Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Wolves manager Gary O’Neil, speaking to Sky Sports: "It’s probably one of my favourite performances in my time as a coach. We knew this was going to be a really tough test with the players we were missing.

"It wasn’t as if we nicked a win today – I thought we were good value. It’s something that the players deserve. We’ve had a really good response to a tough afternoon at Brentford.

"The first goal was straight off the training ground. Obviously it’s great quality from Matheus, but it’s something we work on a lot. It was a really composed performance without the ball. It’s important we take that forward with us."

On Matheus Cunha: "I love him, I love working with him. The improvements he’s made are just incredible. When I came, there was an incredible, undeniable talent, but [he was] someone who didn’t know how to make [the most of] it. We get him in some great spots now.

"He’s a great guy. It’s probably his best out-of-possession performance for us. He fitted into our structure very well, led from the front and brought some incredible quality to the game."

On Mario Lemina: "I thought he was excellent. It was an excellent centre-back performance. He has the tools to play there. We did a bit of work with him yesterday, but it was a really top performance. It feels wrong to speak too much about individuals, but Toti [Gomes] is another one. [Goalkeeper] Jose Sa is another one. There are some really good stories."

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

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Things were looking bleak for Gary O’Neil after his team’s shambolic display at Brentford last month, but back-to-back wins for the first time since February suggests Wolves are gradually starting to gather momentum.

O’Neil’s cause in west London was not helped by the absence of Santiago Bueno and Craig Dawson through injury and illness respectively, meaning Mario Lemina had to deputise in a makeshift back four alongside Nelson Semedo, Toti and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The Moroccan did not cover himself in glory when he lost possession cheaply in the build-up to Alex Iwobi’s first-half opener, but other than that Wolves coped well without their first-choice defenders and, in Cunha, they have a player in a rich vein of form.

The Brazilian has now been involved in 26 goals in his past 29 league starts, with 17 goals and nine assists.

He has also registered 13 top-flight away goals since the start of last season, second only to Erling Haaland’s tally of 17.

O’Neil celebrated enthusiastically in front of the away fans at full time and, with five games coming up against teams in the lower reaches of the Premier League table, the future is starting to look a little brighter for the 41-year-old and his players.

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Wolves have won successive Premier League games for the first time since February 2023, while this is their first win in the competition when conceding first since a 4-2 victory at Chelsea the same month.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Fulham's performance, external

What did you make of Wolves' display?, external

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

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Leicester v Chelsea - 12:30

• Bournemouth v Brighton

• Arsenal v Nottingham Forest (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live)

• Aston Villa v Crystal Palace

• Everton v Brentford

• Fulham v Wolves

• Man City v Tottenham - 17:30 (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live)

Kick-offs 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 12 he takes on The Farm singer and Liverpool fan Peter Hooton.

The Farm's new single, Forever & Ever, is out now and their new album, Let The Music (Take Control), is released in May 2025.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Wolves got their first win of the season when they beat Southampton before the international break. Matheus Cunha has started scoring and, when I look at their squad, I do think they are good enough to stay up.

I am not backing them here, however. Fulham are flying and regular readers will know I am a big fan of them when they play at home.

Emile Smith Rowe has looked really bright since joining Marco Silva's side and I am expecting more of the same from him, plus I would not be surprised if Fulham striker Raul Jimenez had a say against his former club.

Wooton's prediction: 2-1

Wolves have got Cunha scoring again and Jimenez is doing the same for Fulham. If they both play then it is going to be very close, but with Fulham being the home team, I am going with them to edge it.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Gary O'Neil spoke for just over half an hour at Compton on Friday, fielding questions on momentum, emulating Saturday's hosts Fulham and their recent success.

None were on his position at Wolves - it would have been futile as it has been discussed and there is nothing else for the manager to say.

Nothing has changed at Molineux. In an ideal world, they do not want to make a change - especially following the show of faith of a new contract in August.

O'Neil played down the importance of the next six games, insisting he did not know the fixture list after the visit of Bournemouth next weekend, but is it not a stretch to suggest they are season-defining.

Everton, West Ham, Ipswich and Leicester come immediately after the trip to Craven Cottage and the game against the Cherries.

All are within reach and points must be taken if Wolves are going to head into the New Year with a realistic prospect of survival.

First, though, comes Fulham on Saturday with Wolves second bottom in the Premier League.

