Wolves travel to Blackburn Rovers in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, aiming to progress in the competition.
Wolves will enter the fixture with two new faces to select from after signing Marshall Munetsi from Reims and Nasser Djiga from Red Star Belgrade.
The deadline day arrivals have bolstered two positions for Vitor Pereira, with Djiga offering cover at centre-back and Munetsi being an option in midfield.
There should be quiet confidence in the Old Gold avoiding relegation, especially after Matt Hobbs praised the potential of Djiga in his interview following the signing.
That being said, Pereira believes one other Wolves star is crucial to their success this season, and it isn’t Matheus Cunha.
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Vitor Pereira explains why Toti Gomes is so ‘important’ for Wolves
Cunha signing a new contract at Wolves was excellent news before the transfer window shut, having watched the Brazilian score 11 Premier League goals this term.
The 25-year-old is vital to their survival as he’s one of few players in the squad capable of producing magic in the final third.
While Cunha is indispensable at the top end of the pitch, Pereira has praised the return of Toti Gomes, who performed brilliantly in Wolves’ 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Toti assumed his role as a left centre-back, which allowed Emmanuel Agbadou to move centrally, and the Portuguese boss has now said why it’s so important to have a left footer on that side.
“It’s the left foot, which is important for us,” Pereira told the E&S. “It’s important to play on the left side with a left foot because it’s different.
“If you play with the right foot on the opposite side as a defender, you have problems because the balance is different.
“When you face a player with the opposite foot, it is worse because sometimes he can go to the line, he can come inside and it’s difficult.
“It means that with Toti close to Rayan, we have the cover every time and this is important for us.
“When we build the play from the left side with the left foot, it is different because the first touch is to open the game and we open the solutions to start playing.
“Even when we are pressing, because the pressure from the other team is strong, and we need to find the second or third solution. With the left foot, it is better.”
Toti’s incredible record under Vitor Pereira
When Gary O’Neil switched to a four-man defence earlier this season, Toti was criticised for his clumsy performances as the talented defender struggled.
The 26-year-old is a completely different player in a three-man defence, though, and the statistics prove how crucial he’s been under Pereira and how much he was missed.
| Statistic | With Toti Gomes under Pereira | Without Toti Gomes under Pereira |
| Wins | 3 | 0 |
| Draws | 0 | 1 |
| Losses | 0 | 4 |
| Clean sheets | 3 | 0 |
Toti has only played three Premier League games under the new manager but he’s kept a clean sheet in each of them, underlining his importance.