Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day about the defeat: "I'm proud of my players because we played with a lot of injury limitations. It means it was a very difficult game. Three games in a row, I must feel proud."

On Matheus Cunha's red card: "When the situation happened, I was looking for the ball. I didn't see the situation but football is emotional and the level was very high today, not only inside the pitch but outside the pitch. With a lot of pressure, these are things that can happen.

"You know he is frustrated. He is better [than that], in my opinion. I never speak to the team when we are nervous or frustrated. It is better to wait one day and think about everything. After that, we can have a talk.

"Of course he is an important player, but in the next game we need to start with 11 and play with 11. We had the capacity to equalise the game in the second half and then, after that, it was the injury limitations."

On the seven minute VAR check: "I was very calm. I think it was some problem with the machine. I don't know what happened but, in the end, I understand."

On their Premier League relegation fight: "It will be a strong fight until the end, but we will be ready to do it."

What did you make of Wolves' display? Have your say here

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Wolves have lost seven of their last eight penalty shootouts in all competitions.

Matheus Cunha has scored six goals from outside the box in all competitions this season, at least two more than any other Premier League player.

The Brazilian centre-forward has scored in each of his last four away games for Wolves in all competitions, while overall this is now the second consecutive campaign in which he has netted 10 goals on the road.

Were you at Vitality Stadium or following the game from elsewhere?

Have your say on Bournemouth’s performance

Wolves fans, what did you make of the display?

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

Four matches make up Saturday's FA Cup action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Crystal Palace v Millwall (12:15) - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Preston v Burnley (12:15)

• Bournemouth v Wolves (15:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle (17:45) - BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Wolves won here in the Premier League on Saturday but only after Bournemouth had Illia Zabarnyi sent off in the first half. That completely skewed that result so I am not using it as a form guide for this tie.

What will be more relevant is how many changes both teams make for this game.

I was at Wolves' win over Blackburn in round four and their manager Vitor Pereira went kind of half-strong there. I can guarantee you he will be prioritising Premier League survival ahead of FA Cup progress, so we will probably see another mix-and-match selection from him.

As for Bournemouth, well I have already talked about why Crystal Palace should be trying to win the FA Cup this season, and the same definitely applies to Andoni Iraola's side.

The Cherries have only reached the quarter-finals twice before, losing at that stage in 1957 and 2021, and their best moments in the competition are probably as a lower-league giantkiller, such as when they beat Manchester United as a third-tier team in 1984.

This year, they are genuine contenders to win it and lift the club's first major trophy, and they have already shown they can beat anyone - especially at home.

They are still seventh in the Premier League despite losing their past two matches, and I would be really disappointed - no, actually I'd be angry - if Iraola picks a weakened team in the situation they are in.

He has got a responsibility to the fans to try to reach the semi-finals for the first time. Yes they have got a chance of making the Champions League, which would be incredible, but they are only two wins away from their biggest day out ever at Wembley. Why not go for it?

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Listen to live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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The road to Wembley continues this weekend, as teams battle it out to book their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

There is still lots of Premier League interest in the competition, with 11 top-flight teams all dreaming of a trip to Wembley. Aston Villa are already in the hat for the last eight after victory over Cardiff City on Friday.

The draw will take place on BBC One after Sunday's tie between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford, which kicks off at 16:30 GMT and features Danny Murphy, Micah Richards and Wayne Rooney in the studio with host Gary Lineker.

If you're wondering how to follow the remaining fifth-round ties, find all the information you need here.

Tyrese King
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup game against Bournemouth (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Wolves want to create their own identity to "play their own way", with Pereira adding: "There is a lot to correct. We want to be better than the last game because each game has to be a lesson."

• Pereira on what his side need to improve on from the midweek Premier League defeat against Fulham: "We need to be different because the levels of concentration [were low], and we cannot start the first and second half conceding goals. It is impossible because here [Bournemouth] they punish you with goals. You cannot make these types of mistakes and go there sleeping."

• Pereira on the fitness of Emmanuel Agbadou, Hwang Hee-chan, Goncalo Guedes and Rodrigo Gomes: "They are recovering. I think for this match, Hee-chan will recover and be available. The other ones we'll need to wait a bit more."

• Asked about facing Bournemouth again: "I'm not worried about one player. When I look at the game, I try to understand the moments they create problems and how we can cause problems for them. Each game is a lesson."

