Wolverhampton Wanderers

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

"I'm proud to have this kind of player in my team," Vitor Pereira said of Marshall Munetsi, whose first goal for Wolves helped chisel out a draw against Everton, "because he runs a lot, fights" – Pereira gritted his teeth and jabbed the air to illustrate his point – "and he doesn't give up. Never. Never."

"It's something the coach has instilled in the team," explained Munetsi. "He says that if you look at the person on your right and on your left, they have to be confident enough that you would fight for them on the pitch."

Six games into life in England is too soon to be sure, but Munetsi is showing real cult-hero potential. The likeable Zimbabwean, signed to play in midfield but deployed further forward, set off at 400-metre pace and seemed to keep it up for the entire first half, save an occasional pause at a set-piece to gasp lungfuls of air.

In his first month, he has shown the knack of sniffing out chances, only to miss them. Undeterred, he puffed out his cheeks and resumed the chase. Against Everton, he finally cracked it and, though he sat out the second half as an injury precaution, he was still beaming when we spoke a couple of hours later.

"The most important thing is to get the trust from the gaffer," Munetsi told me. "You know if he trusts in you as a player, even if it takes time, you'll get there. It's something I'm privileged to have - somebody that believes in me. He has always told me even behind the scenes that if you keep on going in those right places, the ball will eventually come."

Belief is back at Molineux, not only from Pereira in his players but more widely. It was not a game that will linger long in the memory but you could feel a gradual unclenching of taut nerves, a sense of security returning to Wolves' Premier League status.

A headstart worth two wins over Ipswich and Leicester feels like it should be plenty, given the two chasers have won only seven games between them. On recent trends, it is possible Wolves have enough points already.

"You know, when you spend so much time with these guys, you end up loving each other and fighting for each other," said Munetsi.

That's the way, Marshall - be a lover and a fighter, and you will win Molineux's heart.

Listen to full commentary of Southampton v Wolves at 15:00 GMT on Saturday on BBC Radio WM [95.6FM]

Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves were five points from safety when Vitor Pereira was appointed on 19 December. They are now six points above the relegation zone.

While many players have contributed and top scorer Matheus Cunha's influence has been the focus of most Wolves-related headlines, two of Cunha's fellow countrymen have played an important role in the team's recent improvement.

Brazilian duo Andre and Joao Gomes have started together in the centre of midfield in 10 of the 12 Premier League games since Pereira's arrival.

Andre's £21m move from Fluminense in August created a quandary for previous boss Gary O'Neil; would it be possible to use Andre, Gomes and then-captain Mario Lemina in the same starting XI?

He tried, but it never quite worked. Last season's player of the year Lemina struggled to reproduce his previous form and, in the eyes of many, none of the trio looked entirely comfortable in their respective roles for a prolonged period.

Lemina filled in at centre-back on occasion to cover for injuries, lost the captaincy before what proved to be O'Neil's final game in charge and then his place in the side when Pereira took over.

His absence and subsequent exit to Galatasaray in February paved the way for Andre and Gomes to become Pereira's clear first choices in a midfield two.

Using the old-fashioned eye test, they look assured playing together in a two-man midfield; shielding the defence, breaking up play and recycling possession.

Gomes' passing accuracy, tackle success and number of interceptions per 90 minutes have all gone up in the past 12 games, compared to the first 16 matches of the season.

As for Andre - who was imperious in Saturday's draw against Everton - his tackle success rate has dropped during the same parameters, however, he is averaging almost one interception and two recoveries more per 90 minutes under Pereira than under O'Neil.

And his passing has remained at a high level; his passing accuracy of 92.9% across the full season puts him 10th among all Premier League players to have featured in at least 500 minutes of top-flight action in 2024-25.

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves showcased their resilience and team spirit this weekend, proving they are not just reliant on star player Matheus Cunha. With him missing, the team navigated a creativity gap showing encouraging signs of unity and adaptability.

They explored alternative attacking options, leading to a well-executed team goal that underlined their ability to work cohesively under pressure. The squad also had renewed energy with a stronger press that disrupted Everton in key phases. Impressively, Wolves also dominated possession with 65.5%, their highest percentage this season and nearly 5% more than in any previous game.

In recent matches, Jean Ricner Bellegarde has been a standout performer, taking massive strides since Vitor Pereira's arrival and growing his influence on the team. Without Cunha, Bellegarde embraced the responsibility and demonstrated his potential to be equally instrumental in Wolves' attacking play.

