Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Wolves boss Gary O'Neil speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "First half pretty good, second half lost our way a bit.

"Really similar to the away game at Sheffield United. Lost our way, really didn't like us at all second half so lots for me to make sure we get better at today off the back of that.

"The fans were excellent, you could see even when it was tough for us against a team that were struggling in the league and you see the fans were disappointed with that, but they stuck with the players, stuck with us and managed to help us get over the line - a big part of why we managed to get it done today.

"No champagne football really, nothing to put in the best practice folder but a win in the Premier League and it moves us up to eighth, three points in the Premier League is always tough so the boys did well to put another three on the board."

On why it dropped off in the second half: "It'd be a long explanation. Loads of errors, just really bad at finding solutions. Technical errors, players letting the ball run under their foot, misplacing passes and they created an uneasy atmosphere and we struggled when they gave us time on the ball to know what to do with it.

"Lots of stuff I need to fix, a lot of that on me, I said to the players in there a lot of that stuff, creating an uneasy atmosphere in the place is partly my fault and we need to make sure we improve that and get back to work.

"United are a direct team, long-throws all the time, real big threat from corners the way the lads stood up to that was excellent, kept going even when we made mistakes, when we turned the ball over there was no disappointment, a team that was together desperate to make up for it.

"There are loads of different ways you need to win Premier League games and today we had to dig in, scrap, we were below our best and managed to get three points which is very important for us."

• Pablo Sarabia's opener was Wolves' 40th goal in the Premier League this season - with today being their 26th league this is the quickest they've hit 40 goals in a top-flight campaign since 1971-72 (23rd game).

• Sheffield United have now conceded 66 goals after 26 matches played in the Premier League this season, the most any Premier League team has ever conceded at this stage and the most at this stage of a top-flight season since Ipswich Town in 1963/64 (74 after 26 matches). The Blades have also conceded 27 goals in the first half of Premier League matches this season, the most of any team in the competition.

• Wolves have now won as many Premier League matches (11) this season after 26 games played as they managed in the entirety of their last campaign. They’ve only reached 11 wins quicker in the Premier League in two previous seasons (2018-19 after 25 matches & 2021-22 after 23 matches). Their 40 goals scored is also nine more than they managed last term (31).

• Wolves are now up to eighth in the Premier League table following today's victory, their highest placing in the competition since May 21st 2022 (also eighth, after 37 games).

• Vinicius Souza won four of his five tackle attempts today for Sheffield United. It is the seventh different Premier League match in which he has won 4 or more tackles this season, the most of any player in the competition.

• Rayan Ait-Nouri provided his first Premier League assist of the season for Wolves’ opening goal, with what was his first big chance created of the campaign and the 17th different chance he has created this term. Ait-Nouri had gone 55 league matches without providing an assist for Wolves before today.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

This victory was Wolves' first Premier League win at Molineux this year and lifts them to eighth.

It also means that Gary O’Neil’s men are handily placed to battle for a European spot although on this evidence a significant improvement will be needed to achieve that objective.

The hosts managed just two efforts on target against the bottom club and delivered an underwhelming display.

Aside from Pablo Sarabia's goal there were few moments of excitement for the home supporters as the Blades carved out the better opportunities.

However, winning when far from at your best is an important trait to have and with 12 matches of the top-flight season remaining, Wolves' 11 wins so far this term is as many as they managed in the entirety of last term, underlining their progress under O’Neil.

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The result lifts Gary O'Neil's side up to eighth in the table and boosts their hopes of appearing in Europe next season.

It was far from a vintage display from Wolves, with Sarabia's header their only effort on target until a stoppage-time shot from Joao Gomes, in a contest that saw their determined opponents sit deep and attempt to counter with pace on the break.

And the manner of the Blades' performance, although not the outcome, will have pleased boss Chris Wilder, who saw his side carve out several good opportunities.

James McAtee had two of Sheffield United's best chances. However, the on-loan Manchester City midfielder saw a tame first-half effort easily saved by Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa and he fizzed a second-half shot just wide of the bottom right corner.

McAtee's left-wing cross also provided Rhian Brewster with an opportunity to level, but the forward, who had already blazed well wide earlier on from a good position, was unable to turn his effort past Portugal goalkeeper Sa.

However, Wilder would not have been pleased at the sight of two of his players - Vinicius Souza and Jack Robinson - squaring up and jostling each other during the first half.

It was a moment of embarrassment for the visitors, who remain eight points adrift of safety and appear to be seeing their slim survival prospects fade with each defeat.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?

