Wolverhampton Wanderers

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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On an escalation ladder of troubles at football clubs, the moment when the away fans turn on either the players or the manager is usually a late-stage, Defcon 2-sort of indicator.

Sometimes these stages are run through very quickly. The change of mood at Wolves has not been as drastic as events at Forest, but it is not so many weeks since Vitor Pereira's name was being sung loudly by the same fans. Now, at Sunderland on Saturday, taking that name in vain.

The man himself saw hope in the second half, at least in the first 30 minutes in which his team did create a few chances, although very few of them were on target.

"We missed one chance, two chance, three chance, but with quality, quality, quality," Pereira told me. "But… 15 minutes before the end, we decide to take risks to try to score a goal.

"Unfortunately, we started to put long balls in the box because we had Tolu [Arokodare] and [Jorgen] Larsen and this was misunderstood by our team."

You didn't want them to do that, Vitor?

"Of course not. I want the team to play and create, to assist the strikers but in a proper way. It's not just to put long balls in the box, and, OK, we'll see if in the second ball we can score a goal. This is not our game."

Some time before the end, it became one of those matches that is less about the actual game in progress than a wider commentary on the medium-term fortunes of the two clubs.

Sunderland, a side with limitations but smart enough to work to its strengths, have energy and momentum. Wolves have energy too, but the gears to turn it into useful product now all seem misaligned.

Pereira's account was that of an operator pulling at levers to find, alarmed, that none of them work.

In previous seasons, changing one part of the machine – the manager, a few players in the transfer window, the sporting director – has made things work well enough to get by.

At Sunderland, the feeling took hold that this time a patch-up job will not do, and the sound of that feeling was what the players and coaches heard from the third tier of the stand.

They will hear it louder still if the game against Burnley, now suddenly a fixture to fear, takes the same course.

Listen to full commentary of Wolves v Burnley at 14:00 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio WM 95.6 FM and DAB

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Wolves content on BBC Sounds

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

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Deja vu hangs over Wolves - and you could feel it on Saturday.

The mood, the murmurs, even the songs. Fans drifted through a back catalogue of memories, calling out the names of Conor Coady, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez. Then further back to Bakary Sako, Nouha Dicko and Benik Afobe.

It felt warm, but also worrying. This is what happens when belief in the present starts to thin. We reach for the past.

It mirrors the end of Gary O'Neil's reign, almost beat for beat. A bit of early optimism, a few gritty performances, then a slide that felt slow and inevitable.

Last season, the crowd at Everton away sang the same songs, for the same reasons, shortly before the axe fell. Supporters were searching for identity and joy, and they found it in memory rather than on the pitch.

Vitor Pereira's start has flickered with similar tones. A plan that looks tidy on paper, moments that hint at control, but a team still stuck between ideas.

The atmosphere told its own story - not rage or apathy, but longing. Fans were not just singing; they were placing a marker. This is what Wolves can be. This is what Wolves felt like when belief was shared by the players and the supporters.

That is the reflection that matters now. The songs are a love letter and a warning. The fanbase is still here, still loud, still ready to back a team that gives them something real - but they are also telling the club what they miss: leaders, conviction and a clear way forward.

Alan Shearer had just three words to say about Wolves on BBC's Match of the Day and I will finish with those: "Must beat Burnley."

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League match between Sunderland and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Sunderland fans

Ronnie: Haway Sunderland! Resolute in defence and able to break forward to threaten. That 'nailed on' relegation doesn't loom as large as it once did. Regis le Bris is a tactician who can also drill a defence into becoming a brick wall. Long may it continue!

David: A solid defensive performance against a poor but unlucky Wolves. We rode our luck too much and it was uncomfortable viewing. We really do need to find out how to finish teams off earlier. But I'm still very happy with the win. Haway the lads!!

Milo: I thought we didn't play our best brand of football today and yet still looked really impressive. We let Wolves look more dangerous than they deserved to but we're not the Sunderland of old and we didn't really even look like conceding. All that's left to say is watch the gap, Newcastle!

Wolves fans

Mark: Lacklustre, clueless and uninspiring. How many times can you try crossing without looking? Long balls to a striker who can't be bothered to jump! Whatever Vitor Pereira looks at on his screen is not the answer!

Richard: A must-win game was a very lame display. It saddens me to say but the Championship seems inevitable. I just can't see any other outcome.

