'Part of the family' - Wolves' remarkable turnaround under Pereira

As a now celebrated emblem flown by Wolves fans suggests, Vitor Pereira will beryllium successful celebratory temper pursuing his side's latest win.

Wolves' 4-2 conclusion of Tottenham Hotspur connected Sunday moved Pereira's broadside 14 points clear of nan relegation area pinch conscionable six games near to play.

When he replaced Gary O'Neil arsenic head successful December, specified a comfortable extremity to nan play was unthinkable.

"Every time," Pereira said post-match erstwhile asked if - arsenic nan 'first nan points, past nan pints' emblem astatine Molineux suggests - he would toast Wolves' 4th consecutive Premier League triumph pinch an alcoholic drink.

"Work is work, but aft nan activity we request to observe together. I request to consciousness nan power of these group and beryllium portion of nan family."

The last connection of that reply is arguably nan astir important - nan measurement Pereira has instilled a consciousness of pridefulness and togetherness astatine nan nine successful specified a short abstraction of clip is remarkable.

Pereira has had a transformative effect astatine Molineux since he was appointed successful December.

Wolves were 19th successful nan Premier League array erstwhile nan Portuguese coach arrived, having won only 2 of their opening 16 Premier League games.

The West Midlands nine person won 8 and drawn 2 of their 16 convention matches since, taking 26 points.

In nan aforesaid period, Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich person won 18 points combined.

The conclusion of Spurs connected Sunday earned Wolves a 4th consecutive Premier League triumph for nan very first clip - not since 1972 had they put together a winning tally of that magnitude successful nan apical flight.

Pereira was pleasantly amazed by that grounds arsenic he praised nan new-found consistency of his team.

"Now we cognize very good nan moments of nan crippled and really to woody pinch them," he told BBC Match of nan Day.

"Sometimes we request to hold and sometimes beryllium compact and play connected nan counter-attack. Sometimes we person abstraction to play pinch nan ball, sometimes play accelerated and sometimes slow down. In this infinitesimal we person nan tactical maturity [to accommodate and move betwixt approaches]."

Sunday's triumph was nan first clip since March 2022 that Wolves person scored 4 aliases much goals successful a convention crippled astatine Molineux, truthful it was fitting that Matheus Cunha scored nan last extremity connected his return to nan side.

The Brazil striker came disconnected nan chair to make his return from a four-game suspension, and successful nan 86th infinitesimal dispossessed Lucas Bergvall earlier slotting past Guglielmo Vicario to wrap up nan win.

Cunha has been Wolves' champion subordinate this season, though successful truth he hasn't been missed.

Pereira's broadside took 10 points from nan 4 convention games they were without him, scoring six goals on nan way.

Yet nan measurement nan 25-year-old raises some his team-mates and nan supporters is undeniable.

He irritated immoderate Wolves fans this week pinch a societal media station - since deleted - that hinted astatine a summertime exit.

"I will travel my dreams, not yours. So enactment cool," it read.

Cunha appeared to apologise to supporters erstwhile celebrating his goal, making a praying motion earlier pointing to his heart.

"He knows his quality, he knows nan squad was playing bully games and winning [without him]," Pereira said.

"In nan correct infinitesimal that we request him he said 'yes I americium present to thief nan team'."

Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen - who scored 4 convention goals successful Cunha's absence and added a 5th successful 4 games connected Sunday - hailed Cunha arsenic "probably nan champion subordinate I've ever seen", adding: "He's specified a bully man too.

"If he tin do nan correct point extracurricular of shot it's amended for him. Coming backmost meant a batch for him. He's been our champion subordinate this play truthful I'm very happy for him."

Strand Larsen besides shed ray connected nan effect Pereira has had astatine nan club.

"Since Vitor came successful we person changed immoderate mini things a bit," he said.

"It's not astir doing thing huge. With clip we person built connected that. We are not acrophobic of anyone now. We dream to build connected this to do amended adjacent season.

"It was a awesome atmosphere, nan past 3 games person been monolithic for us. Spurs haven't had a awesome play but they are still a bully squad pinch astonishing players. So it was astonishing to build connected that and triumph again.

"Confidence successful shot is nan astir important thing. In a relegation conflict it's difficult to find confidence, particularly for strikers, we don't get galore chances."

Rayan Ait-Nouri, who opened nan scoring, told Sky Sports: "He's [Pereira] done a bully job, he's a very bully coach. He is focused and we activity very difficult successful training during nan week."

Wolves are now up to 16th successful nan Premier League array pinch 35 points. Up adjacent is simply a travel to Manchester United, 3 points supra them, who connected Sunday were soundly beaten 4-1 by Newcastle.