Wolverhampton Wanderers

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Wolves boss Vitor Pereira will mark his 600th game in management against Ipswich on Saturday.

The Portuguese replaced Gary O'Neil in December when Wolves were four points from safety and has guided them to 17th and nine points above the Premier League relegation zone.

Only Liverpool (17) and Arsenal (14) have earned more points than Wolves (13) in the past two months.

Wolves go to Portman Road closing in on survival and a win over the third-bottom Tractor Boys will restore their 12-point advantage over their rivals.

"Six hundred matches across the world, filled with moments of great joy as well as challenges," Pereira said. "Football is just like life - a world of intense emotions. It is an immense privilege to be in this great league, which I consider the best in the world and to help Wolverhampton achieve its goals.

"These include securing our place in the Premier League while playing quality football and fostering a true sense of unity between the players, fans, club and city. We take great pride in our work, restoring joy and a sense of belonging to our fantastic supporters."

Pereira started his managerial career with Sanjoanense in 2004 while he has also had two spells at Porto and Fenerbache and time at 1860 Munich, Olympiacos, Corinthians, Flamengo and Al-Shabab before joining Wolves.

His record stands at 320 wins, 144 draws, and 135 defeats, having won two titles in Portugal and the double in Greece.

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Wolves have won their past two away Premier League games, as many as in their previous 19 combined.

The Old Gold have won six of their past eight Premier League games against promoted sides.

Their sole defeat though was against Ipswich in December, while Birmingham in 2009-10 are the only promoted side to do the double over Wolves in the Premier League.

Ipswich have lost 10 home Premier League matches this season, their most in a season since 2010-11 in the Championship (also 10). They've only ever lost more home games in one season, losing 13 at Portman Road in 1994-95 when they finished bottom of the Premier League.

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We asked you to tell us something that no-one is talking about at Wolves right now. Here are some of your comments:

Simon: Marshall Munetsi and Emmanuel Agbadou have been fantastic January transfer window signings. Joao Gomes and Andre have really gelled and protecting that back three, with Matt Doherty on the right and Toti Gomes on the left, has allowed Nelson Semedo and Rayan Ait-Nouri to be free.

Molly: Why is everyone apparently so resigned to Matheus Cunha's departure? Why are we not fighting to keep all our brilliant Brazilians? What a team we could be. Back the team or sell the club, Fosun.

Simon: Semedo's expiring contract.

Nick Strand Larsen's goal record is massively going under the radar. For a first season, 10 goals is a good haul and provides a platform to move forward next season. That's the same amount as Raul Jimenez at Fulham and three off his first season at Wolves.

Mark: Over the years there was an apparent "project" that has been lost well under the radar. Players arrive intending to move on once their talent is realised. Nuno Espirito had dreams of Europe,. He got it. Had Fosun backed him with funds, who knows where we would be! A club without a plan is asking for trouble.

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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A caller to Tuesday evening's BBC Radio WM Football Phone-In, before Wolves beat West Ham, pointed out that at no stage this season have the Molineux side been out of the bottom four of the Premier League table. This really is as good as it has got.

An unexpected victory for Ipswich at Bournemouth may slightly temper Wolves' optimism, but they remain nine points above the relegation zone, and in recent weeks have been steadily pulling away.

After Tuesday's jubilation, there is a sense of the club moving on, after months of labouring uphill and at times seeming to wallow in the misery of it all. Who knew 17th place could feel so good?

In the latest interesting long read on his Football Unfiltered Substack site,, external the well-informed journalist Johnny Phillips suggests there is a "recognition" from owners Fosun that "something needs to change if Wolves are to break what seems like a cycle of under-investment in the transfer market followed by struggles on the pitch". He also reports their wish to restore the sense of a unified club, the "One Pack" motif established while Nuno Espirito Santo was the head coach.

That sounds like the right way of thinking. To what degree the club's ownership has ever lost sight of the "One Pack" idea, only they can really know. It is hard to imagine they ever consciously turned against it. A uniting concept for a football club helps.

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A more prosaic thought is that the best way to pull a club together is to win some games, like they did under Nuno, and are now with Vitor Pereira.

Which came first, the concept or the results? If there is a realisation that restoring it will require sufficient expense, fine. As they have found in recent seasons, inadequate squad-building in the summer only makes for a costly rescue later on.

Anyway, barring accident at Ipswich, there should be plenty of time for musing about all that. Pereira signed a relatively short contract when he arrived at the club, but it sounds like wherever Wolves are moving on towards, he is up for the journey. Joao Gomes signed a new deal this week.

For the second game running, they won with a Jorgen Strand Larsen goal rather than a Matheus Cunha goal. Cunha was on social media this week pledging his allegiance to the badge too, notwithstanding his interview in the Guardian the other day.

When his suspension began, there was a fear of doom; now, before it ends, there is a sense of moving towards a new dawn, with or without him.

Listen to full BBC Radio WM commentary of Ipswich v Wolves at 15:00 BST on Saturday (95.6 FM)

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

Just one defeat in their past five Premier League games has all but secured Wolves' top-flight status for another season, with Vitor Pereira's appointment proving to have the desired effect.