Giorgio: The players are afraid of their own shadows. Same scenario as the end of the Gary O'Neil era. From outside, it's always hard to judge, but I am not sure the squad likes and understand what Pereira wants. Too defensive, no creativity and not enough forward threats. In my opinion, the players could be good enough for a decent season but something is not working. We are in big trouble.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Manchester City 2-0 Everton

• Crystal Palace 3-3 Bournemouth

• Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves may have been unfortunate not to take maximum points in their two previous matches against Tottenham and Brighton after conceding late equalisers.

Yet there are few positives they can extract from their trip to Sunderland.

Vitor Pereira's side were second best for long periods, remain the only winless team in the English top flight and now appear in danger of being cut adrift at the bottom of the table.

Despite the season being only eight games old, they are already five points from safety and have the worst goal difference in the division.

The travelling supporters may have expected more against opponents who were still in League One in 2022.

Jorgen Strand Larsen is yet to score a Premier League goal since Wolves rejected bids of £50m and £55m for him from Newcastle in the summer.

The Norway international's 24 touches also represented the lowest number by any visiting player to feature for the full game and was emblematic of an attacking display that lacked inspiration.

And the tactic of repeatedly lofting the ball into the Sunderland area, sending in 31 crosses in total, when the home side were always well set to repel danger was fruitless.

Wolves have now failed to score in four of their eight games with only managerless Nottingham Forest (five) faring worse this term.

Vitor Pereira spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Wolves' defeat against Sunderland: "The first half was technically poor. When I look back at the first half, I don't remember good moments. In the second half we corrected our moments and in my opinion we played 30 minutes of high quality football and created three or four chances to score.

"In the Premier League you cannot lose these moments. But in the end we concede. In the last 15 minutes with two strikers we stopped playing, we started playing the long ball and this is not our game.

"They scored their goals and we missed our chances. You have moments in football. The players want to the change things but we had two or three chances we couldn't miss.

"But this is football and we keep working and we will prepare for the next game. We must win, score goals and not concede goals."

Did you know?

Wolves have failed to win any of their opening eight league games for the second season running – they're just the second side to do so in consecutive Premier League campaigns after Sunderland (2015-16 and 2016-17).

• Listen to Pereira's post-match interview with Radio WM on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Sunderland's performance

What did you make of Wolves' display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Sunderland make two changes to the side that started their 2-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester United on 4 October. Chris Rigg and Dan Ballard both come in with Simon Adingra and Arthur Masuaku dropping to the bench.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Ballard, Alderete, Mukiele, Xhaka, Sadiki, Traore, Rigg, Le Fee, Isidor.

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Geertruida, Talbi, Brobbey, Mayenda, O'Nien, Adingra, Masuaku.

Wolves make two changes to the side that began their 1-1 draw against Brighton before the international break with Matt Doherty and Rodrigo Gomes coming in for Jackson Tchatchoua and the injured Hwang Hee-chan.

Wolves XI: Johnstone, Doherty, S Bueno, Krejci, H Bueno, Munetsi, Trindade, J Gomes, Arias, Larsen, R Gomes.

Subs: Sa, Wolfe, Agbadou, Arokodare, Mosquera, T Gomes, Hoever, Lopez, Tchatchoua.

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Nottingham Forest v Chelsea (12:30)

• Brighton v Newcastle

• Burnley v Leeds United

• Crystal Palace v Bournemouth

• Man City v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Sunderland v Wolves - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Fulham v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Arsenal", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Firstly, huge apologies to Sunderland fans. After all the stick I got from them for being so negative about them this season, I knew that as soon as I backed them to win a game, the wheels would come off - and that's exactly what happened against Manchester United.

It just shows that they are better off with me writing off their team, so they should probably welcome my prediction for this game.

This week, they are at home to Wolves, who are bottom of the table without a win, but the Black Cats have picked up a few injuries and their squad strength is a little bit of a concern.

United deserved to beat them before the international break - and it's not often you say that about United, is it? But I was impressed by Regis le Bris, because he did not make any excuses afterwards.

Sunderland need to get back on track, but I don't think they will find it straightforward against a Wolves side who have drawn their last two games. There is not going to be a lot in this and even I can't pick a winner.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Sunderland put their unbeaten home record on the line against a Wolves side who are still searching for a first league win of the season.

BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes ahead of their game at the Stadium of Light.

At the start of the campaign it is fair to say most Sunderland fans would have happily taken 11 points from seven games going into October's international break. Their tally is as many as the three promoted sides had managed between them at this stage of last season as Leicester City (six), Ipswich Town (four) and Southampton (one) all got off to a terrible start.

