Sutton's predictions: Tottenham v Wolvespublished at 11:32 29 December 2024
11:32 29 December 2024
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.
This week, he takes on musician Emma-Jean Thackray, who is a Leeds fan.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
Ange Postecoglou sounded a bit deflated after Tottenham's defeat at Nottingham Forest. While I still think he has brought so much to the Premier League, you cannot deny he needs a positive result or two.
It definitely does not help that he is so short of fit centre-backs at the moment and, overall, says this is the worst injury crisis he has ever faced as a manager.
Ange is just going to have to get on with it, but this game looks a lot tougher than it might have done a couple of weeks ago.
Wolves have won their first two matches under new manager Vitor Pereira and, after shipping a load of goals under Gary O'Neil, they kept two clean sheets too.
I am still backing Spurs here though, despite their defensive issues. They did not score against Forest but had some decent chances and, at home, I think they will find a way to win.
Emma-Jean's prediction: 3-1
Tottenham are very unpredictable but, when they play well, they really shine.
My moment of the yearpublished at 15:00 28 December 2024
15:00 28 December 2024
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Wolves 2-3 Coventry
This is the kind of game that brings football writers doing match reports out in a cold sweat. Late goals are an occupational hazard.
These days, some newspapers demand reports anything up to 20 minutes before the final whistle for evening games. But this match at Molineux was something else.
Firstly, it was a cracking atmosphere between local rivals who had reached the FA Cup sixth round and were therefore one game away from Wembley. Coventry were the better side and deservedly in front going into the final 10 minutes, so I was confidently putting together my report on the basis of a shock taking place. Wolves equalised with seven minutes left.
It was a shame for Coventry but no dramas as a draw takes the tie into extra-time. Wolves take the lead after 88 minutes. Damn. The context of what I was writing has to change and the story stripped out. Now the report is 'Wolves' late double breaks Coventry hearts' – and getting over by the final whistle is going to be tight.
Coventry equaliser, 90+7. Whaaattt. This is ridiculous – but at least we are back in the extra-time scenario and I have another 30 minutes to sort through the mess my report has become. Coventry winner 90+10. Effectively I have to write a whole new match report, from scratch, 10 minutes after I was supposed to finish to reflect Coventry first thinking their FA Cup dream had been wrecked to winning in the most dramatic fashion.
'I love' Postecoglou's style - Pereirapublished at 14:00 28 December 2024
14:00 28 December 2024
Image source, Getty Images
Vitor Pereira has praised Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou and his style of play, as he prepares to take his Wolves side to face Spurs on Sunday.
"I love it. I appreciate it a lot because we competed against each other in Asia," Pereira said.." We played each other in the Asian Champions League two or three times.
"He is a manager with different ideas, very offensive ideas and it means they are a team that can score a lot of goals. We need to be at our best level to compete with them.
"The game will be very hard for us."
Pereira has had a perfect start to his Wolves tenure, winning both his games in charge and was manager of Shanghai SIPG when Postecoglou was at Yokohama Marinos.
Of his counterpart's management, Pereira said: "They had an incredible team. The style of play was, in my opinion, something special - very different.
"He did a fantastic job in Japan and now we face each other in England - the world of football. The country of football."
The Wolves boss also refused to add to the growing pressure surrounding Postecoglou, and was more keen to speak about his own philosophy, "I want to win games but play good football.
"Football for me is not just about results - it is about having an idea and to make others believe in your way of playing.
"At this moment I'm trying to create identity but it's not the style of Vitor Pereira - it's the style of Wolves.
"It's something we need to embrace - our game, our style."
Tottenham v Wolves: Did you know?published at 13:01 28 December 2024
13:01 28 December 2024
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham have lost each of their past three Premier League meetings with Wolves, their longest losing run against them in their league history.
Wolves have won both of their Premier League games under Vítor Pereira – no manager has ever won each of his first three top-flight games in charge of the club.
'I don't want Cunha sold in January' - Pereirapublished at 11:08 28 December 2024
11:08 28 December 2024
Image source, Getty Images
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira believes Matheus Cunha is "a special player" who "will have opportunities in his career," as interest increases in the Brazil forward's signature.
