Wolves secured their first win of the season at the 11th time of asking after beating Southampton 2-0 at Molineux.
Wolves knew how big this game was, not just in their season but for the sake of Gary O’Neil’s future, who could have been sacked if the Old Gold were beaten by Southampton.
While the Wanderers supporters still aren’t convinced by O’Neil and the performance in general, this win could give them the confidence to go on a more positive run after the international break.
Pablo Sarabia helped settle the nerves around Molineux inside two minutes, rounding Aaron Ramsdale to score before Matheus Cunha produced a phenomenal strike to double their lead in the second half.
The win saw Wolves leapfrog the Saints and Ipswich Town to move up to 18th, reducing the gap between them and 17th-place Crystal Palace to just a point.
Five things we learned from Wolves 2-0 Southampton
Matheus Cunha is too good
It won’t be a surprise to anyone that Cunha was at the heart of Wolves’ first win of the season, supplying an inch-perfect assist for Sarabia and scoring a peach of a strike in the second period.
Cunha now has five goals and two assists in 11 Premier League appearances this term, and it leaves people wondering where would they be without him.
The phenomenal attacker is far too good to be in a side battling relegation and their chances of surviving this season hinge on him staying fit.
Wolves happy with VAR for once
Wolves have called for VAR to be scrapped previously but they would have been pleased to see it used in their clash against the Saints.
Russell Martin’s men thought they had equalised when Ryan Manning rifled his strike past Jose Sa in the 14th minute however, the Premier League explained that Manning’s goal was disallowed as Matheus Fernandes fouled Nelson Semedo in the box.
The Wanderers have been incredibly unlucky with many VAR decisions in the past but they would have felt blessed that Southampton’s goal was overturned.
Pablo Sarabia has shown his worth
Pablo Sarabia has earned mixed reviews at Wolves in recent times. Andy Thompson labelled Sarabia as ‘quality’ after his impact in the draw at Brighton.
That second-half display earned him a start in the draw against Crystal Palace but Wolves fans weren’t happy with how wasteful Sarabia was in that match.
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Journalist Liam Keen even suggested Sarabia shouldn’t start in the clash with Southampton but he soon made him eat his words, scoring inside two minutes to put his side in front.
Aside from scoring, the 32-year-old gave the Old Gold attacking impetus down the right in the first half however, he was substituted at half-time for Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, presumably with an injury.
The players are still fighting for O’Neil
O’Neil could have lost his job if his side dropped points at home to Southampton, with Wolves eyeing David Moyes and Rob Edwards as potential replacements.
That said, speculation over the manager’s future of late hasn’t prevented his squad from fighting for their boss, and it was clear they’re still buying into his philosophy in this match.
There were several nervy moments for the Molineux faithful in this relegation six-pointer but thankfully, Wolves came out on top and perhaps they can now build momentum.
Wolves keep much-needed clean sheet
Wolves have struggled defensively this term, failing to keep a clean sheet in their opening 10 games while conceding a whopping 27 goals.
The Old Gold were ripped apart when they used a four-man defence but reverting to their three-at-the-back system has brought them a little more joy.
Although O’Neil’s men are still far from convincing at the back, keeping their first clean sheet of the season was very much welcomed.