Wolves are now safe, and Julen Lopetegui can start thinking ahead to next season – and one man who’ll be absolutely key in 2023/24 is Matheus Cunha.
Wanderers will be playing Premier League football again next term, with the win over Aston Villa taking the club to the magical 40 point mark.
Wolves’ safety was confirmed yesterday, with Leicester City losing to Fulham.
Being safe with three games to spare is not something too many Wolves fans saw coming a few months ago.
But Lopetegui has worked his magic, and now Wolves can play these final matches with a bit more freedom.
It will be an opportunity for the manager to perhaps take a closer look at some of those players on the fringes.
But one man who could still feature a fair bit is Cunha, who has been getting better by the week for Wolves.
He took a little time to find his feet at Wolves. And he has still only scored two goals since joining from Atletico Madrid.
But it’s clear his game is about much more than just scoring goals.
Cunha operates best when he plays just off the front man. When he plays in the hole, he can get involved in the build-up and also lend a hand defending when Wolves don’t have the ball.
Today, Wolves have released highlights of Cunha from against Villa – and he really did have a superb game on Saturday.
It was good to see him carrying that ball and driving forwards with confidence. He has excellent feet and is difficult to stop when he’s in full flow due to his great balance. The run he did down the left in the first-half was brilliant.
His energy is very impressive – he really does work his socks off when he plays.
The Brazilian is clearly a lot more settled now, and is playing in a position he is very comfortable in. And his relationship with Diego Costa has been blossoming.
Matheus Cunha could explode for Wolves next season, he’s getting better and better
It will be very exciting watching Cunha next season.
He came in at a difficult time and into a team that wasn’t scoring goals. There was also a lot of pressure on him given the £44 million fee, which will be paid at the end of the season.
But things will hopefully be different next term and Julen Lopetegui will perhaps want to be a little less pragmatic, and more expressive with his tactics.
Ultimately he wants Wolves to become a more possession-based side.
Cunha has been really good in the last couple of months, and potentially he could really come into his own next season.
Getting a clinical striker up top could really be the making of him.
And if he himself can just become a bit more deadly in front of goal, then Wolves will really be in business.