However, with Matheus Cunha expressing his desire to move on and a squad that is arguably underperforming relative to its quality, there is uncertainty over the direction of the club.

You know your club best - tell us the one thing that is going under the radar but people really should be talking about at Wolves?

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Highlights and analysis from nine midweek 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:

• Arsenal 2-1 Fulham

• Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man Utd

• Liverpool 1-0 Everton

• Newcastle 2-1 Brentford

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Jorgen Strand Larsen says he is pleased to show the "many people" who have been "doubting" him after his 10th Premier League goal of the season secured a vital win over West Ham on Tuesday.

Strand Larsen missed Norway's matches over the international break with a fractured hand but returned to action to - via a deflection off Max Kilman - score his third goal in two games.

"The ball went into the net," he said. "It doesn't matter how, so I'm happy anyway.

"But 10 is always a goal for a striker and we have eight games to go.

"I think many people have been doubting me a little bit and I think it's nice to show them. I'm just happy to be here and play football.

"Sometimes as a striker it goes up and down - you will have moments where it's not going right. Today, I was a bit lucky, but that's how it is."

Victory on Tuesday moved Wolves 12 points clear from the relegation zone and all but secured safety and Strand Larsen believes this will allow Vitor Pereira's side to play with more freedom for the remainder of the campaign.

"We have some stuff to work on, but with a gap now we can play with a little bit more confidence," he added.

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We asked for your views on Wolves' win over West Ham on Tuesday

Here are some of your comments.

Wolves fans:

Nathan: Good first half. We withstood the pressure and did what we needed to do in the second. Wolves under Vitor Pereira have worked out how to win and stop conceding so many goals. Long may it continue! I hope the board back him in the summer and we can push on.

Simon: Needlessly holding on at the end and subs should have come on much sooner. So many players were running on empty after playing a relentless pressing game in the first half. A lucky win - a point would have been worse than a defeat after playing so negatively and deep after scoring so early.

Kieran: Twelve points clear - we are staying up. Second half could have been better but we got the points and I think we are safe now.

West Ham fans:

Dave: Inexcusably poor. Wolves were on it in the first half and we decided not to close down at all. Slow passing, no attacking threat and terrible finishing for the three chances we managed to make. Very poor display. Graham Potter has a huge rebuilding job on his hands in the summer.

Ammers: Performance was disgraceful. Potter looks dejected already and it goes to show that it wasn't all down to Julen Lopetegui, and the players owe some of their wages to the supporters.

James: Poor. Hard to see where this team is going at the moment. It was always going to be about seeing the season out and then Potter having the summer to build a team in his identity. Lots of work needed in the transfer window and several players need moving on for any tangible improvements.

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

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Jorgen Strand Larsen scored the decisive goal as Wolves beat West Ham at Molineux, a win that increased the buffer between themselves and the relegation zone to 12 points.

The Norwegian striker has scored three goals in his past two games, but it was team-mate Joao Gomes who really stood out on Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, Brazil midfielder Gomes signed a new five-year contract with the club, and a few hours later he produced another terrific performance to celebrate.

The 24-year-old produced a series of mazy runs in the first half, one of which resulted in Strand Larsen finishing past Alphonse Areola.

Wolves lost control of the game in the second half as West Ham pushed with renewed enthusiasm, but Gomes showed a more combative side to his game to help see out the win.

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Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, speaking to BBC MOTD on win: "With merit. We deserve this result because we play 45 minutes with high quality. The result at half time must be 2-0 in my opinion. Second half we start to think about the result, they start to put more players on the pitch with different qualities to try to explore the crosses.

"In the end, after 80 minutes, we had to think about result and to get the three points. The team, we have true spirit as we showed today. In the moment we can play very good game with quality, but in other moments, especially this moment, we need to suffer together. We help each other and I feel this in my team."

On Jorgen Strand Larsen stepping up in Matheus Cunha absence: "You know why? Because we are a team. Matheus is part of team, and for sure with his quality he will help us. But, we are a team and we have very good players."

On Joao Gomes new contract being important: "I think so. He is young, has talent and has spirit I like."

On if gap to bottom three feels like enough: " No. The target is in our idea, we must play every game to get three points, to compete. If in the end we might not win but we need to feel proud of ourselves and make supporters proud because they are fantastic - this connection between us and the supporters."

On his connection with fans: "I'm very simple person. I feel like I belong to the family."

On receiving yellow card and trying to keep calm: "[I was] speaking with myself, speaking inside of me, taking care because I cannot keep going like this. I need to be focussed to help my team."

Able to enjoy at he end?: "Yes, fantastic feeling."

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Wolves have won 13 points since the start of February in the Premier League (W4 D1 L2), with only Liverpool (17) and Arsenal (14) winning more in that time.

In fact, only league leaders Liverpool (five) have more wins than Vitor Pereira's side (four) in this period.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of West Ham's display?

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

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

• Arsenal v Fulham

• Wolves v West Ham

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester United (20:00 GMT) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 19:45 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

After a recent interview suggested Wolves forward Matheus Cunha wanted to "take the next step" and fight for titles, the Brazil international then went on social media to say the comments were misinterpreted.

