Wolves 2-0 Southampton: Matheus Cunha guides his side to first win of the Premier League season
Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha both scored, leading Wolves to their first victory of the Premier League season over Southampton.
After the match, the Wolves manager and his team took a victory lap around the Molineux field to celebrate. This came after a challenging week during which Gary O'Neil faced numerous questions about his future with the club.
"There was a lot of discussion regarding my future, but I feel secure in my role and the direction my coaching career is heading. Today's focus is on Wolves," O'Neil stated during his post-match press conference.
"I didn't want today to focus on me. I'm really happy for the fans, as they've been so loyal to us."
Wolves Claim Their First Victory
O'Neil stated that he felt "at ease with himself" before the match, but witnessing Sarabia skillfully maneuver around Aaron Ramsdale to score an early goal for his team would have eased any remaining tension.
The spectators believed they had equalized when Ryan Manning fired the ball into the top corner. However, the goal was disallowed after a VAR check determined there was a foul on Nelson Semedo.
Ex-referee Mike Dean appearing on Soccer Saturday:
"It's extremely difficult to watch. Honestly, it seems like the foul should have been called the other way. I believe they should have upheld the original call made during the game."
Despite the early setback of conceding a goal and having another one ruled out, Russell Martin's team remained committed to their typical style of play.
The Saints maintained a steady approach, working the ball from their defense. However, despite holding 72 percent possession in the first half, they only managed to create an expected goals (xG) value of 0.4 in front of the goal. This highlighted why they ranked last in the division for goals scored, with just seven so far.
Wolves: Sa (6), Semedo (7), Bueno (7), Dawson (7), Toti (7), Ait-Nouri (7), J. Gomes (8), Lemina (7), Sarabia (8), Cunha (9); Strand Larsen (6). The ratings for the Wolves players are as follows: Sa received a score of 6. Semedo, Bueno, Dawson, Toti, and Ait-Nouri each earned a rating of 7. J. Gomes and Sarabia both achieved a score of 8, while Cunha stood out with a rating of 9. Strand Larsen finished with a score of 6.
Substitutes: Bellegarde (6), Guedes (not available), R. Gomes (not available), Doherty (not available).
Southampton: Ramsdale (6), Walker-Peters (6), Harwood-Bellis (6), Bednarek (6), Stephens (6), Manning (7), Aribo (7), Lallana (6), Fernandes (6), Armstrong (6); Archer (5). Revised: The Southampton player ratings were as follows: Ramsdale received a score of 6, Walker-Peters was also rated at 6, as were Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, and Stephens. Manning had a higher rating of 7, along with Aribo, while both Lallana, Fernandes, and Armstrong were rated 6. Archer scored the lowest with a 5.
Substitutions: Dibling (6), Sugawara (6), Brereton-Diaz (not applicable), Onuachu (not applicable), Ugochukwu (6).
Star Performer: Matheus Cunha (Wolves)
Following a more reserved performance in the first half, Wolves returned after the break with greater determination in the attacking zone and swiftly increased their lead with a goal from Cunha.
The Brazilian striker, who assisted with the opening goal thanks to a spectacular counter-attack, curled his shot into the far corner, causing the home fans to erupt with excitement.
Feelings of anxiety, frustration, and excitement transformed into happiness and celebration among the fans as the team claimed their first victory of the season, moving past their rivals into 18th place.
O'Neil: Togetherness Over Quality In Loss
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil:
"The players have truly earned this. They've put in a lot of effort. While we may have been missing some skill, we certainly showed unity and determination."
In the second half, we performed brilliantly defensively and never really felt at risk.
We were let down by certain aspects of the quality displayed, but our intention wasn't to play a fluid game; instead, we focused on ensuring our performance was top-notch when we didn't have possession.
"We were strong as a unit, although we had to adjust a bit because their formation posed some challenges for us. We discussed the importance of staying modest and focused when it came to our defensive play."
Martin: Let’s Be More Proactive With The Ball
Manager Russell Martin of Southampton:
"We need to make better use of the ball. It's not easy to create the opportunities we had while playing here, so we shouldn't overlook that."
"Given how frequently we found ourselves in the final third, I anticipated we would have better results. It's simply not acceptable. We ended up suffering because of mistakes made by individuals."
"I was pleased with the reply. We played some excellent football leading up to that point. There needs to be more from us. The only aspect I'm somewhat frustrated with is that we could have generated more scoring opportunities."
"We can't rely on just showing up and going into battle. Our team isn't structured that way. We need to work our way up the field effectively to reach the final third and make our moves. Unfortunately, we didn't do enough of that."
When questioned about the stability of his position after the defeat, Martin responded, "Whatever happens, happens."
"Key Defensive Upgrades Fuel Victory"
Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe has shared his insights:
Wolves have allowed more goals than any other team in the Premier League, but they managed to move past that for this important match.
O'Neil's squad had possession of the ball for only 28 percent of the game, but they managed to restrict Southampton to a single shot on target during the match.
They maintained a high level of organization and discipline throughout, which will be appreciated by the management, players, and fans alike.
This performance demonstrates that Wolves possess enough talent in their roster to challenge teams in the league, thanks to players like Cunha and Joao Gomes.
The issue hasn't been their ability to score; rather, it's been their struggle to keep opponents from scoring that has led to their fall in the rankings.
If they can use this strong defensive showing as a foundation and maintain it in upcoming matches, Wolves should be able to steer clear of relegation without any trouble.
Saints Struggle In The Final Third
Patrick Rowe from Sky Sports:
Continuing with the subject of goals – though Southampton's situation is far from positive. They have the lowest goal tally in the Premier League, and this match clearly demonstrated the reasons behind it.
Martin's team controlled 72 percent of possession at Molineux, but that only resulted in a mere 0.60 expected goals (xG) during their offensive attempts.
In reality, even though the Saints had nearly three times as much possession of the ball, they only managed to have one additional touch than their rivals in the box.
This statistic sheds light on a major issue facing Southampton. Scoring goals is crucial for their survival in the Premier League, and without them, they could find themselves facing a difficult outcome in the near future.
