Wolves boss Vitor Pereira could have been forgiven for thinking that had had taken on an impossible job. His team responded superbly to his arrival with seven points in his first three games at the club but four straight defeats in the league left the Portuguese coach wondering if perhaps it would have been better to stay in Saudi Arabia.
It wasnt so much the fact they had lost those matches given that they were against high-flying Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Arsenal, but the manner in which they had happened. They probably should have done better against Arsenal, with the Gunners playing for 25 minutes with 10 men, whilst they conceded three goals in the aforementioned games.
It meant that they had conceded 52 goals in 23 league games, which is the worst ratio of any team in the league since 1932/33. To add to their defensive instability, they have had several injuries to contend with throughout the campaign.
Bellegarde Action
The Molineux faithful were certainly not expecting the performance they got vs local rivals Aston Villa on Saturday evening, and they erupted in the 12th minute when Jean-Ricner Bellegarde latched onto a clever little pass from Pablo Sarabia and the Frenchman powered his shot past Emiliano Martinez, ranked at no.6 in FourFourTwo's list of the best goalkeepers in the world right now.
Wolves firmly kicked into action and continued to create opportunities on the counterattack. Goncalo Guedes could have had a hat-trick as he missed some really good chances at the end of some flowing moves.
With trips to Liverpool and Bournemouth in the next few weeks it will be a tricky time for Wolves and they perhaps should be judged in the games after which look a bit more winnable. Pereira has inherited a talented squad which has a mixture of players that have struggled with consistency having played at the highest level and those who have arrived from leagues which are stylistically different and less demanding.
Guedes and Sarabia had started just five games each this season in the Premier League prior to this Midlands battle, even though both have spent time at Paris Saint Germain and have European competition experience. On the other hand, Emmanuel Agbadou was playing in Belgium only three years ago, whilst midfielders Andre and Joao Gomes have arrived directly from Brazil.
Pereira knows its about getting the right players out on the pitch in order to create balance. Wanderers may have been missing striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, but they looked fluid in attack against Villa.
The midfield was exceptional at quick passes to get past the Villa press, with Andre completing all 20 he attempted, and Bellegardes ability to break through the lines by carrying the ball was a valuable weapon. The defence kept only their fourth clean sheet of the season, although its the third under the former Porto tactician.
Pereira felt that having a left-footer on that side of his back three had made a huge difference. With Totti (Gomes) close to Rayan (Ait-Nouri) we have the cover every time, he said in his post-match press conference.
This is important for us. When we build up the play from the left side with the left-foot its different because we open the game. The first touch is to open the game, and we open the solutions to start playing.
Villa have only won one in eight in the Premier League following Champions League matches, whilst their record at the Molineux has been equally poor in recent years. However, they had never previously lost to a side that had started the day in the relegation zone under Unai Emery.
The Spaniard made four changes at half-time. Not only a bold move, but a clear display of annoyance with his players, but after an initial upturn in energy and attitude, it was to no avail. They were certainly unfortunate that VAR deemed Donyell Malens goal offside due to apparent interference from Morgan Rogers in the build-up.
However, Wolves remained strong and Villa created very few clear opportunities overall. Matheus Cunha guaranteed the victory when he ran behind Villa defender Ezri Konsa with the end of the game fast approaching.
The chance seemed to have been lost when the centre-back recovered his ground, but Cunha finished with clinical precision. There is a long way, added Pereira when asked if he felt confident that his team would remain in the top flight at the end of the campaign.
There is a long way and a tough fight, [but] with this spirit, I really believe. The energy of the supporters. The energy that I felt today. With the spirit of the team that I saw today and tactical organisation, we can do it!
