Matheus Cunha stole the headlines from a Wolves point of view against Liverpool but, there was an unsung hero.
Vitor Pereira’s side were ultimately unlucky to walk away from Anfield without a result, in what was a tightly contested 90 minutes on Merseyside.
A crucial half-time team talk against Liverpool stunned the Wolves squad into action, seeing the Old Gold dominate the second half but, the damage was already done.
Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah scored before the interval to give the Reds a two-goal lead, leaving Wolves with nothing to show for their efforts but, with a lot of positives to take away.
Andre’s no-nonsense performance against Liverpool was impressive
It will come as no surprise that Cunha scored to give Wolves a lifeline, as the Brazilian scored in the second half.
Cunha is closing in on a Premier League record as he continues to score freely in Pereira’s squad but, he wasn’t the only player who deserved high praise for his actions at Anfield.
Slipping under the radar was Andre, who alongside Joao Gomes caused real problems for Liverpool due to how much of a hold the duo could have on the game.
The summer signing rarely puts a foot wrong and against the Premier League leaders, his application to the task at hand was no different.
| Andre vs Liverpool |
| 43 touches |
| 89% pass completion |
| 2 key passes |
| 2/3 duels won |
| 2 interceptions |
| 1 tackle |
| 0x dribbled past |
Andre was winning duels, creating play and just being a silent assassin in the middle of the park, where he maintained a strict tempo to keep Wolves balanced against Arne Slot’s table-topping squad.
While Andre has received high praise for how tidy he is in midfield since his move from Fluminense, the 23-year-old often falls under the radar due to how metronome-like he is.
The game is often conducted by Andre, who maintains a high-performance level to keep those around him ticking, making him a remarkable asset for Wolves.
Vitor Pereira has the perfect midfield balance
In January, Pereira was keen to add to his midfield as the boss made it clear that he favours a pivot of Andre and Gomes.
The manager can fuse Andre’s calm with Gomes’ pitbull-like ways to unleash a partnership that is difficult to overcome, as Liverpool found at Anfield.
Wolves signed Marshall Munetsi to add to the defensive ranks but, Pereira has different plans for the Zimbabwean, as seen when the deadline day signing played an attacking role against Liverpool.
In the summer, some believed that signing Andre was unnecessary given how badly Wolves needed a defender however, it quickly became apparent just how vital the Brazil international’s presence is.