Cunha registered a goal and assist in Wolves' 2-0 victory over Manchester United and Pereira said: "I hope he stays with us for a long time, but I understand that as a special player - he will have opportunities for sure in his career.
"It is not only about his technique, but his personality. He is special because he can take the ball in a moment of pressure and make magic from nothing.
"It was magic what he did [against United]."
Cunha's goal was his 10th in the Premier League so far this season, only two goals shy of the 12 he managed in whole of last campaign. As a result, his boss has no intention of letting the striker leave
"No, of course I do not want him to be sold in January," Pereira insisted.
Wolves 2-0 Man Utd - the fans' verdictpublished at 08:42 27 December 2024
Rich: A well-deserved win and Molineux was absolutely rocking again. Matheus Cunha was head and shoulders above everyone else for the full game. We were defensively strong without giving away any clearcut chances and holding onto possession. We look a different team and what a Christmas for the Wolves pack.
Jackson: What a lovely Christmas present for my boys in gold. Only way is up. We were more in control, never panicked and worked for each other. Solid performance and the new manager seems to have installed something in us! And two clean sheets to boot. Tottenham away next. Happy Boxing Day boys, proud of you all.
Steve: The improvement is very obvious. The manager is installing confidence and a new lease of life into the team and they are responding. A good game and they took their chances. If they are boring, so what? It's about winning games at the moment. Well done to all.
Derek: Great to see the workrate and desire return. Good win overall against a shambolic Man Utd. Still need to improve accuracy of passing and ability to maintain possession. Go Wolves.
Man Utd fans
Christine: This is NOT about Amorim. It's the players. They are simply not good enough and there is no mentality or passion to even try. Absolutely disgraceful. Amorim needs to continue what he is doing and get those gutless players out of the club. Hard times to come.
Bob: Calling this 'woeful mediocrity' would be to heap praise on United's performance. Take the captaincy from Bruno Fernandes permanently, and in January sign a striker and a keeper - any keeper! - or we're sunk.
Steven: Abysmal really. Errors after errors costing the team. Players not good enough. No money available. Amorin says he knew it would be hard but even he must be wondering what he should do with the team. And then, is sticking to this 3-4-3 really helping? Something has to give because if this continues we will be looking for another manager again.
Anthony: We were too hasty in appointing a new manager to replace Ten Hag. This is going to end up in tears. Managing a team in the Portuguese league and in the Premier League is completely different.
Catch up on the Premier League actionpublished at 08:28 27 December 2024
08:28 27 December 2024
Highlights and analysis from Boxing Day's eight Premier League fixtures.
Cunha the star man for Wolvespublished at 21:44 26 December 2024
21:44 26 December 2024
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
While the manner of his goal was bizarre, if anyone was likely to score it, Matheus Cunha was that man.
The Brazilian had actually tried the corner trick in the first-half but on that occasion, United escaped.
"I was shooting, we train to shoot," the forward said afterwards. "The second one I had this luck and scored the goal."
Boss Pereira added: "We tried to put this ball swinging inside, but it's his quality. I think it's not about work, it's individual quality. He's a player in my opinion who can reach high standards in this league."
In a pretty drab opening period, this was the kind of inventiveness that stood out.
Much has been made about the players Wolves have sold and the lack of quality replacing them.
However, as long as they have Cunha, they will always have a goal threat.
"He is one of the best I've ever played with," said strike partner Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Critics may argue he should not have been playing as his FA misconduct charge for an incident after the final whistle of the home defeat by Ipswich on 14 December is still to be heard.
Wolves are making the most of their good fortune.
A disguised pass to Joao Gomes was another moment to savour from the 25-year-old and no neutral could have begrudged him the tap-in had United goalkeeper Andre Onana not got down to prevent Matt Doherty's low cross reaching him.
His reward was to come though. Not only did score, taking his tally for the season to 10, he unselfishly squared a pass to Hwang to provide the South Korean with a tap-in to seal the points in the final minute of stoppage time.
'It's about spirit, energy, commitment and confidence'published at 19:58 26 December 2024
19:58 26 December 2024
Image source, Getty Images
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira, speaking to Amazon Prime after the win over Manchester United: "I think we have good players with quality, just was missing a mental click to play and I think the commitment today and the supporters with us, it's something special. The Premier League is very special. It's something that takes a long long time to come here, you understand."
