Wolves' survival prospects and Gary O'Neil's job stability are closely tied to the performance of Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian's contributions—creating one goal and scoring another—against Southampton secured the team's first league win of the season, temporarily alleviating the pressure on his manager. Cunha was the decisive factor in a match between two underperforming sides, each having won only one of their first 11 games. Southampton's struggle with goal-scoring was evident, and their lackluster attack handed Wolves their first Premier League clean sheet of the season, doubling their points tally thanks to goals from Pablo Sarabia and Cunha.

The tension surrounding O'Neil's position seemed to dissipate within the first two minutes when Wolves capitalized on a poor header by Kyle Walker-Peters. Cunha seized the loose ball, advanced, and passed it between defenders to Sarabia, whose quick touch allowed him to round Aaron Ramsdale and score. Sarabia, heavily criticized for his performance against Crystal Palace, was now the crowd's hero, receiving their applause.

This victory provided the confidence boost Wolves desperately needed, though their defensive issues remain severe, having conceded 27 goals in the previous 10 matches. Despite Southampton's lack of attacking prowess, Wolves were constantly on edge. Ryan Manning thought he had equalized in the 28th minute, but VAR, unpopular at Molineux, intervened. A seemingly innocuous collision in the box between Mateus Fernandes and Nélson Semedo was reviewed, and referee Thomas Bramall ruled it a foul, disallowing the goal.

Southampton dominated possession thereafter, but Wolves managed to counter effectively. O'Neil, recognizing his team's vulnerability, used a mysterious physio visit to José Sá as an opportunity to regroup his team and switch tactics, converting from a back four to a five-man defense. Despite holding over 70% of possession, Southampton failed to produce a shot on target until the 51st minute when Cunha, 30 yards from goal, received a pass, controlled it, and powerfully shot past Ramsdale, who was booked for protesting a potential foul.

With a two-goal lead, few at Molineux felt confident Wolves would hold on. An uneasy silence greeted each Southampton attack, though their possession did not translate into meaningful chances. Both teams now have a Premier League victory, but it seems they both have a challenging season ahead.

Source link:   https://www.theguardian.com