Wolves were humbled by Manchester City today – and Julen Lopetegui might be about to step up his search for a new goalkeeper.
Wanderers fell to a 3-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium, and it was very much an afternoon to forget.
City were a cut above Wolves, who carried extremely little threat.
Lopetegui plumped for a front three of Adama Traore, Hwang Hee-chan and Raul Jimenez to start the game.
The plan was clearly to try and use their pace and counter-attack. But it just didn’t work.
Lopetegui appeared to admit defeat with that plan, with all three players making way at half-time. Joao Moutinho, Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha were all introduced.
But the changes didn’t really make much of a difference.
Erling Haaland scored his fourth Premier League hat-trick of the season for City, with two of his goals coming in the second-half
He was absolutely gifted this third, after Jose Sa gave the ball away to Riyad Mahrez on the edge of the box. The Algerian squared to Haaland for the easiest goal he will score all season.
It was shocking from Sa, whose distribution of late has been poor.
When Lopetegui first took over at Wolves, Sa put in a few really good displays.
It looked as though he was perhaps heading back in to the kind of form he was in last season.
But just recently, Sa’s level has dipped against and one wonders now if Lopetegui will push for a new goalkeeper.
It was reported in December that Wolves could try and land a new goalkeeper who can give Sa a greater push.
At the moment Matija Sarkic is the number two. But Lopetegui does not seem convinced by the Montenegro international.
Perhaps after today, the need is now there for someone who is more experienced than Sarkic who can properly push Sa.
Jose Sa form is a worry, and a new goalkeeper might be on the agenda for Wolves
Wolves are having a good transfer window so far. But the addition of a new goalkeeper is becoming more of a pressing need. This latest mistake comes after his questionable positioning on the Harvey Elliott goal for Liverpool in midweek.
Sa is not quite at the stage where he needs dropping from the starting XI.
But it does just feel like he needs someone who is a level above Sarkic to really give him the push he needs.
At the moment, there is no real danger of him losing his place. Lopetegui has shown that he doesn’t really have faith in Sarkic by overlooking him for the cup games against Gillingham, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.
If Sa knows there is someone waiting in the wings who could genuinely oust him, then in theory he’ll sharpen up and improve his form.