On winning his first two Premier League games: "It's not easy, the teams have a lot of quality. When you believe in the work, when the communication is a simple communication, everyone knows the tasks and what they should do on the pitch, it's the quality of the players."
On getting back-to-back clean sheets: "Usually my teams have good defensive organisation and of course I like to see my defensive line as a swiss clock with coordination. But the other parts, the men in attack and midfield must understand when we should press and when we should wait to be compact. These are the two moments we need to understand together."
On his impression of the players: "Before I came I studied the team and in my opinion this team has quality. The energy today with these supporters, today we showed positive energy, confidence in ourselves, confidence in the work we do every day. This is what it is."
On keeping the positive energy in the team: "I said to them now that it's not only about tactical things, it's about spirit, the energy, the commitment, the confidence in themselves. In our lives if we don't have confidence it's impossible to achieve the targets."
On Matheus Cunha's goal: "We tried to put this ball swinging inside, but it's his quality. I think it's not about work, it's individual quality. He's a player in my opinion who can reach high standards in this league."
On the second goal: "This is what I asked them to be. For me a player that has a chance to score and assists is the true spirit of the game. The true spirit of the team is this kind of action. I'm very happy, I can not explain what I'm feeling inside. I'm very, very, very happy."
'We suffer together, we score together'published at 19:47 26 December 2024
19:47 26 December 2024
Image source, Getty Images
Goalscorer Matheus Cunha spoke to Amazon Prime after Wolves' win over Manchester United: "I feel so happy. Vitor came with a lot of energy and we feel this. We come together, we suffer together, we score together. It means a lot, in the stadium you can see how happy they are."
On the impact of new manager Vitor Pereira: "He came here with a lot of energy. He said that he dreamed of coming to the Premier League and we saw this, we can see this energy. We can come with these kind of things."
On whether he meant to score from a corner: "I was shooting, we train to shoot! The second one I had this luck and scored the goal!"
On Hwang Hee-chan's goal: "I feel so happy. He talks to me every day saying 'pass to me, I want to score' and I passed to him and he scored, everybody's happy."
Did you know?published at 19:45 26 December 2024
19:45 26 December 2024
Image source, Getty Images
Vitor Pereira is the first Wolves manager to win his first two top-flight league games in charge since Sammy Chung in August 1977, while he's the second Portuguese manager to win his first two games in charge in the Premier League after Jose Mourinho.
Wolves 2-0 Man Utd - send us your thoughtspublished at 19:27 26 December 2024
Sutton's predictions: Wolves v Man Utdpublished at 09:01 26 December 2024
09:01 26 December 2024
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.
This week, he takes on Eats Everything, aka DJ and producer Daniel Pearce, who is a Manchester United fan.
Sutton's prediction: 1-1
I usually get a bit of feedback on social media when I predict a Manchester United defeat but it has been very quiet since I said they would lose to Bournemouth on Sunday.
I did not think the scoreline would be 3-0 again, but the reason I went with the Cherries is because they won at Old Trafford last season and, since then, they have improved while United have gone backwards. So, was it really such a surprise?
Moving on to this game, and the same thinking applies. Why would anyone look at Ruben Amorim's side and back them to beat Wolves? I can't think of any compelling reason why anything will be different here.
I feel sorry for Amorim because he arrived with such excitement around his appointment but, only a few weeks later, he must be fully aware of how big a job he faces to turn things around.
United have wasted a fortune to build this squad and, as Amorim keeps saying, he is still trying to find his best XI. This is a trial period for him but he has got to deal with issues like Marcus Rashford's future as well. He has got a lot to sort out.
It is hard to know what Wolves will be like either, though. One of the positives from their win over Leicester in Vitor Pereira's first game was a clean sheet, but you have to remember that the Foxes are bang average.
So, as poor as United have been, I am not going for Wolves to win this either. Instead, I think this will be a tight game and it has got draw written all over it.
Eats Everything's prediction: 0-2
I was hoping our win in the derby would boost our form but obviously that wasn't the case against Bournemouth. Wolves got a good win in in Pereira's first match in charge and playing them in his first home game is going to be tough, but of course I am going to back us.
I'd like to think if Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho are on the bench then one of them will come on and be itching to do something, and make the difference.