Wolves suffered defeat to Fulham at Molineux but, one player caught the eye of supporters far and wide.
Vitor Pereira’s side were unable to build on their impressive win against Bournemouth as the Old Gold lost 2-1 to Fulham at home.
It was two of the same mistakes for the hosts, who conceded in the first minute of the game and again just after the interval, failing to switch on from the referee’s whistle.
Joao Gomes got on the scoresheet to increase his tally for the season but, the Brazilian wasn’t the Wolves player who earned high praise from fans during the fixture.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde continues to win Wolves fans over
Gomes’ equaliser saved Wolves’ early blushes in the first half as the Brazilian finished off a sumptuous move stemming from the left side.
Rayan Ait-Nouri and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde combined to craft the chance for the hosts, seeing fans shower one player involved in the goal with praise.
Bellegarde fired the ball into the box, seeing supporters celebrate his resurgence on social media, with one Wolves fan admitting that he owes the Frenchman an apology.
“Bellegarde deserves an apology . (From me included),” they said, as another agreed by saying, “I was laughed at btw when i said bellegarde was a good player lol.”
Gary O’Neil’s 2023 signing has been in fine form under Pereira, as the Wolves boss has recently opted to trust the 26-year-old with a greater role in the final third.
Against Fulham, Bellegarde’s inspired form continued, as the versatile midfielder was lauded for the threat he generated.
“These crosses from Bellegarde have been CLEAN,” a fan posted on X, with their opinion echoed by a fellow supporter, “Bellegarde has got a cracking delivery on him.”
It was thanks to O’Neil’s signing that Gomes was able to score in the first half, with his and Ait-Nouri’s combination applauded, “Ait Nouri and Bellegarde, brilliant stuff.”
“Bellegarde looks so good,” a fan said, while another named the former Strasbourg ace as one of the standouts, “Let’s talk about Bellegarde, Cunha, Toti, Gomes too.”
Pereira frustrated fans as he hooked the forward early into the second half, with a supporter noticing the difference after the creator was withdrawn.
“Bellegarde is THE GLUE,” they said.
Bellegarde was one of Wolves’ best against Fulham
On what was a lacklustre collective display from Wolves, Bellegarde was undoubtedly one of the standouts, making his early substitution all the more frustrating.
| Jean-Ricner Bellegarde vs Fulham |
| 65 minutes |
| 35 touches |
| 2 key passes |
| 92% pass completion |
| 100% completed crosses |
| 100% aerial duels won |
As seen above, the Frenchman was influential in the final third, creating chances and being an all-round nuisance for Fulham to deal with.
While the defeat was disappointing, it was a positive performance for Bellegarde, who only solidified his claim to the starting XI with his bright approach at Molineux.