Wolves fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Blades fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

Wolves are hosting Sheffield United in the Premier League and kick-off is less than an hour away.

For team news and all the build-up, head to our live coverage here.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Sheffield United.

Here are the key lines from the Wolves boss:

• He said Sheffield United are "a really good challenge" because Blades manager Chris Wilder has changed his system several times, making it "difficult to know what to expect".

• Reflecting on bad memories of the reverse fixture, when Wanderers lost to a controversial stoppage-time penalty: "Not just bad memories of the VAR but the second-half performance. We lost some momentum and struggled to find our way back into the game. So it's the same messages - the importance of being clinical when we are on top and then not giving them anything soft."

• On striker Sasa Kalajdzic, who has suffered a third ACL injury in five years while on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt: "The loan was to help him get minutes, so to suffer another injury to his knee means I’m incredibly disappointed for him. He’s done it twice before and shown he can come back so we’re all behind him."

• Midfielder Joao Gomes, Wolves' match-winner at Tottenham last weekend, is working "really hard to improve on bits he needs tidying up on" and plays a big part in the attacking threat that Wolves will need when facing defensive teams.

• Speaking about talk of qualifying for Europe: "I haven't discussed it with anybody. I understand there will be some talk but it changes so quickly. I just try to win the next game and see how high we can finish, but of course we'd love to qualify, so let's see where we can get to."

• He said since the victory over West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup fourth round, he has " been forced" to do three fist pumps to the fans after a win. He added: "It will continue as long as the fans want me to do it and as long as the players keep pushing me to do it!"

• On the importance of a good home atmosphere, he said: "It’s been fantastic every time we’ve played a team that’s come at us, but if it’s not going to be like that then we need to create it ourselves and try to get the fans up for the game by getting a goal or being on the front foot."

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Barely a day goes by at the moment without a media outlet linking Pedro Neto with a summer move away from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It is easy to see why, because the Portugal winger is in the form of his life.

The 23-year-old missed more than two months of action with a hamstring injury, yet is only one off the top of the list for the most assists in the Premier League this season.

No player has ever registered more for Wolves in a single Premier League campaign, while seven of his nine assists have set up either an equalising goal or one to give Wanderers the lead in a match.

The team under Gary O'Neil thrives against the best sides whose first intent is to attack, leaving gaps for Wolves' free-flowing attackers to exploit. The flip side is O'Neil's men have sometimes struggled to break down those with a more defensive mindset.

Their past three results are the perfect illustration; Chelsea and Tottenham were swept aside on their own pitches by almost perfect counter-attacking displays, but a defensively-stout Brentford proved much stickier opposition and left Molineux with a deserved three points.

Beating lower-ranked sides is an area where Wolves have historically struggled. In the five full seasons since they returned to the Premier League in 2018, they have lost 10 of the 30 games they have played against teams that went on to be relegated at the end of that campaign.

Five of Wolves' seven remaining home games are against teams currently in the Premier League's bottom half, starting with bottom club Sheffield United on Sunday.

Neto's pace, power and trickery will be key to unpicking what may be some fairly obdurate locks in the final third of the season.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Wolves goalkeeper Paul Bradshaw has died aged 67, the Premier League club has announced.

Bradshaw played 243 games for Wolves, including the 1980 League Cup final victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley, which is the club's most recent major trophy success.

Ex-Wolves striker and Bradshaw's former team-mate John Richards said:, external "He was undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in England at the time and, of course, his brilliant performance in the 1980 League Cup final helped us win the trophy.

"We know he'd been having some serious health issues, but his death is a sad loss to all his former colleagues, and we send our condolences to his family and friends."

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Joao Gomes celebrated his 23rd birthday last week. Some 60,000 people turned up at his party, although only about 3,000 of them enjoyed it as much as he did.

The two goals he scored at Tottenham were, if this analogy will stretch a little further, just the icing on his cake. He finished them very well indeed - a guided header from a corner, and a nerveless drive at the end of a 70-yard sprint in the wake of Pedro Neto - but the bigger long-term story was how, against strong opponents, the Brazilian midfielder commanded a big stage.

Just over a year ago, Gomes joined Wolves after an amusing few weeks of transfer-window knockabout, during which the #FreeJoaoGomes online campaign made him one of the most popular players the club can ever have had before kicking their first ball.

A few minutes into his first appearance, near the end of a mad game at Southampton, he scored an unlikely winning goal. As the celebrations whirled around him, he looked stunned by the drama of it all, as if reality was on fast-forward. This guy, you thought, is going to be box-office.

