Wolves fans have had many reasons to shout from the rooftops in recent weeks, with so much positive news emerging from the club.
Wolves clinched a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League before Matheus Cunha signed a contract after months of speculation over his future.
Transfer deadline day then brought two new signings for Vitor Pereira as centre-back Nasser Djiga and midfielder Marshall Munetsi were both captured.
Munetsi made his debut in the 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers, leaving an instant positive impression on the pitch and ensuring Wolves booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
During this rare purple patch for the Old Gold, defender Toti Gomes has returned to action following injury, and he’s been immense.
Dave Edwards felt Toti Gomes was ‘imperious’ vs Blackburn Rovers
Pereira has dubbed Toti as ‘so important’ for his system, as he’s the only left-footed centre-back in the squad, cementing his place on the left of a back three.
The 26-year-old was brilliant on his first game back against Villa and his performance warranted another start at Blackburn, providing a similar solid display.
Dave Edwards praised Toti’s ball-carrying after the win over Villa and the former Wolves defender dubbed him ‘imperious’ against Rovers.
“I thought Toti was imperious again. I’m so happy to have him back available,” Edwards wrote in his E&S column.
‘Imperious’ is certainly an accurate description of the Portuguese international, who won all seven of his contested ground duels, made three tackles, two interceptions and completed four successful dribbles.
| Toti stats vs Blackburn |
| 90 minutes played |
| 2 clearances |
| 2 interceptions |
| 3 tackles |
| 7/7 ground duels won |
| 55/59 passes completed (93%) |
| 1 key pass |
| 4/4 dribbles completed |
Remarkably, it’s now the fourth game in a row where Toti has been part of a defence under Pereira that has won and kept a clean sheet.
Why Toti has been a game-changer for Wolves
It’s underrated how much Wolves No.24 has improved since the start of the season. Toti was dubbed as ‘clumsy’ during the 6-2 loss against Chelsea in August as he struggled in a four-man defence.
The switch to a three-at-the-back system, though, has been the catalyst for Toti to showcase his best attributes, with his ball-carrying and last-ditch defending standing out.
Crucially, his return to the squad has been a game-changer for Pereira, who was forced into playing Emmanuel Agbadou on the left before his star was back in contention.
Agbadou is right-footed and looked more awkward playing out on the left than someone who is naturally left-footed like Toti.
The 27-year-old is now the central figure in the back three, allowing his teammate to flourish on the left and either Santi Bueno or Matt Doherty to start on the right, with new signing Djiga waiting in the wings.
Pereira looks to have struck the perfect balance defensively and Toti coming back into the fold has been a vital ingredient to their recent success.