Given they were facing an in-form and defensively sound Everton, Wolves might have considered a point as a respectable outcome prior to kick-off. However, as it unfolded, the game left fans with a nagging "what-if" feeling. The margins were slim and the absence of their creative talisman Cunha was felt in crucial moments.

However, looking ahead, Wolves must focus on maintaining and extending their gap from the Premier League relegation zone. Next week's fixture against Southampton presents a critical opportunity. While no game in the Premier League is easy, this match offers Wolves the chance to build momentum. A victory surely puts us with an almost insurmountable lead.

Under Pereira, Wolves have shown they can adapt and fight as a team, but consistency will be key. Squad depth, alongside with players stepping up in Cunha's absence, could make all the difference.

The next month is pivotal and Wolves could ensure top-flight survival or be dragged back into the relegation scrap.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Wolves' Premier League match against Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Steven: Never usually happy with a point (even when it's a big comeback draw) but at the moment every single point is crucial especially when we don't look much of a goalscoring threat.

Thomas: I really do think that Andre was easily the best player on the pitch. I think if we'd kept our heads in certain areas we would have gone on to win the game.

Jon: Decent performance against a team bang in form. Played well enough to win the game but fairly toothless without Cunha. Too good to go down, despite to the Fosun shambles!

Everton fans

Allan: What a terrible display from teams that could of so easily gone down if it was not for the bottom three. Absolutely clueless - both Wolves and Everton.

Ian: Everton looked slow, lethargic and generally not sharp. Beto is back to his fumbling self. We were lucky Wolves were without Cunha.

Anton: No-one wants to play at 8pm on a Saturday - it feels like the dregs of the day for sport, and this match certainly felt like that. We're still unbeaten and Harrison scored from a Lindstrom assist so, quite frankly, Moyes is a miracle maker and is Premier League Manager of the Year! We never looked in real danger of losing, yet never looked like we had the clinical quality to win. Overall, it's another point closer to starting next season in our awesome new stadium as a Premier League team.

Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast about the battle to avoid relegation from the top flight:

"I did think Wolves might struggle without Matheus Cunha but they got a good draw against Everton.

"Ipswich are losing matches - I covered the game against Palace, they had chances and they were probably just not ruthless enough. They rely a lot on Liam Delap to score goals.

"It's not a good look on the Championship because it's the three teams that have come up that are going down. That's the gap between the Championship and the Premier League now.

"I still give Ipswich a fighting chance but it looks like it might stay like that."

Listen on BBC Sounds

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's six Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 3-1 Southampton

• Brentford 0-1 Aston Villa

Sean Kearns
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

It wasn't pretty, but it didn't need to be.

After Ipswich's defeat at Crystal Palace, Wolves knew a result - any result - would push them closer to Premier League safety.

As it happened, even a draw was enough to put a positive end to the day as Wolves moved six points clear of the drop zone.

Vitor Pereira's side fell behind when Jack Harrison gave the Toffees the lead but Zimbabwe international Marshall Munetsi equalised five minutes before the break to score his first goal for the club.

In a cagey second half of few chances, Wolves came closest to scoring the winner but Jordan Pickford was equal to Jorgen Strand Larsen's effort.

The match won't live long in the memory but Wolves fans won't care if this is the point that keeps them up.

Image source, Getty Images

Vitor Pereira spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Wolves' draw against Everton: "The result was not one we expected but the performance was consistent. It was a performance showing personality, tactical organisation, confidence, team spirit and we tried everything to score another goal. In the end it's one point, we'll see what it means in the future.

"I believe a lot in the qualities of my players. We used to speak a lot about tactics but at this moment it is important to feel the team spirit and that they are committed to achieve our targets.

"We must wait for the Leicester game tomorrow against Chelsea. It is better being six points, than five points."

On coping without Matheus Cunha: "I don't believe in building a team around a player. One player can do special things. We have other players that can do it if they get the confidence to do it. In football we must play as a team, fight and be organised as a team. Cunha is a player that can give us different things but the team is the team and the most important thing is the team."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Everton's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

I keep on expecting Everton to slip up under David Moyes but it has not happened yet.

I think their fans are quite enjoying seeing me writing them off, and then being proved wrong when they get a positive result.

Since losing his first game back in charge, against Aston Villa, Moyes has won four and drawn three in the Premier League, which is seriously impressive.

Bearing that in mind, I am not going to predict an Everton defeat here, but this game smells of a draw to me, even though Wolves will be without the suspended Matheus Cunha.