It has been the Black Cats' form at home that has underpinned their impressive return to the top flight. They have secured two wins and a draw at the Stadium of Light with Wilson Isidor scoring in all three matches. Another victory would take them to 10 points from their opening four home matches in a top-flight season, something they have not managed since 1968-69.

Regis le Bris's side sit in ninth position, despite having only scored seven goals in seven games. Their average of 10 shots per match is their lowest in a Premier League campaign since records began in 1999-00.

The same can also be said for Wolves, whose average of 9.4 shots per match is also their lowest in a Premier League season. Vitor Pereira's side are one of two top-flight teams this season, along with Fulham, to have not had a player score more than one league goal so far.

They may sit at the foot of the table, but Wolves have actually improved on their start to last season. However, having two points compared to one is not something to cheer a fanbase who voiced their displeasure at the end of the frustrating draw with Brighton last time out.

Manager Vitor Pereira was sent off on a fractious afternoon at Molineux as their propensity to toss away a lead again cost them dearly. They have now opened the scoring in their past three Premier League games, but have failed to win any of them.

Pereira is also yet to get the best out of a squad that is clearly missing last season's top scorer Matheus Cunha. Chasing an elusive first win of 2025-26 has seen the Portuguese boss make a top-flight high 25 changes to his starting XIs so far.

Only Manchester United with 29 in 2001-02 and Manchester City with 26 in 2012-13 have ever made more by this stage of a Premier League campaign.

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Pereira started by addressing the 19th-minute red card he picked up against Brighton last time out: "Firstly, I want to apologise. I know football is emotional, and I'm an emotional guy, but my behaviour was not proper. I kicked a ball and it cannot happen again. I apologise."

• The FA charge hearing will take place after the Sunderland match, therefore he will be allowed on the touchline at the Stadium of Light.

• In terms of team news, Hwang Hee-chan has a "small injury" and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is "sick". They are both currently doubts for this weekend.

• Jorgen Strand Larsen is "trying his best" amid a recurring Achilles tendon issue. Pereira added: "It's not easy to be at his best level with the pain [he is experiencing], I understand that. Right now he is still in pain, but he is trying to help the team."

• There is a sense of frustration after dropping points in their last two league games against Tottenham and Brighton. He explained: "If we look over the last three games, we can look at them from the perspective that we didn't lose. We won in the Carabao Cup and got two draws. In the last minute, we lost two points though - that is the frustration."

• Wolves' position at the bottom of the Premier League table is a "cause for concern", but he is happy with the "progress of the team" and believes their last three performances in all competitions have shown they are "very competitive" now.

• On opponents Sunderland, he said: "If we had their points total, our confidence would be different. We need to prepare because they are strong, especially at home. We need to be at our best level. We need to face these teams with our tools, our ideas and our identity. It will be a good atmosphere and we need to prove we are ready."

• When asked if he is feeling under pressure, Pereira responded: "I don't feel the pressure from outside because I don't read or see anything and I don't watch TV. I live in my world - and my world is about me and my team. The pressure I put on myself is the pressure I feel."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League table is starting to take shape and while results are obviously what matter most, they don't tell the whole story in terms of how teams have been playing so far.

Expected goals (xG) tells us how much teams have been dominating games by creating lots of good chances up front and restricting opponents to few, bad ones at the back.

Penalties are excluded because they distort a team's numbers on how threatening or vulnerable they are in general, especially at this early stage.

Below is a graphic showing how good teams have been in attack and defence, with the most dominant teams in the top-right corner and the least impressive in the bottom-left corner.

Arsenal and Manchester City have been the most dominant sides, with the Gunners having the best defence and fourth-best attack and City the joint-best attack and fourth-best defence.

High-flying Crystal Palace are the only side to rival City's attacking threat, while Newcastle are living up to their name by being almost as impregnable at the back as Arsenal.

Both Manchester United and Chelsea have one of the top five attacks in the league but worryingly also rank in the bottom five defensively.

• Find and follow your Premier League club on BBC Sport

Liverpool's back-to-back defeats following five straight wins gives a more accurate picture of how they have been playing, while Tottenham have needed to be very efficient to make up for their lack of dominance in games.

Aston Villa's early-season struggles are no longer to do with finishing - they have now scored six non-penalty goals from an xG of 6.0 - but simply because they have not been playing well.

While promoted sides Leeds and Sunderland have adapted quite well to the top-flight, Burnley have struggled to make the jump so far with both the worst attack and the worst defence.

