Sam Johnstone was handed a rare Premier League start against Tottenham Hotspur – and after the game Wolves manager Vitor Pereira was asked about that decision.
Wolves drew 1-1 with Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is a decent result on paper.
But Wolves came so close to taking all three points, only for Joao Palhinha to equalise in the 94th minute.
Wolves gave a really good performance down in north London, especially in the second-half. But sadly, the players’ efforts did not yield maximum points in the capital.
The players would likely have been absolutely gutted. But hopefully, they can also take some real positives from that performance.
Several players had really good games, and one man who impressed again in old gold was Sam Johnstone.
Fans had wanted Johnstone to start against Spurs after he played well against Everton – and the Englishman again did well.
After the game, Vitor Pereira explained why he gave Johnstone the nod over Jose Sa.
Vitor Pereira shares why he picked Sam Johnstone over Jose Sa vs Tottenham
Jose Sa gave a poor performance against Leeds United.
He then dropped out of the side for the Carabao Cup game with Everton.
Johnstone likely would have played that game regardless of how Sa performed against Leeds. But it was a big chance regardless for the 32-year-old.
After keeping a clean sheet against Everton, Johnstone so very nearly did the same against Spurs.
His selection pleased a lot of fans, and Pereira did suggest that his display against Everton had prompted him to keep the faith.
He said in his post-match press conference: “The reason is because, after the last game I felt that, OK, the team is here. The team is here because he won 2-0. And I need to establish a team. I need to give them confidence.
“And of course, they are competing for the position. Sa is competing with Daniel and Sam. The others, they are competing between themselves. But with a good spirit, to be better, to push themselves and each other, and to help the team.
“I had a conversation with everybody, and they understand the situation. They understand the decisions.”
Johnstone must now stay consistent for Wolves
Johnstone rightly started against Spurs at the weekend, and he again took his chance.
Sadly he could not make it back-to-back clean sheets. There was nothing he could do about Palhinha’s equaliser, but the rest of his performance was solid, and Johnstone’s save from Mohammed Kudus in the first-half was magnificent.
Johnstone must keep starting for Wolves.
He is clearly in good form right now, and given what Pereira said after the draw with Spurs, it does sound like he is ready to reward good performances, which is just how it should be.
For Sa, he must now raise his game to try and displace Johnstone. He did that last season, and the manager will expect him to do so again.