Cunha lost the plot at the end of their FA Cup defeat by Bournemouth and is waiting to discover what his punishment will be.

Wolves are five points ahead of Ipswich and Leicester, who are 18th and 19th, so they do have some breathing space above the bottom three.

Five points feels like a massive advantage at the moment, but we will find out over the next few weeks exactly how much Cunha has cost them in their fight against relegation.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (12:30)

• Liverpool v Southampton - full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town

• Brighton v Fulham

• Brentford v Aston Villa (17:30) full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Wolves v Everton (20:00)

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton at Molineux (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There were positive team news updates from the Wolves boss to start: "[Emmanuel] Agbadou is ready to help us. [Marshall] Munetsi is ready, [Goncalo] Guedes is ready, Rodrigo [Gomes] is ready, [Jean-Ricner] Bellegarde too. I'm very happy and positive for this game."

• On Matheus Cunha being charged by the FA and how long he expects to be without him: "I'm not creating expectations because I don't control the decision. He admitted the mistake, for sure. He has a good personality. He is a good boy."

• He continued: "It was a bad moment. That moment affects him, the club, the supporters. He has given a lot to us until now. It means that this is the moment to support him. He needs to learn from the mistake but now - as a coach, as a team, as a club - we need to support him and help him to come [back] stronger. He has a strong personality and we all have bad times in life."

• On facing Everton: "They are doing fantastic work but my focus is on my team. It is the only thing I can control. We will face a good team who are competing with every team. We need to play our game and correct some behaviour from the last game."

• Pereira had a message for the fans: "We are in a critical, important moment of the season and we need to make our supporters proud. They must show us the spirit of the wolf. We need to be connected, feel the energy to fight and play. It will be a battle and I want to see my team with character."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Matheus Cunha's red card in the FA Cup at Bournemouth leaves Wolves without their leading goalscorer and most creative outlet for at least the next three Premier League matches.

Only seven players in the division have more goal involvements than the Brazil forward's tally of 17 this season (13 scored, four assists), while Cunha has either scored or set up almost 46% of Wolves' top-flight goals in 2024-25 (17 of 37).

His suspension comes during what could be considered as a more favourable run of fixtures for Wolves - and also at a time when their attacking depth has been weakened by injuries to team-mates.

At least Jorgen Strand Larsen has returned in the past couple of weeks, the Norway forward having filled the central striker's role for much of the campaign. He has scored seven league goals this term, although he has only found the net once in his 12 Premier League appearances since the start of December.

Hwang Hee-chan was an unused substitute in the cup loss at Bournemouth after three weeks out, while Goncalo Guedes has not featured since 16 February.

There are a couple of approaches that boss Vitor Pereira may choose to take in Cunha's absence.

Since his appointment in December, Pereira has regularly used a 3-4-3 formation, with Hwang, Guedes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Pablo Sarabia among those filling the wider forward roles.

Another option would be to pair Strand Larsen with another centre forward such as Hwang and select a more attacking central midfielder to support the front two. That would leave Andre and Joao Gomes protecting the back three and wing-backs Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo to provide width.

Bellegarde's influence on the team has grown immeasurably since an impressive goalscoring display in the home win against Aston Villa on 1 February, while mid-season signing Marshall Munetsi has got into plenty of promising positions in his early appearances for the club.

Other than Cunha and Strand Larsen, no other Wolves player has scored more than three league goals this season. So whichever way Pereira chooses to proceed, the attacking output from those selected will need to improve if Wolves are to keep on picking up crucial results in their bid to avoid relegation.

Former Wolves winger Steve Froggatt has criticised Matheus Cunha's "stupidity" on the BBC West Midlands football phone-in.

"I played with one of the toughest strikers in Steve Bull - he could fight and wrestle with the best but he did it in a smart way," Froggatt said. "A lot of the time, he fought in a way where he wasn't going to get red carded. He was very clever.

"It's really hard because [Cunha] is such a talented player. Wolves have got four massive games coming up and we haven't won a game without him playing."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Let's acknowledge there is danger for most of us in trying to work out what possessed Matheus Cunha to lose his head at Bournemouth.

From the press box or the stand, we can airily say a player should never react like that, without ever having experienced how the spotlight of top-flight football dazzles and burns - especially when everyone knows you are the most important player for your team, as Cunha patently is.

I do not truly know what those pressures feel like, and - probably - nor do you.

Alas though, keeping control under fire is part of the test of playing at a high level, and in a season of otherwise remarkable achievement, it is a test Cunha has now failed twice.