Read more on what expected goals tell us about the start to the season

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Good for Emmanuel Agbadou, who played a game and a half for Ivory Coast over the past few days and was on the field as they confirmed a place at the 2026 World Cup.

Sometimes a feel-good moment like that is all it takes to throw a switch on a player's form. Wolves fans will hope that will be the case for Agbadou, who has been one of the most perplexing features of the season.

You could expect that Wolves would miss the quality of Matheus Cunha. It was harder to budget for the most influential signing of last season suddenly appearing so confused. A noisy night in Abidjan might be all it takes to fix it.

Good too for Santiago Bueno, one of the few Wolves players to take a step forward so far this season. He captained Uruguay in a friendly against Uzbekistan in Malaysia, which on first reading feels like the sort of delightfully random fixture until recently only seen in computer games.

Yet leading out your country, whenever and wherever, is a big deal and something to be rightfully proud of as he travels back to Wolverhampton.

Even with Matt Doherty injured and Jhon Arias not selected by Colombia, Wolves sent a record 17 players out on international duty in this break, and Vitor Pereira and his staff will be busy counting them all back.

Saying that, even in an expensive seat, it is a long way back from Abidjan, or Malaysia - or Seoul, where Hwang Hee-chan went for two friendlies without, alas, leaving the bench.

Modern Premier League travel arrangements may spare the globetrotters from a long Friday afternoon counting service stations on the M1 towards Sunderland.

But they still do not leave much time for Pereira to work in detail with his players to reinforce the good things from the past two draws, or put right the faults that cost points.

Yes, all the other managers have similar problems, but Wolves really do have to get the next few games right.

What happens against Sunderland and Burnley in the next two matches will not decide the season, but the results will have a major bearing on the atmosphere around the club.

Win, and the mood will lift as the path to safety becomes clearer. Lose to the two sides just promoted and the disquiet already heard from many supporters will become despair.

Listen to full commentary of Sunderland v Wolves on BBC Radio WM (95.6FM), Saturday at 15:00 BST

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Wolves content on BBC Sounds

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Johnstone has been a revelation for Wolves this season - and few saw it coming.

Splashing out on another keeper initially suggested Jose Sa would leave. He didn't.

Instead, the pair fought for the gloves. Sa won that fight last season, and Johnstone struggled so much that Pereira rarely looked past his countryman.

This year, it has flipped. After a first outing against West Ham in the Carabao Cup, Johnstone seized his chance.

He impressed on his first league start at Newcastle, then backed it up with strong displays against Everton in the cup, and Spurs and Brighton in the league.

Last season, shots seemed to whistle past him. This term, he is producing big moments: the save from Mohammed Kudus against Spurs and the stop from Georginio Rutter stand out.

The data backs it up. FotMob rate Johnstone as the third-best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season with a 7.5 rating, behind only Nick Pope and James Trafford. For a player many expected to move on in the summer, that is some turnaround.

He could easily have left. After a rough 2024-25, reports linked him with Sunderland and Burnley. Nothing materialised, and at 32 he stayed put.

Over the summer he doubled down on his craft, working closely with a goalkeeper coach to refine the details. That extra effort shows in his positioning, handling, and decision-making under pressure.

Wolves still have problems, especially in attack. But at the back, Johnstone is a major reason things look steadier.

He has helped bank precious points, even if his excellence has not counted for more yet.

From afterthought to first choice, his renaissance is one of the season's most welcome surprises at Molineux. Let's hope he keeps this form.

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Former Wolves winger Matt Jarvis believes Vitor Pereira's desperation to turn positive displays into points is understandable and says both the manager and his players are feeling the weight of being without a Premier League victory this season.

Wolves are bottom of the table with just two points from their opening seven games.

They are unbeaten in their past two league outings, although they led both matches before conceding late equalisers against Tottenham and Brighton.

"He [Pereira] is just desperate to get his team a win, he really is," Jarvis told BBC Radio WM. "He's missed out on a few opportunities where late goals have come in, and he's just desperate. He's used a tactic where he's kept the team as it was and conceded goals.

"Now, he's changed it by trying to go a bit more defensive, and maybe that will have a bit more stability at the back and stop the threat. To keep it tight and keep teams away from your goal and get shots off is a difficult task in itself.

"He's just trying to get it over the line and get that first win, and it's weighing heavily on everyone, including the manager, but you can see it from the players' point of view as well that they are distraught and disappointed.

"You can definitely draw positives - confidence in our unbeaten run, performances have improved - your focus is always on looking at these two games coming up [against Sunderland and Burnley]. They are huge. These are must-win games."