Speaking on the BBC Radio WM Football Phone-In, former Aston Villa striker Garry Thompson feels Cunha did not have to respond to comments around the interview...

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

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The timing of Matheus Cunha's comments implying he wants to leave Wolves "doesn't make sense", says former Wanderers striker Jay Bothroyd.

Forward Cunha said in an interview with the Observer that he has told the club he needs to "take the next step" and fight for titles in his career.

However, in a social media video on Monday, the 25-year-old said people did not have the "correct interpretation".

"The timing was poor," Bothroyd told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"Everyone knows he wants to leave - he's a quality player who is going to go to a bigger club.

"But when you've signed a new deal and they've paid you more money - and they've given you a new contract so they can demand more money for you - why would you say this now?

"This should be a period where he gets his head down and tries to contribute to the team getting results, and then at the end of the season look at the scenario which comes around then.

"Right now, it just doesn't make sense.

"It doesn't affect the way you treat them, because obviously they're still your team-mate, but some players might go to him and say: 'Why did you do that?'

"I had a situation at Cardiff in the last year of my contract where every weekend I was being asked if I was leaving and why I hadn't signed a new deal My answer was simple and what it should be: 'I'm focusing on my football, I haven't got time for anything else.'

"That is what Cunha should have said to whoever interviewed him about Wolves because it is a big part of the season, there are some big games coming up and he needs to be on form.

"The manager won't be happy he spoke like that either. It's a strange one."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds from 08:21

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

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Wolves celebrated a special milestone on Friday, marking Steve Bull's 60th birthday. Bull's unmatched loyalty to the club feels like a relic of the past in modern football, where ambition far outweighs long-term commitment. His dedication to Wolves remains iconic, but the reality is stark - players like Bull may never emerge again.

In contrast, Wolves today seem more like a stepping stone for ambitious players looking to reach bigger clubs. Matheus Cunha, for instance, is already expected to move on this summer, reinforcing the perception that the club's custodians cannot match the ambition of their top talents.

When bigger opportunities arise, players inevitably leave, exposing Wolves' limitations.

While Cunha's creativity and technical skills stand out, it is worth questioning whether the team is stronger without relying on individual brilliance.

Recent performances - like Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Jorgen Strand Larsen stepping up - show Wolves can thrive collectively. The squad's depth hints at potential, but also the inevitable transitions waiting ahead.

This summer is likely to bring significant changes, with key player sales expected to fund much-needed recruits.

Jorge Mendes' returning influence at the club alongside internal recruitment sparks some hope for strategic investment, potentially bringing in the quality required to stay competitive.

However, this optimism is dampened by larger concerns about the club's ambition. Chairman Jeff Shi's comments last summer - that Wolves are not a trophy-driven club - only deepen the frustration.

Such a mindset risks alienating players and supporters alike, raising doubts about Wolves' desire to compete at the highest level. The fans' patience with mediocrity is wearing thin, and continues to cast a shadow over the club's future.

As Wolves move toward the end of the season, all eyes will be on Cunha's potential departure, inevitable squad changes and the club's direction.

But unless the custodians show more ambition and think bigger, Wolves may remain nothing more than a waypoint for players with bigger dreams.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

Was Matheus Cunha out of line, or was his recent interview in which he seemed to imply he needed to leave the club "misinterpreted", as he suggested on Monday?

That was the debate on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, as Chris Sutton, Rory Smith and Joe Hart all slightly differed on their stance on the situation.

"He has probably said a few things that are indelicate and better off being said in June, but I don't think it will come as a huge surprise to Wolves fans," said New York Times chief football correspondent Smith. "It probably won't come as a surprise to Wolves' hierarchy either.

"But I think there have been a few instances this season that would make you pause around Cunha's character, given he has had two fairly spectacular tantrums. Would that put buyers off?

"It would feel like a giant cross, in my opinion, so I think he will get his move but it won't be where he might want it to be because of his disciplinary record."

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton added: "He is just telling the truth and I think any player is entitled to turn around and say he doesn't want to be scratching around at the bottom of the table. But I agree that he should have waited."

Cunha said in an interview with the Observer that he has told Wolves he needs to "take the next step" and fight for titles in his career.

Ex-England goalkeeper Joe Hart acknowledged how Cunha was "very truthful" to say what he did, but there are bound to be "repercussions" for it.

"That is the route he has chosen to go down and everyone is entitled to answer questions," said Hart. "People get so frustrated with people not answering things truthfully but that sounds like he has been very truthful. The repercussions of that are difficult though for the club and team to accept."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Wolves have got a nine-point cushion above the bottom three but they still have a bit of work to do to make sure they are completely safe.

Their best player Matheus Cunha is still suspended, and he is such a big miss.

West Ham are only one place above Wolves, but are another eight points clear.

Their results have not been spectacular under Graham Potter but when I look at them, I do think they are improving - they came very close to beating Everton last time out, and actually deserved the three points there.

I'd like to pick a winner but I am not sure that will get me anywhere - this game smells of a draw.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say