The Wolves moved 12 points from the Premier League relegation area with a 1-0 victory against West Ham in Molinine.
Jorgen Strand Larsen’s shooting died in the former Wolves Max Kilman captain and although West Ham pushed the local team, the local team held a deserved victory which surely ended any persistent relegation for the Midlands Club.
Evan Ferguson, making his first departure on loan to West Ham, should have put the side away at the start of the match, but could not sort his feet in time and failed to have enough on the center of Jarrod Bowen. Wolves continued to make him pay his miss.
Strand Larsen’s goal was a bit like fortune, but the Wolves played impressive football, Marshall Munetsi hitting the bar with the opportunity to double the advantage of the Vitor Pereira team while they were very confident, Joao Gomes in the foreground.
Graham Potter has made three changes to the break and West Ham improved considerably, replacing it Niclas Fullkrug hitting the crossbar with a header. But the best chance of equalizing came in the 89th minute when his compatriot Sub Tomas Soucek dragged largely.
West Ham missed the chance to pass Tottenham and Everton in the table and stay 16th, just a place and now just five points ahead of a Wolves team who can now count on a rehearsal of this match next season. Bad news for Ipswich and Leicester.
Wolves have been transformed defensively
Wolves are a different team defensively under Pereira. They had conceded 40 goals in just 16 games before arriving, the worst record of the Premier League. Only Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace have kept more clean leaves than wolves since.
The impact of Emmanuel Agbadou was illustrated again when he delivered a dominant performance at the rear, while Matt Doherty has been a revelation since he was reinvented as a right central defender under the Portuguese coach.
But it is the protection offered in front of the three rear that is just as crucial and this game presented the qualities of the Brazilian duo of Wolves Andre and Joao Gomes. Their capacity in possession and out of possession was too good for West Ham in the first 45 minutes.
Their combativeness means that Pereira must eliminate a earlier than late. The two were reserved, Andre’s yellow card requiring its substitution. West Ham had his best fate with him, but it was too late for Potter’s team to repair the damage.
While the emphasis was put on another Brazilian, Matheus Cunha, it is significant that Gomes has signed a new long -term contract at Wolves. Pereira now has the defensive base to give the Wolves the hope that its reconstruction can harvest more awards next season.