• He continued: "It's easy to understand this team. I understand why they are in the position [7th] they are in the table. They are a very, very aggressive team with and without the ball. They are a vertical team, the moment you lose the ball they can score a goal in a second."

• On Wolves winning the FA Cup four times: "In this moment football has changed a lot but you know, tomorrow is a chance and an opportunity for us to move forward and we cannot think about the draw."

• He continued: "We need to win. In my mind, in our mind, we need to go through with the intention to win the game and move forward. I cannot speak about dreams, it's like in life, if you have a lot of dreams and do nothing to achieve them, it's only dreams. But if you set the targets, we must take the steps to reach the target, this is one of those steps. It's difficult of course but we can do it."

• On Ramadan: I'm sure our medical department will have a plan for those players because you need a plan to face the training and the games."

• Explaining further: "For me, if I tried to do it, it would be very difficult for me, but they are used to doing it. They sleep a lot in their own time, and they eat a lot in the night. Here in our club I think we are very professional, we have the medical department and a nutritionist who would be very on it."

Follow all the FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news.

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This will be Bournemouth and Wolves' third meeting in the FA Cup. In 1947-48 Wolves won 2-1 in the third round, while in the 1956-57 fourth round the Cherries won 1-0 at Molineux.

AC Milan have earmarked Wolves' Algeria left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, 23, as a potential replacement for Theo Hernandez. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian, subscription required), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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The chill is back.

Wolves fans had been able to enjoy three days after their fun in the sun at Bournemouth. Four encouraging performances in a row led to a fine away win, and with the chance to play their midweek game before their direct rivals Ipswich and Leicester, it felt like Wolves were at last moving out of the gloom.

Not quite.

"I don't know if we sleep in the dressing room when I come inside the pitch," said Vitor Pereira, "and without the focus of the concentration that we should… we cannot concede these types of goals."

First-minute goals, immediately disrupting a team's plans, are annoying, but happen sometimes. At the start of each half in the same game, however, was infuriating.

The score and statistics say Wolves kept this game close, yet there was no doubt who had played with more class. Things that worked at Bournemouth, where Wolves had looked the more dangerous team even before the home side lost a man, did not.

Pereira offered a reason that echoed with the recent past. "Playing after three days, I didn't feel the team in [was] the top condition. We faced a team that replaced five players… this is a big difference."

He had selected the same starters as at Bournemouth, meaning the team were again without their new senior defender Emmanuel Agbadou, and a specialist centre-forward. Marshall Munetsi filled in gamely again, but to relatively little effect.

By contrast, Fulham – a club we might have considered to have roughly equal prospects as Wolves at the start of the season – could bring in Rodrigo Muniz and Andreas Pereira, fresh and sharp, and they dictated the terms of the game.

Jorgen Strand Larsen, still overcoming injury, was given the second half at Bournemouth but only half an hour on Wednesday.

"It's the only striker that we have in this moment," Pereira said. "Imagine that in the second half we need to score, and this is the time [I have] to take him out, and I don't have a striker to replace. In this moment, we don't have."

Cold rain returned to Wolverhampton this morning.

The general feeling is that Wolves should still have enough in hand to hold off Ipswich and Leicester, and spring will surely come.

But not yet.

Bournemouth v Wolves – live commentary on BBC Radio WM (95.6FM, DAB and BBC Sounds), Saturday 15:00 GMT

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

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We asked for your views on Wolves' match against Fulham in the Premier League.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Alex: Poor tactics for the second half. If you put a 6ft4in centre-forward on, you need to spread play to the wings and get crosses into the box. Strand Larsen was starved of service once again. Santiago Bueno is simply not good enough. The sooner Agbadou returns, the better. Need to pick ourselves up and beat Bournemouth in the cup. All is not lost....not yet anyway.

John: Sunday league defending, clueless going forward. Wolves were probably safe if they had won. Not on this performance!

Simon: Nice passing spells aside, Wolves did not pose a threat in front of goal. In the second half, some players went hiding and the lethargy of sideways passing set in. The early goals for Fulham killed any atmosphere in the ground, no chants or songs other than when Toti Gomes was receiving treatment in front of the South Bank. A game to forget quickly.

