Wolves are off the mark with their first win in the Premier League.
Wanderers beat Southampton 2-0 at Molineux in what was a must-win game for Gary O’Neil, who now looks to have secured his job for at least the next game or two.
Not winning against the Saints did not bear thinking about.
Southampton have really struggled this season and with the game being at home, Wolves simply had to take three points.
And they did, in a performance that wasn’t great, but inspired by Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian assisted Pablo Sarabia, and scored a thunderbolt himself.
Troy Deeney said Cunha was the best player on the pitch against Southampton, and few would disagree.
Gabby Agbonlahor also claimed Cunha should be playing for a team higher than Wolves.
Dave Edwards has showered more praise on Cunha in his latest E&S column.
Dave Edwards raves over Matheus Cunha and makes Bakary Sako comparison
Cunha has now hit five goals for Wolves in the Premier League.
He has played a huge part in the club’s haul of six points, making goal contributions in each of the last three games.
Fans were left a little irked when Gary O’Neil said Cunha needed to improve off the ball, but the Wolves manager did also hail the star’s quality and branded him a ‘maverick’.
Cunha is certainly a special talent, and Edwards piled on the praise in his latest E&S column, where he likened the player to former Molineux ace Bakary Sako.
He said: “The head coach and his staff deserve a lot of credit for the work they have done with Cunha.
“There are going to be times where we need more hard work from him and he’s an emotional player.
“He reminds me of Bakary Sako. I’d track Sako’s men all day long if that meant we could get him the ball and he’d win the game for us.
“Cunha is like that as well and we’re really lucky to have him. He’s a player who could play at the very top of the Premier League. He’s going to be the difference which is going to hopefully move us up the table.”
Cunha is Wolves’ lead actor, but he needs his supporting cast
There can be little doubt that Cunha is Wolves’ best player, and the face of this team.
It took him a bit of time to feel comfortable playing in England, and under Julen Lopetegui there were actually question marks over him shortly after he signed.
But there’s no doubting the man now, as the £60,000-a-week ace has clearly shown himself to be a game-changer.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  LeicesterLeicester | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 10 |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 17 | -7 | 10 |
| 17 |  IpswichIpswich | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 22 | -10 | 8 |
| 18 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 7 |
| 19 |  WolvesWolves | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 27 | -11 | 6 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 21 | -14 | 4 |
Wolves were not great against Southampton, but got the three points thanks to his two moments of quality.
Wolves just need to get him the ball as often as possible, and find him in the right areas.
He will do the rest, but it’s vital that other players do their jobs just as well – especially the defenders. This season, the contributions of the attackers have gone to waste too often due to poor defending, and it can’t happen as regularly if Wolves are to stay away from trouble.