Goncalo Guedes coming on in place of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

And it was Strand Larsen who would get Wolves back on level terms in the 87th minute with a brilliant finish from a tight angle.

After the game, Hwang Hee-chan made a touching post on Instagram.

Hwang pays tribute to victims of Jeju Air plane crash after goal for Wolves against Tottenham

Wolves took the lead in inventive fashion against Tottenham.

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Wolves took a short free-kick, with Hwang teed up on the edge of the penalty area.

He struck with a first-time shot after the pass from Rayan Ait-Nouri, with his effort kissing the post on the way in.

That was Hwang’s second goal in as many games, after he wrapped up the points against Manchester United on Boxing Day, and his form is certainly a boost.

Matheus Cunha will soon be hit with a ban after an FA charge for his behaviour after the Ipswich Town game, so Hwang being amongst the goals is a real positive.

After yesterday’s game, Hwang took to Instagram.

The 28-year-old showed his class, and paid tribute to the victims of the Jeju Air plane crash that happened on Sunday morning. The tragic incident killed 179 people.

Hwang wrote: “We received some sad news just before the game. Rest in peace and sincere condolences to the victims of the unjust accident. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family.”

Hwang could be Cunha’s replacement

It’s now two in two for Hwang which is positive news for Wolves.

We know that Cunha is set for a spell out of the team after his FA charge. Cunha also picked up an injury against Spurs so who knows when he’ll next play for Wolves.

But it would be no surprise if Hwang kept his place in the side from here on in.

The star now has a couple of goals under his belt which will do him the world of good. A confident Hwang Hee-chan is definitely someone you don’t keep on the bench.