Wolves fans have gone from living a nightmare under Gary O’Neil to being propelled into dreamland with Vitor Pereira in charge.
A return of two wins and a draw during the Christmas period saw Wolves escape the relegation zone for the first time since matchday 12.
The Old Gold are a team transformed under Vitor Pereira and Wolves’ 2-2 draw against Tottenham on Sunday showed their powers of recovery as Jorgen Strand Larsen scored an 87th-minute equaliser after Hwang Hee-chan netted the first.
Perhaps surprisingly, star forward Matheus Cunha failed to grab a goal or an assist for the first time in four games with the Brazilian producing 14 goal involvements in 19 games this term.
Cunha is wanted by Arsenal and Manchester United as a result with the 25-year-old also earning huge plaudits for his performances.
Troy Deeney praised Cunha’s consistency after the win over Leicester, and he isn’t the only Wolves star to receive recognition of late.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 19 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 20 | 27 | -7 | 20 |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 18 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 24 | -9 | 17 |
| 17 |  WolvesWolves | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 31 | 42 | -11 | 16 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 19 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 33 | -15 | 15 |
Dave Edwards gives ‘special mention’ to Santi Bueno
While Cunha is one of the Premier League’s best forwards and has made a huge impact this term, one player who has gone under the radar since Pereira took over is defender Santi Bueno.
In his penultimate game in charge, Gary O’Neil criticised Bueno’s physicality as the Uruguayan struggled to live with West Ham’s aerial threat.
However, the 26-year-old has put his recent struggles behind him and turned a new leaf under Pereira in the heart of a back three.
Bueno starred alongside a makeshift duo of Matt Doherty and Craig Dawson in the draw at Tottenham whilst receiving praise from Dave Edwards.
“A special mention must go to Santi Bueno at the heart of that defence against Spurs, and the same too for Matt Doherty,” Edwards said in his column for E&S.
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Bueno is now integral to Wolves under Vitor Pereira
Wolves defensive frailties were exposed under O’Neil but Pereira has transformed the Old Gold into a well-oiled unit with each player understanding their responsibilities.
The visitors may have conceded twice against Spurs but the hosts only registered three shots on target at Jose Sa’s goal, showcasing how much harder they are to break down.
Now, with the injury to Toti Gomes, Pereira’s resources will be tested to the maximum. The Portuguese has already changed Matt Doherty’s position, starting him as a centre-back, while Dawson and Bueno are the only other two fit senior defensive options.
Ahead of the January window opening, Wolves’ top transfer target is Kevin Danso and they’ve entered talks to sign the Austrian international.
However, until reinforcements arrive at Molineux, Pereira will need to continue working miracles with his defence, which underpins how integral Bueno is at the heart of it.