Wolves secured an incredible 2-0 victory over rivals Aston Villa to hand their survival hopes a massive boost.
Following four straight Premier League defeats, Wolves were handed little chance of securing a positive result against the European chasers.
Vitor Pereira made three changes to the side that lost against Arsenal, including starts for the returning Toti Gomes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Goncalo Guedes.
And it was one of the new inclusions who gave the Wanderers the perfect start as Bellegarde lashed the ball past Emi Martinez after being slid through by Sarabia.
Wolves have been criticised for their lack of fight in recent weeks but this display, particularly in the first half, was one filled with aggression and tenacity that Villa struggled to live with.
In the second period, the Villans predictably came back into the game and could have levelled the score through substitute Donyell Malen. However, Morgan Rogers was deemed to have infringed play from an offside position.
The hosts then had to ride out a late storm and luckily, Matheus Cunha sealed all three points with a fine finish in the final minute.
Here’s how the players rated.
Wolves player ratings vs Aston Villa
Jose Sa – 6.5
Jose Sa would have been expecting a barrage of shots at his goal, although that wasn’t the case in the first half and the Portuguese shot-stopper wasn’t tested. However, Villa managed to sustain pressure in the second stanza and produced some quality saves out of Sa.
Matt Doherty – 6.5
Doherty rarely put a foot wrong on the right side of defence and played his part in Wolves keeping their defence watertight against Villa.
Emmanuel Agbadou – 7
Moved into his more natural position in the middle of a back three and looked at home straight away. While some of his passing was sloppy, Agbadou was aggressive up against Ollie Watkins in the first half and made some vital blocks in the second.
Toti Gomes – 8
Pereira threw Toti Gomes straight back into the starting lineup after over a month on the sidelines, and the Portuguese international performed like he’d never been out of the side. A solid presence on the left of a back three, utilising his aggression off-the-ball and his quality ball-playing on it.
Nelson Semedo – 6.5
Semedo made some promising bursts forward from wing-back but it was his defensive work that was most important. Despite committing three fouls, the 31-year-old was still solid in his role.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 9
Bellegarde justified his selection over Tommy Doyle with an emphatic finish past Emi Martinez to give his side the lead. The Frenchman also produced arguably one of his best-ever displays for Wolves, pulling the strings from midfield with some excellent passing while driving his side forward.
Andre – 6.5
Andre produced a tidy performance alongside Bellegarde. He was positionally disciplined without possession and kept Wolves ticking over on the ball.
Rayan Ait-Nouri – 7
Ait-Nouri’s selection was perhaps after some poor recent displays. The 23-year-old certainly showcased his class against Villa, though, often combining well with Cunha down the left and threatening each time he went forward.
Pablo Sarabia – 7
Some fans will have questioned his inclusion before the game but his slide rule pass into Bellegarde helped Wolves take the lead. Sarabia was also at the heart of an aggressive home performance, throwing himself into tackles and working himself into the ground – two attributes not normally synonymous with the Spaniard.
Matheus Cunha – 8.5
Cunha has been criticised for his poor attitude in recent games but he responded to those critics in fine style. He was instrumental in attack with his exceptional quality and his fine finish right at the death made sure of all three points.
Goncalo Guedes – 7
Came in for Jorgen Strand Larsen and showed some sharp movement to fashion multiple opportunities. The Portuguese forward will have been disappointed not to have scored after missing a hat-trick of first-half chances.
Substitutes
Tommy Doyle – 6
Solidified the Wolves midfield late on and did what was asked of him in and out of possession.