There were a few games over the following months in which he did look a little bewildered, charging around midfield but never quite in the right place. We should be less surprised than we are when this sort of thing happens to young players coming into the Premier League. Not only is the standard and the pace so high, and the spotlight so harsh, but we of course only see what happens on the field. Arriving in a new country - a new continent in his case - at an age when many are yet to move out of home, into a high-pressure environment with public expectations set by your price tag, is a much more challenging prospect than we often allow.

But look at him now.

"I knew how much the game would suit him," said Wolves manager Gary O'Neil. "We were going to be without the ball and he was going to be able to press things and win it back for us."

He won possession from the Spurs midfield on demand, and often well up the field too, although the decisive goal was started at the edge of the Wolves box.

Sunday's game at home to Sheffield United may be a different sort of battle altogether, but Gomes is now showing us he has the authority to set the rules of engagement.

• Wolves v Sheffield United - live commentary on BBC Radio WM (all frequencies except online), Sunday 13:30 GMT

• BBC Radio WM Football Phone-in – weeknights 18:00-19:00

Here are the key facts and figures before Sunday's game between Wolves and Sheffield United in the Premier League.

• Wolves are unbeaten in their last eight home league games against Sheffield United (W4 D4), since a 3-1 loss in the Championship in October 2002.

• Following their 2-1 win at Bramall Lane in November, Sheffield United are looking to complete their first league double over Wolves since 1989-90, when they were promoted from the Championship.

• Wolves have won five of their last eight Premier League games (D1 L2), although their two losses in this run have come in their last two matches at Molineux (v Manchester United & Brentford). Wolves last lost three consecutive home top-flight matches in October/December 2022 (4).

• Sheffield United have lost five Premier League games by a margin of five ore more goals this season, the joint most such defeats of any side in a single Premier League campaign (also Derby County in 2007-08). Only Darwen (7 in 1891-92) and Ipswich Town (6 in 1963-64) have lost more top-flight matches in a single season by five or more goals.

• Despite making just 16 appearances this season, Pedro Neto has provided nine assists with no Wolves player registering more in a single Premier League campaign (Adama Traore also 9 in 37 apps in 2019-20). Seven of his nine assists this term have either been for an equalising goal (3) or a goal to put Wolves into the lead (4).

• Sheffield United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham has kept just a single clean sheet in the Premier League this season, conceding the most goals (63) of any keeper in their first 25 appearances in the competition.

A mini-league seems to have formed between the teams sitting 7th-11th in the Premier League table, but which of those can get into the European places?

I would be amazed if anyone can give me that answer at this moment in time with those teams. There are so many questions hanging over that battle - what kind of bounce, positive or negative, will teams have after recent results?

What turn around are we going to have from West Ham? Chelsea are showing little glimpses of improvement in performances at a time they need it so could quickly move up the table with their squad and attacking abilities. Wolves keep surprising everybody. If they went on and got into Europe this season, that would be unbelievable. To get ahead of Brighton, Newcastle, West Ham and Chelsea it would be amazing for Gary O'Neil and the side. With Newcastle, they have the squad togetherness and understanding with Eddie.

The truth is, who do I believe is going to be at the top of it come the end of the season? I really don't know. I couldn't call one, I couldn't say one team are the favourites. You might edge towards Newcastle United with that support they have and home form. When they just get themselves together a little bit, they probably edge it.

If you're looking at who needs those European places the most, that is difficult too.

Chelsea have underachieved if they don't get it, that is just a complete given. Brighton may say, 'well, we were open to push for that and we've got in a European position again'. Newcastle would have huge disappointment after last season. West Ham would look to achieve it and have been in a good position, but would they have said that they would finish above Newcastle United or Chelsea? I don't think they would, but the West Ham supporters will expect them to.

Because of the likes of Aston Villa this season, that's one team everyone can look at and say they have gone and delivered in a big way. You think about Brighton and the complete turn around of the players that they've had, they still just keep sitting nicely, contributing and they could finish seventh and that would be an unbelievable season for them.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Wolves defender Max Kilman joins Liam MacDevitt for 'Firsts', where the aim of the game is to answer a series of questions with the first thing that comes into your head.

You can catch more on Football Focus this Saturday

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Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic has sustained a knee injury while on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Bundesliga club said on Monday that Austria international Kalajdzic, 26, ruptured the cruciate and lateral ligaments in his right knee during Sunday's 3-3 draw against Freiburg and he will be out "indefinitely".

Kalajdzic sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage to his left knee on his debut for Wolves in September 2022.

After nearly a year out of action, he had returned to score three goals in 13 appearances for Wanderers this season - including winners in Premier League games at Everton and Bournemouth - before joining Frankfurt on loan for the remainder of the season in January.