Listen on BBC Sounds

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In the third and final part of our Q&A with BBC Radio WM reporter Mike Taylor, we discuss Wolves' use of income and Pereira's future.

Hugh asked: Given the position and dire situation Wolves are in, do they stay with the current coach if they lose to Sunderland and Burnley? Or do they admit that Championship football is their destination come the end of the season?

Mike answered: I'm quite sure Wolves have no wish to lose Vitor Pereira, especially so soon after signing him to a new contract and adding to his staff. I'm also quite sure that if they were to lose those two games, the atmosphere around the club - among the fans, certainly - will have worsened considerably.

My BBC colleague Nick Mashiter wrote on this page earlier this week that "Pereira can see the team progressing - adding to the internal belief he will turn it around". There is some evidence for that on the field, and it is fair to point out that they were not far from winning against both Tottenham and Brighton.

But they will need to win at least one of those two upcoming games against newly promoted clubs to avoid a sense of panic - and that is dangerous for any coach. If it comes to that, the length of his contract, or how recently it was signed, may not be a factor. Wolves found themselves in exactly that position with Gary O'Neil last season.

I am sure the last thing Wolves want to do is change the coach again. It would be sad if that point is reached, given that Pereira made such an impression on everyone around the club - and did a fine job - last term. But as we have seen many times at clubs all over, the only way to ultimately avoid that choice is to win games.

When the heat is on, and the demand for something to change is intense, the manager's position is always the one with the lowest melting point.

Glyn asked: How is it that a club like Bournemouth, with lesser gate income than Wolves, can attract the players they do and be as successful at it? We are surely a richer club, but do not seem to be making the best of what we have.

Mike answered: The last part of the question is the point. I would also note that gate income, while useful, is no longer the most significant component of a club's income.

A quick glance at Bournemouth's most recent accounts shows "match and season ticket income" was £6.5m out of a total income of £161m, while for Wolves, "gate receipts" made up £16m of a total £178m.

Like Wolves, Bournemouth have had significant financial backing over the period since their current owners took charge. But I think we have to attribute their relative progress in recent times to making better decisions with that money.

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In the second part of our Q&A with BBC Radio WM reporter Mike Taylor, we focus on the future of Jorgen Strand Larsen and who the leaders are at Molineux?

Jackson asked: Do we intend on hanging on to Jorgen Strand Larsen or will he be sold?

Mike answered: I'm sure plan A is to keep Strand Larsen around for the long term, but these things inevitably depend on events. By setting him up with a longer contract after rejecting Newcastle's advances, Wolves not only made it worth his while staying, but protected his value as an asset going forward.

But it is simply a fact of modern football life that if the striker performs as well this season as he did last, there will be interest from clubs prepared to pay. When that occurs, Wolves will again have to base their decision on the facts that present themselves at the time.

Taking the case of last summer, if the offer from Newcastle had arrived in June, and/or Wolves had two or three alternatives to Strand Larsen already on their books, the circumstances would have felt entirely different.

The attitude of the player is also undoubtedly important, and Strand Larsen's behaviour was described throughout as impeccably professional.

I sense no wish from Wolves to sell, but it would be unrealistic to rule out such a situation occurring at some stage during his contract term.

Image source, Getty Images

Richard asked: Do you think Wolves have a real natural leader on the field - like a Conor Coady - with obvious grit, determination and passion that team-mates will follow to the ends of the Earth?

Mike answered: This is an interesting one.

Wolves do have players who show all the personal qualities you mention - Joao Gomes perhaps the most demonstrative example - and my view is that, whatever the team's other failings, it is not short of hard workers.

It is also possible to lead by example, without being quite as vocal as Coady was, but his qualities as a leader were not just defined by the volume of his voice. There was something about his manner that marked him out as a leader long before he was given the armband.

Vitor Pereira named a leadership group - Gomes, Toti, Matt Doherty and Jose Sa - before this season began. I am sure they have the respect of their colleagues, although probably only Gomes is currently assured of a regular starting place.

I would agree with you though, that none of them is making themselves obvious as a leader on the field like Coady did - or even other recent captains like Danny Batth or Max Kilman, who generated the same effect without necessarily saying so much.

From a distance, Ladislav Krejci seems to be an organiser as well as a fine player, so perhaps he will become that leader in time.

Come back to this page later on Thursday for the final instalment of the Q&A, which focuses on Pereira's future and how well Wolves spend their money.