The danger of falling into a trap is obvious and it happened at Brentford in October, when Wolves still came unstuck even though playing a side not expected to challenge for the top four after their tough opening fixtures.

Fulham and Bournemouth may not be in the title race but the Cottagers are fifth in the form table over the past 10 games, while the Cherries are second if it is reduced to the past six matches.

O'Neil drilled his players to ensure the mistakes at Brentford did not happen again and, after a heartbreaking loss to Manchester City, they are unbeaten in three.

That run needs to extend. Wolves have no room for manoeuvre and, regardless whether O'Neil knows the fixtures or not, results in the next month are likely to decide whether he has a future at Molineux.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Boss Gary O'Neil insists Wolves are still "stabilising" as they try to plot their way to Premier League survival.

The sales of Max Kilman and Pedro Neto in the summer raised almost £100m but Wolves were unable to reinvest all of it in the squad.

Last summer, they also sold Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes to comply with Profit and Sustainability rules and even then only managed to just avoid punishment.

O'Neil was asked about emulating Saturday's hosts Fulham, who are seventh in the Premier League, but he tempered expectation as Wolves continue to find a balance between spending and surviving.

He said: "We are still trying to stabilise. After that comes the progression. We are still in that spell where we are trying to stabilise. Discussions around the progression of the club will come later on.

"The focus is on the short term and making sure we are able to be competitive and pick up enough points. Hopefully in the future we are able to progress the club."

Wolves are unbeaten in three games, beating Southampton and drawing against Brighton and Crystal Palace, and O'Neil recognises the importance of maintaining the momentum they have.

He said: "I was really pleased with the performances. We had some tough opponents. We took Liverpool to the wire, should have taken something off Newcastle and were the better side at Aston Villa for a long while.

"At Brentford [a 5-3 defeat] we fell below the level and there was a lot of work done to work out what we needed to do. We have tried to do that over the last few weeks and it's helped us.

"There is still room for improvement. We are in a decent moment, as strange as that sounds given where we are in the league, especially the pressure from the two home games [Southampton and Crystal Palace]."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• O'Neil confirmed there are a "few [players] to check" following the international break but added: "I'm confident we will be able to name a strong team. I don't want to give too much away but I'm hopeful that we will be fine."

• On being able to follow Fulham's footsteps after losing key players in transfer windows: "Wolves is a fantastic club, but we are still trying to stabilise at the moment. After that comes progression - but we are not there yet. We are still trying to stabilise and be in a good spot week to week. Discussions on where we want to progress to will come but focus is on the short term being competitive."

• He praised Fulham's recruitment strategy and "excellent coach" Marco Silva, adding: "He has had a lot of time there but used it well. They have a good style and understand what they do. Players they recruit fit excellently and they have had a good transition since the Championship. It will be another real test."

• Having started on the bench since coming off at half-time against Manchester City, O'Neil said "it is just one of those moments" for midfielder Andre and that he "still works hard, still shows quality and is still adapting". He added: "He is going to have a big impact on the team [in the future]."

• On whether the Brentford defeat was a turning point in their season: "Interesting season for us so far in the journey, not results. Performances I was so pleased with at the start. We had tough opposition with Liverpool, Newcastle and Aston Villa, but some really good performances. For some reason, at Brentford, we fell way below the level, but a lot of work has been done to figure out what we needed to to do to get points from games."

• He added: "There is still room for improvement and it will be a tough test against Fulham. But we are in a decent moment, as strange as that sounds, with where we are in the league."

• On their increased resilience after a clean sheet against Southampton: "We need to find the right blend. We look like scoring goals. Wolves used to struggle for years in that area, now we always look like scoring. It's trying to find that right balance and making sure we are solid enough. We don't want to take away from being an attacking team."

• On switching goalkeepers: "I have been pleased with Jose [Sa] and his response to Sam [Johnstone] coming in and being on the bench for a few weeks... There may be extreme circumstances where I think one is better than the other for a certain game but it is not a position I want to keep flipping. It is too extreme to keep flipping goalkeepers."

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

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BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha gives us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club but this week he's in the hotseat answering your questions.

Dan asked: The players and coaching staff have stayed united despite a very bad run of form since about March. Do you think this will be what’s needed to stay up by keeping things consistent, or will it lead us to a delusional relegation if things don’t change?