Fulham fans

John: Five changes to the starting XI looked like either a reaction to Saturday's poor performance or an attempt to keep players fresh for the FA Cup tie at Manchester United. It turned out to be a stroke of Marco Silva genius in a thoroughly deserved win. Quality across the park but a special mention for Ryan Sessegnon - 'one of our own' who proved he belongs at this level.

Lee: For all their possession, Wolves huffed and puffed. Fulham had all the best chances and deserved the win. Push for Europe still on!

Bob: Didn't do too much but we didn't have to. Smash-and-grab three points. Job done.

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Nelson Semedo has provided four assists across 23 Premier League appearances this season, as many as in his previous four campaigns in the competition combined (4 assists in 131 games).

Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist

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Conceding 59 seconds is far from ideal. To do it again - after 63 seconds this time - is almost unforgivable.

But that's exactly what went wrong for Wolves against Fulham.

Having got back into the game thanks to Joao Gomes powerful finish, Vitor Pereira's side found themselves down again immediately after the break.

For both goals, Wolves' backline were caught sleeping. Two defence-splitting passes at the start of each half was all the visitors needed to wrap up all three points at Molineux.

"This cannot happen again," were the words issued afterwards by Pereira, who added his team must have been "sleeping in the dressing room".

With winnable games against Everton and bottom-placed Southampton coming up, his players will need to pay more attention if they are to avoid making the same mistakes and boost their chances of Premier League survival.

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Wolves boss Vitor Pereira spoke to TNT Sports after Wolves' defeat against Fulham: "If you start a game conceding a goal like we did, and you go for the second half and you concede another goal like we did, we have to look at ourselves and correct what we should correct.

"We lost the opportunity to win three important points and now we have to start working on the mistakes and to correct."

On what he said to his players: "Maybe the dressing room makes a slip. I don't know what happened in the dressing room because we went in there two times and then we conceded two very easy goals."

On the positives: "It's difficult. The reaction after the goal we tried to change the result. We started o play our way to try and push them , creating situations to score but two times in the same game is too much."

On lack of a centre-forward: "The problem is [Jorgen Strand] Larsen is the only striker we have. He came from injury. If he got another injury it would be a big problem for us."

On avoiding relegation: "We must play at our level, and believe in our qualities and be focused from the first minute. This is the lesson from today, we cannot allow these easy goals from them in the first and the second half."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

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

Four matches make up Tuesday's Premier League action and we will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace v Aston Villa

• Wolves v Fulham

• Chelsea v Southampton (20:15)

All kick-off times 19:30 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

George Lakin
Fan writer

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Wolves face the very real prospect of losing their third captain in three seasons this summer. Nelson Semedo is out of contract at the end of the campaign and already free to negotiate with other clubs.

The club have felt the effects of losing example-setters Ruben Neves and Max Kilman in recent years, and Semedo has set that same precedent having taken over the armband from Mario Lemina in December. Cool heads and model professionals such as these are few and far between.

Wolves have already triggered a two-year extension on his original deal, but further talks have stalled. Age seems a sticking point, but 31-year-old Semedo's professionalism, fitness and consistency largely circumvents this issue.

Make no mistake, if he is allowed to leave he will be hard to replace. Semedo's athleticism - key to manager Vitor Pereira's high-energy, wing-back-driven system - has been vital since the new manager arrived.

He has led by example, displaying discipline in his role on and off the pitch, embodying Wolves' recent turnaround. Losing him would leave a huge gap, especially with other veterans like Jose Sa, Craig Dawson and Pablo Sarabia also likely to depart.

Young prospect Pedro Lima has been touted as a successor, but he lacks Semedo's experience. He still has a lot to learn, and who better to mentor him further than Semedo? Too much too soon can break a player, and Wolves know a squad short on know-how is a risk. With a full rebuild looming, Semedo could be the bridge to a new era, setting the tone for a generational shift.

From a business perspective, replacing him with an upgrade would cost a small fortune - far more than bending the wage structure for a proven asset.

Since Pereira's arrival, the club's hierarchy has made smart calls, and with relegation fears fading, focus turns to next season. The situation with Semedo is their next critical juncture.

His departure would mark another loss of leadership; his retention could steady Wolves through transition.

For most fans it is an absolute no-brainer: Semedo must stay.

Find more from George Lakin at Always Wolves, external