Vitor Pereira’s Wolves fell just short in their efforts to overcome a three-goal deficit and get past Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.
It’s a long time since Molineux has seen a win, but the latter stages of Wednesday night’s clash were as loud as it has been all season.
The first 45 minutes were shocking, it must be said. Pereira was the subject of chants from angry Wolves fans as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 lead.
Whatever message the players got from their manager at the break struck a chord, and Wolves put on a valiant second-half display. It was a performance the players could be proud of, even if the result went the other way.
But Pereira could have made life a bit easier for himself by making different decisions at points in the game.
Vitor Pereira’s personnel choices questionable again
It’s not going to be a pile-up on the Portuguese, but a fair criticism.
Pereira made 11 changes from the weekend for Chelsea. While that may work for an Arsenal or a Man City with depths of quality, it’s not such a good idea for this squad.
What little cohesion had been building was nonexistent in this game, and it showed when a calamity of errors led to two early goals. Starting six defenders was another head-scratcher.
Then there were the substitutions. Pereira got some perfect, but there were a couple that felt strange.
After weeks of waiting for a start, Fer Lopez was hooked at half-time. That was harsh, and a bit confusing considering the goal margin Wolves needed to reduce. Rodrigo Gomes went too, but his departure was forced by injury.
Then, Tolu Arokodare was subbed off and replaced with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde with ten minutes to go — another change that felt like cutting back on offence.
At least Pereira has a fresh squad for Fulham
Wolves can’t afford to spend much time moping after being booted out of the Carabao Cup. They face Fulham on Saturday in what is — surprisingly — a clash at the bottom.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 14 |  EvertonEverton | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 11 |
| 15 |  LeedsLeeds | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 11 |
| 16 |  BurnleyBurnley | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 10 |
| 17 |  FulhamFulham | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 8 |
| 18 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 17 | -12 | 5 |
| 19 |  West HamWest Ham | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 20 | -13 | 4 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 2 |
Fulham have not had a great start to the season. They’re not struggling quite as much as Wolves but they will also see this as a must-win, and Craven Cottage is no easy place to go to.
At least Pereira will be able to field a rested, full-strength side, though it’s hard to know what that looks like for Wolves this season.