Wolves recorded their first Premier League win of the season before the international break and it was vitally important.
The Wanderers were rooted to the foot of the Premier League table while Southampton were just ahead in 19th position.
Gary O’Neil’s men were winless in their opening 10 games but it was 11th time lucky for the Old Gold as they clinched a 2-0 victory to move up a place in the division.
It wasn’t the greatest performance from the hosts by all means but there were some brilliant individual displays, as Toti Gomes went under the radar in defence and Mario Lemina also earned high praise from Conor Coady.
However, as far as standout performances go, Matheus Cunha’s was right up there.
Matheus Cunha receives high praise from Dave Edwards
Cunha has been a rare shining light for Wolves in a dismal campaign so far.
The Brazilian has plundered five goals and recorded two assists in 11 top-flight appearances. Last time out, he superbly assisted Pablo Sarabia and then produced an outstanding strike to beat Aaron Ramsdale.
In a game of fine margins, O’Neil needed some brilliance from Cunha to save his skin and former player Dave Edwards believes it’s the best individual display in the clubs ‘modern history’.
“I thought it was one of the best individual performances I’ve seen in a Wolves shirt in recent years or in modern history because although it wasn’t the perfect performance, by any stretch of the imagination, when you put it in a pressure game and one player has pretty much won that game for Wolves, that deserves so much credit,” Edwards said on the Official Wolves Podcast.
Edwards recently said that Cunha reminds him of Bakary Sako, as he’s the difference maker in gold, who can turn the tide of a game in one special moment.
Only Erling Haaland outperforms Cunha for one key stat
It is remarkable to think that Cunha, a £44 million signing from Atletico Madrid last year, has way more gears to go.
The Brazilian has the skillset and goal-scoring prowess to play for a Champions League side, with his incredible lung-bursting runs, creativity and clinical edge all key attributes.
Cunha should stay at Wolves in the January transfer window, as exclusively revealed, but beyond that, it looks a difficult task to hold onto him, especially while in a relegation dogfight.
He’s one of the Premier League’s well-rounded forwards and his ability to score on his travels is a sight to behold.
As highlighted at the end of October, only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (16) has scored more Premier League away goals than Cunha (12) since the start of last season.
It’s a record that not only highlights his fearlessness and cutting edge but also explains how crucial he is in a relegation scrap, as he aims to pull Wolves clear of danger.