New boss inspires Wolves to win over Leicester
Leicester City 0 - 3 Wolves
Vítor Pereira’s debut as a Premier League manager was pretty much perfect.
A two-time league champion with Porto, Pereira has finally been given his chance in England – and it couldn’t have started much more comfortably.
Wolves found themselves 3-0 up by half-time, but that’s not to say Pereira has instantly turned them into a free-scoring machine. Instead, they simply capitalised on their opportunities when they arose.
The opener came after Nelson Semedo lofted a speculative ball down the right channel. Somehow, it made its way to Gonçalo Guedes in the box. The Portuguese forward, making just his second league start of the season, hooked it past Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward with Wolves’ first shot under Pereira’s management.
The second goal had a touch of fortune about it. Matt Doherty sent a hopeful diagonal ball towards Leicester’s right-back, James Justin, who allowed it to roll past him – unaware that Joao Gomes had sneaked in behind. Gomes controlled it heavily on his chest and tried to poke it goalwards. Although he didn’t connect properly, the ball still trickled into the net as Ward had already committed to diving the wrong way.
Just before half-time, Wolves struck again. Semedo fed the ball down the right wing to Guedes, who cut back inside and picked out Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian striker showed excellent composure, slotting it past Ward and in off the far post.
Leicester responded with a flurry of substitutions at the break, but Wolves remained the more threatening side. Santiago Bueno and Joao Gomes both came close to adding a fourth as Pereira enjoyed a dream start to life in the Premier League.
Premier League: 2024/2025 season
Ruud's honeymoon period is over at Leicester
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s tenure as Leicester boss began on a high note, with a promising 3-1 victory over West Ham on 3 December.
However, just three matches later, the initial buzz of a new manager bounce already seems to have worn off.
The Foxes suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at Newcastle in their previous outing, and their return to the King Power Stadium on Sunday got off to an uninspired start.
Jannik Vestergaard was culpable for the opening goal, allowing Semedo’s through-ball to bounce past him, while James Justin misjudged Matt Doherty’s delivery for the second.
Stand-in keeper Danny Ward, deputising for the injured Mads Hermansen, could have done better for the second goal. As for the third, it highlighted a worrying lack of urgency across Leicester’s backline.
The thoughts of the Leicester manager after another defeathttps://t.co/jaszXCZYzMhttps://t.co/Mu4Cn3x6Z9 https://t.co/BskPmPYECP
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) December 23, 2024
Vestergaard was hooked at half-time, with Justin following him off the pitch shortly after, but the changes did little to trouble Wolves.
Jamie Vardy had a couple of tame attempts on target, and Leicester’s best chance came in the first half when Vardy’s effort was cleared off the line by Toti Gomes – just moments before Wolves added their third.
Van Nistelrooy’s attacking philosophy was a major factor in his appointment to replace Steve Cooper, but it’s clear that his defensive setup needs urgent work if Leicester are to avoid slipping into the bottom three over the festive period.
Wolves fans are still nervous about their chances of staying up
Gary, a season ticket holder, told us: "That performance was much improved. While there are still some defensive issues that a stronger team might have exploited, we capitalised well on the few chances we created. I was glad to see the players pressing and fighting for the ball. It's too early to claim that we will be safe from relegation at the end of the season but this has definitely given us a boost.
A great start for Vitor 😁
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 23, 2024
Today's Wolves Express podcast is all about yesterday's win 🎧
Tommy added: "That was a significantly improved performance, but there were still too many defensive mistakes. Let's hope this marks the beginning of a revival. I supported Gary O'Neil, but unfortunately, he lost his way, so let's rally behind the new manager. Things can only get better between now and the end of the season."