Good players do tend to get fouled a lot. They are targeted by rough-tackling defenders, opposing crowds and wind-up merchants. There can be reasons why a player's temper burns through. But they cannot be excuses.

Whether the penalty this time is a three-match ban or more, it has obvious consequences for a team without a league win this season that has not contained a Cunha goal.

But perhaps it will also have longer-term consequences for Cunha himself, and if so it will be a lesson harshly learned.

The Brazilian signed a new contract at Molineux recently, running until 2029. However, I do not think I have yet heard from a Wolves fan who believes that he will remain beyond this summer, on the assumption that the reported release clause of £62m will be low enough to tempt clubs in the top bracket across Europe.

His talent will attract suitors, no doubt. But clubs that can afford to commit that sort of money on a single player will be able to shop around.

Wolves, in their current predicament, have little choice but to indulge Cunha's flaws. The top clubs have dressing rooms full of stars, so have no need to be so accommodating.

Only last week, Wolves released a day-in-the-life documentary about Cunha. It is uplifting, heart-warming stuff, demonstrating that he is kind, erudite and thoughtful - a family man, a team man. This only makes the possibility that he might not fulfil his talent all the more troubling.

It might be hard to do and harder to hear, but the people he trusts will do Cunha a good turn if they impress upon him now that this must be the last time, because he risks damage to his reputation and future prospects that may last much longer than a three-game suspension.

Listen to full commentary of Wolves v Everton at 20:00 GMT on Saturday on BBC Radio WM

Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on what nobody is talking about at Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Jon: Amid the latest instalment in the Matheus Cunha soap opera, I think one thing that has not had as much attention is the resurgence of Toti Gomes. He's been a rock under Vitor Pereira and we will need him in the crucial matches ahead.

John: We saw it previously when Ruben Neves got injured that sometimes when your talisman is out for a bit, the rest of the team step up and play better together, as they're less reliant on that little piece of magic to get them through games.

Jack: Nobody talks about how Goncalo Guedes just gets on with it. The club have tried to offload him twice, only for him to return and fill in when Wolves have been short of numbers. No matter when or where he plays, he puts in a solid effort every time, and has never made any noise about forcing a transfer or that he feels he should be playing more. Solid professional.

Guy: The discipline was shocking under Gary O'Neil. It really needs to improve, and I am still waiting.

Stefan: The lack of real investment by Fosun which ultimately destabilises the team due to talismanic players leaving for other clubs.

Jim: Wolves are coming up to their 150th anniversary in 2027 and the club are consulting with fans about the design of kit for that year (1950s' style please). We are a great old club and while there is so much talk about Spurs and Manchester United under-performing, some positive media should be given to Wolves. While Cunha has got bad press for being sent off, how about a bit more about what he does in the community?

After an ill-tempered FA Cup exit on Saturday, Wolves have to turn their full attention to staying in the Premier League.

Five points above the relegation zone with Everton visiting at the weekend, boss Vito Pereira will have to figure out an alternative to suspended talisman Matheus Cunha.

And there is no doubt plenty more going on that you know far more about than we do.

So tell us, what's one thing - good or bad - that no-one is talking about at Wolves but really should be?

Let us know here

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves have lost just one of their past seven Premier League home games against Everton (W3 D3), and won this fixture 3-0 last season.

Meanwhile, Everton's 4-0 victory in the reverse fixture in December ended a six-game winless run against Wanderers - and only in 2020-21 have the Blues ever done the Premier League double over the Molineux club.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves' Matheus Cunha gets little sympathy after his red card following a wild temper tantrum against Bournemouth. Hugely talented but utterly uncontrollable would seem the best description.

He now faces a lengthy ban, has let his team down by costing them a chance to win the tie and will miss a crucial period of the season. And for what?

A few weeks back, he ripped the glasses off a steward - not that big and brave.

This time he threw a one-two combination with his fists that wouldn't have hurt a five-year-old, before delivering a sneaky little kick that his opponent would scarcely have felt but every camera picked up.

He then produced a headbutt with all the force of a kiss from your auntie, before causing a scene in the tunnel that was at the intellectual level of a toddler.

All a bit pathetic, if you ask me.

With brilliant goals - like the one he scored before his hissy fit - and world-class skills, he should be worth fortunes, but he is now considered damaged goods.

His opponents, on the other hand, are laughing at his antics and the ease in which they wind him up.

It is time to grow up, Matheus.

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