Nedum replied: That is a great question. A sense of unity will always give you a chance, especially when people are all pulling in the same direction. At times you can fall out of form but that's when you really see what the clubs are like.

Other teams who have faced similar have found themselves with in-team fighting and falling-outs - but that doesn't seem to be the case at Wolves. They are not in crisis.

So, because of that, I don't think the team and staff are being delusional. Sometimes you just need belief because you know you have the quality and that might have come from their first win of the season over Southampton.

Harmony through disappointment is so important because it shows they are happy to work hard to break the situation they are in now. That is what makes a difference.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Former Manchester United interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy is keen to stay in the Premier League amid potential managerial opportunities at Wolves, Southampton and Crystal Palace. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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When Raul Jimenez left Wolves, there was great mutual affection between him and the fans, and some sadness that his best days appeared to have been cut short in such an unfortunate way.

He really had been a fine attacking leader in the best period of Wolves' recent history and was a popular, genial figure. It was hard for everyone, and no doubt hardest for Raul himself, that after all his struggles to recover from his dreadful head injury in November 2020, his peak form would not return.

It was therefore greatly uplifting watching Fulham's recent game against Aston Villa, to find that the peak-Jimenez was back - rattling defenders, racing onto chances and, most of all, obviously relishing the contest. Those who cheered him in his Wolves days will be thrilled for him too, but this week are probably queasy at the idea he might prove to be a very challenging opponent on Saturday.

Wolves took a long time to adequately replace him. There have been some failed auditions and some alternative approaches. Matheus Cunha has turned out to be a fine player, but not best as a number nine. Sasa Kalajdzic might have been the answer but suffered dreadful luck. Diego Costa was fun, but only ever passing through.

At last, to some relief, Wolves signed Jorgen Strand Larsen last summer. Tall and strongly built, with a promising record and a similarly affable manner to Jimenez - he looks the part.

It has not been an easy start in a struggling team - admittedly not one struggling to score goals. Larsen has plugged away willingly, although it has sometimes seemed like a lonely trudge, and he has often left the scene midway through the second half, visibly spent. Still, four goals is not a bad return in a team near the bottom, and his hard yards will have eased the physical pressure on others, perhaps Cunha most.

This weekend's game at Fulham offers the chance of a direct comparison, although a slight distraction from the main story. The key issue from the first part of the season is that Wolves' leaky defence will sink them unless the holes are plugged.

They held firm against Southampton for a long-awaited clean sheet, despite - as Gary O'Neil explained - Craig Dawson and Santiago Bueno labouring through with injuries. Patched up or not, if they can hold off the resurgent Jimenez and company this weekend, things may be looking up.

Listen to full commentary of Fulham v Wolves at 15:00 GMT on Saturday on BBC Radio WM (96.6 FM)

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

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Only Manchester City (seven) and Nottingham Forest (five) have scored more goals from outside the penalty area in the Premier League in 2024-25 than Wolves' three, while Fulham have conceded more goals from outside the penalty area than any other side in this season's competition (five).

Since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, only three players have been involved in a higher proportion of their side's Premier League goals than Wolves' Matheus Cunha (39% - 17 goals, nine assists). The forward has also netted in his past three away league games.

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

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In July, when Wolves acquired Jorgen Strand Larsen, sporting director Matt Hobbs expressed his ambition for the team to target the European competition spots.

Fast forward to today, and Wolves find themselves far from realising that goal.

Despite outscoring fifth-placed Nottingham Forest this season, Wolves are anchored to the bottom of the table.

Inconsistencies in defence have hindered Gary O'Neil's efforts to build a cohesive team. According to WhoScored, Wolves are the league's biggest under-performers for xG against - conceding 27 goals versus an expected 22.41, a discrepancy of 4.59.

Their attack tells a different story, with Wolves scoring 16 goals compared to an expected 12.88 - surpassing expectations by 3.12 goals, the highest attacking over-performance in the division.

At the heart of Wolves' attack is Matheus Cunha, a beacon of hope for O'Neil. Cunha has a remarkable ability to turn the mundane into the spectacular, having scored five goals and provided two assists so far this season.

He has been instrumental in nearly half of Wolves' goals this season, but his impact goes beyond statistics.

