Wolves have their biggest game of the season so far against Sunderland this weekend, and the referee for the contest has now been chosen.
Vitor Pereira is determined to finally oversee his first Premier League win of 2025/26, having come agonisingly close in each of the last two games.
Wolves conceded late equalisers to both Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, but the Wolves manager will surely have been buoyed by the performances.
For the last three games, Pereira has set up with a back four.
This helped Wolves to become more solid, and it would be a real surprise if we did not see that system – featuring Ladislav Krejci and Santiago Bueno as a centre-back pairing – at the Stadium of Light.
This will be another tough game with Sunderland having made a really bright start, taking 11 points from their seven games.
Wolves learn referee for Sunderland clash
Ideally Wolves will get all three points on Saturday.
Matt Jarvis believes Wolves should be aiming for a minimum of four points against Sunderland and Burnley, but really, not taking six against the newly promoted clubs would be disappointing.
In an ideal world, there’ll be no controversies and Wolves will win the match and finally kickstart their season.
And the man in the middle of this weekend’s contest will be Rob Jones, as confirmed by the Premier League.
Jones has officiated Wolves 15 times, with Wanderers winning eight times on his watch, drawing three and losing four.
Jones had one previous controversy involving Wolves, and that came in the 2023/24 season when he penalised Fabio Silva for a ‘foul’ on George Baldock.
It was a decision that was slammed far and wide, with Gary Lineker calling Jones and the VAR’s call ‘stinking’.
Gary O’Neil was left seething at the time, saying he was ‘honestly lost’.
The decision from Jones also reduced Silva – who was struggling for confidence at the time – to tears, with the striker made to feel as though he cost his team.
Wolves win against Sunderland can change everything
Hopefully there’ll be no controversies on Saturday, and Wolves can finally get their first win on the board.
They’ve come so close in the last two games, and it could potentially be third time lucky, with Pereira pleased with what he’s seen from his players recently.
Pereira believes his players are more confident now, hailing their personalities during a tough time.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  LeedsLeeds | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 8 |
| 16 |  BrentfordBrentford | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 7 |
| 17 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | -7 | 5 |
| 18 |  BurnleyBurnley | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 4 |
| 19 |  West HamWest Ham | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 4 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 2 |
Of course, a number of Wolves players have been involved with their countries during the international break, so there could be a bit of fatigue to contend with.
But a win on Saturday could be huge for Wolves.
Getting three points against the Black Cats will serve as a catalyst, and fans would surely be confident of a follow up win against Burnley.