We asked you for your thoughts on Saturday's Premier League match between Tottenham and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Here are some of your comments...

Spurs fans

Brian: Spurs came up against a clearly superior manager. Angeball hasn't changed our long-term problem of ponderous, side-to-side passing around the opposition's box in games we dominate. We still seem more of a threat on the counter. The goals we gave up were laughable. Had numbers to deal with the threat each time. Entertaining but (literally) pointless.

Doug: Wasted points again - we should not be losing games like these. We need to be more clinical in our passes because too many poor ones gave Wolves the chance to break. We need to work on breaking down teams like this that park the bus and just hope they can counter. Dragusin needs to start the next game as our defence is leaking far too many goals.

Ray: Great at getting forward but no cutting edge. Need to look at the midfield - there's so much talent but they don't seem to be clicking. And then, defensively, we got sucker punched not once but twice. Ange - love him but we need to take the next couple of weeks to sort out a few issues.

Wolves fans

Richard: Another organised display from a Wolves team that, on their day, are very hard to beat. Classic counter-attacking football in front of a well-drilled defence. Played well as a team. We are having a quiet revolution... knocking off some big teams along the way.

Gary: We're finally an exciting team to watch. O'Neil doesn't make subs for the sake of it and you can see the tactical reasons behind them all. The players seem really tight-knit as well. Great performance. The stats are heavily favoured towards Spurs, but thought we were comfortable for pretty much the whole game. What a player Neto is!

Rob: Wolves had enough chances to have won more comfortably. Tactics were spot on and the work-rate immense. Neto scared the Spurs defence (and supporters) every time he had the ball.

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on Monday.

Will: Morning Phil, do you think it's within Wolves’ reach to claim a European spot? Perhaps a shock FA Cup win? We've seen they can match the big boys on their day.

Phil: Hello, Will. Not out of their reach at all, which is a testimony to the superb work done by manager Gary O’Neil. The win at Spurs on Saturday, and the manner in which it was achieved, shows how far they have come and you’re right – they fear no-one so they will always fancy their chances.

He has also clearly formed a great bond with the Wolves fans, as proved by the scenes after the final whistle on Saturday.

I thought O’Neil was unlucky to be sacked by Bournemouth, although they have recruited well with his replacement Andoni Iraola.

So why not? There is plenty to play for. The loss of Matheus Cunha was a huge blow but they looked good without him at Spurs so you’re right to be optimistic.

I, of course, tipped them to be relegated but my only excuse was that I made that call in the brief period between Julen Lopetegui’s departure and O’Neil’s appointment. And I’m sticking to that.

There's more of McNulty's Q&A here

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League matches.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:

Burnley v Arsenal

Man City v Chelsea

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Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy spoke to Match of The Day about Wolves' midfield pairing Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes during their victory over Tottenham on Saturday: "They set the tone absolutely terrifically. They've got a nice partnership going.

"I saw the set up, and dealing with Maddison, Sarr and Bissouma, I thought they might get outnumbered in there.

"They work well together defensively, they get back in and fill holes and with the ball they've got belief and great technical ability.

"They know Tottenham like to play out, they were brave and tried to win it back. As soon as they won it back they got the transitions with the pace of Neto and Hwang [Hee-Chan] up front.

"The defensive work in central midfield is something that goes unnoticed sometimes, but you can't win matches in the Premier League unless your midfielders do the hard yards and the dirty bits and they did it brilliantly. The pair of them, outstanding."

Listen to the rest of Saturday's match of the day here

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

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An excellent win on the road for Wolves as they beat Tottenham with a performance boss Gary O'Neil called "pretty close to perfect".

He had every reason to be pleased as his side did excellently to grab another three points and secure their fifth away victory of the season in the Premier League.

Wolves were the better team in the first half and goalkeeper Jose Sa did not have to make a save before O'Neil's side went ahead when Joao Gomes was left unmarked eight yards out and rose well to powerfully head home Pablo Sarabia's right-wing corner.

O'Neil would have been expected a response from the hosts and it came within 34 seconds of the restart as Dejan Kulusevski equalised after Wolves failed to clear a throw-in.

Wolves had to sit deep but remained a threat on the counter attack with Sarabia wasting a good chance when he only had goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to beat.

Sa did excellently to get down to his left to deny Kulusevski a second and that proved crucial as another excellent breakaway, led by Pedro Neto, ended with Gomes grabbing his second.

Despite late pressure for the hosts, Wolves hung on for a victory they will feel they deserved.