With 23 goal contributions in his last 28 Premier League starts, he stands among the elite and he is only surpassed in consistency by six players from top-six teams. His shot rate of 3.2 per 90 minutes even surpasses notable players like Mohamed Salah and Ollie Watkins.

Without Cunha, Wolves' offence would lack potency and direction.

We have to ask: is it O'Neil's tactical nous shaping results or the sheer talent of individuals like Cunha?

O'Neil, once lauded for his tactical acumen on Monday Night Football, now faces a formidable test with Wolves.

While his attacking unit shows promise, defensive frailties undermine their efforts. Vulnerabilities at set-pieces and open play offer openings that opponents readily exploit.

Though Wolves possess the core of a solid mid-table team, defensive improvements are essential or O'Neil's tactics may prove ineffective.

While the squad boasts many talented individuals, survival in the Premier League depends heavily on Cunha's continued performance. Any injury or transfer involving Cunha could significantly diminish Wolves' chances of retaining their league status.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha gives us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club.

But this week, he's in the hotseat for your questions.

So what do you want to ask for a former player. Best opponent? Most memorable team-mate he played with?

Or maybe you're just interested in what next for your club this season?

Send in your questions, external

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There has been some pressure on players carrying an injury going into international breaks with their national side because you are contracted to these clubs and that is where your income is.

But, for me, as a player I had a similar mindset to Harry Kane that I would always be available - injured or not injured. I would have injections when I was on international duty just so I could represent my country because it meant that much.

It is difficult, however. If you look at Jack Grealish and Pep Guardiola's comments, he has a point because the forward has not been able to play for Manchester City because of injuries. So if you have been sidelined for three or four games, I would agree that you are then not fit and available to go on international duty.

But when you look at some of the other players, ones who have been playing and being managed by their club, then I do not see it being different to being played and managed by your country.

From the club's side, when they are competing at such high levels in the Premier League, you can understand why they would want their players to be rested and get fully fit again over the two weeks, rather than having to come back straight into a hectic period of fixtures.

I kind of get it from both points of view but, as a player, if I am half fit and being played by my club, I would be fully available for my national team.

It is really difficult with the pressure that is on the players, though. I would not look at it as a decision players have made solely.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

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Earlier, we asked you who scored Wolves' first Premier League goal of the 2024-25 season.

The answer is Matheus Cunha, who netted in the 6-2 defeat by Chelsea on 25 August.

Who scored Wolves' first Premier League goal of the 2024-25 season?

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT

Barcelona are interested in Wolves left-back Hugo Bueno, who is currently on loan at Dutch side Feyenoord. (Sport - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves' 2-0 win over Southampton on Saturday was a notable one; not only was it the club's first Premier League victory since April, but it was also the first time they had kept a clean sheet in the league for 258 days.

The £10m signing of England international goalkeeper Sam Johnstone from Crystal Palace in August added competition for Jose Sa, who stayed at the club beyond the summer transfer deadline despite reported interest from Saudi Arabia.

The pair, both 31, have shared goalkeeping duties in the early weeks of the campaign and some Wolves fans have suggested that Johnstone has not proved to be an upgrade, but has merely created a selection conundrum for boss Gary O'Neil.

Based on this season's stats, there is little to separate the two.

Portugal international Sa has a slightly better record in terms of goals conceded per game and has that solitary clean sheet to his credit although, according to Opta, he has made one error that has directly led to a goal, while Johnstone has a marginally higher save percentage.

Neither goalkeeper is close to Sa's save percentage of 69.31% in his 35 Premier League appearances in 2023-24, although other factors may have contributed to Wolves' poorer defensive record this term compared with last.

Max Kilman, Craig Dawson, Toti Gomes, Nelson Semedo and Rayan Ait-Nouri formed a fairly settled back line for much of last season, with all five making at least 25 league starts.

Different defensive setups have been tried this term, Kilman was sold to West Ham in the summer with no first-choice replacement signed, while the serious knee injury sustained in September by Yerson Mosquera - who returned to Wolves in the summer after a loan spell at Villarreal - further reduced O'Neil's centre-back options.

Sa appears to have the goalkeeper's shirt in his possession for now. With Johnstone out injured, he returned to the line-up against Manchester City on 20 October and made a string of fine saves in a 2-1 defeat.

He has played in each of the past four games, but who Wolves' starting goalkeeper will be moving forward will likely be on the agenda again following fit-again Johnstone's return to the bench against Southampton.