Wolves 2 Aston Villa 0 - Liam Keen and Nathan Judah analysis
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Hello, I'm Nathan Judah, I'm here with the Wolves reporter, it's Mr Liam Keenan, it feels
00:14so good, it feels so good, it feels great. Wolverhampton 1-2 is 2 Aston Villa 0, that
00:19was, to a man, probably the best team, I won't say the best performance, but the best team
00:22performance of this season. They fully deserve that.
00:25I think, without a doubt, it's the best performance under Vito Pereira, I would say, and Manny
00:30Knight in here, maybe, you could argue that. That first half in particular.
00:36I would say the most complete performance.
00:37Yeah, I think that's a good way of describing it, and particularly that first half, I was
00:41about to say. We said all along, Wolves need to make a fast start in this game, don't they?
00:46They need to give, the crowd are going to be into it anyway because of what the game
00:49is, but it's the player's responsibility to bring the crowd in and say, right, we're with
00:54you, you're with us, we're going to go for it, go for this game, and they did that from
00:57the very first minute. Wolves pressed intently, high up the pitch, with aggression, with physicality,
01:04with endeavour and effort, the kind of effort, to be honest, we should have seen in other
01:08games and we haven't seen at times, and they showed all of those characteristics that you
01:13need for a derby game, but any game in the Premier League, to win, and they did that
01:16from the very first minute. The first goal, which was going to be the winning goal until
01:21the very last moment, which we'll come on to, it's a fantastic pass from Sarabia, first
01:25of all, beautiful pass, and Belagard hit it with real venom, he caught it, really, really
01:31caught it. To be Martinez near post, one of the best goalkeepers, if not the best goalkeeper,
01:35I think he's the best goalkeeper in the world, near post, you've got to really strike it
01:39hard, and Wolves haven't been doing that, and that was great from a player, let's be
01:42honest, who we were surprised to see in the starting line-up, especially in central midfield,
01:46he was fantastic today. He was very good today, Belagard. The way that he celebrated,
01:51he was a player with a bit of relief, first of all, and a little bit of anger as well.
01:56He sort of booted that ball away up into the stands.
01:58It did, it went out, it went out.
02:00Or did it go, did it?
02:00Yeah, it went out.
02:01Completely out.
02:01It hit the Expresso style buildings.
02:03It hit your car.
02:05The window mirrors are in your car.
02:06Crikey.
02:06It's four grand.
02:08It's just two minutes on the road, you know that now.
02:12And I'm pleased for him, because as much as he deserves to be analysed in the way that
02:17he has been, and that he's been nowhere near good enough of late,
02:21that was a fantastic performance from a player that has clearly got quality.
02:25And he showed everything. He tackled, he won the ball back, he carried the ball nicely,
02:30he picked passes, he obviously had a goal threat with the goal he scored,
02:33and it was a really, really, really good moment.
02:35But I have to talk about one player as well, and that's Pablo Sarabia.
02:39Bloody hell, where did that come from?
02:40He was...
02:41I mean, I sang his praises in the podium midweek, saying that he's not going to start another game
02:44for Wolves anytime soon, and it was the third game on the bounce.
02:47But this was a different Pablo Sarabia.
02:49This was someone who had guile, who was attacking, who was linking up well with play,
02:53obviously assisting the goal.
02:55But also, I thought his tracking back was superb.
02:57It was like a different player.
02:58Yeah, completely.
02:59A colleague of ours said in that half-time, he was like a man possessed.
03:03And that's the kind of performance...
03:06You can go across any player in the squad, but that's the kind of performance you need
03:08on a day like today against an opposition like this,
03:11but particularly when Wolves are down there, and Wolves are desperate and fighting and scrapping,
03:15those are the kind of individual and team performances you need.
03:18Sarabia was absolutely brilliant.
03:20Obviously, trailed off a little bit in that second half,
03:22but I think the whole team did in the start of that second half.
03:25Azzaville got back into it, and they made four changes at half-time.
03:28It was a bit of energy.
03:29And they're still a good team.
03:30But overall, he was brilliant, and the team deserved it.
03:32Wolves were the better side today.
03:34Do you know what?
03:35In these last two or three or four games, we've questioned the character,
03:38questioned the belief that was there today.
03:40And that's why you look at the table tonight, and it's been a fantastic day for Wolves
03:44in terms of Ipswich losing, in terms of Leicester City losing,
03:48Everton winning, but at the same time, as long as three go down,
03:50we don't really care who those three are.
03:53We'll galvanise Wolves, and we'll also show a lot of people,
03:56maybe doubting them, that they've got the mettle for this relegation fight.
03:59Well, we've said all along, yes, they need some additions.
04:02Of course they do.
04:03I think the balance of the squad needs a little bit of help.
04:05But there is quality.
04:06There is quality there.
04:06There is quality in there, and there has been this whole time.
04:09What there hasn't been at times is a little bit of cohesion,
04:13at times a little bit of desire and effort,
04:15not because they don't want Wolves to stay in the Premier League,
04:18but I think they're a very emotional side that just struggle to get through moments.
04:23Just be a little bit clever, use a little bit of mouse.
04:25And they've struggled to get through certain moments and bad moments.
04:28And when you start fast today, the crowd are with you the whole way,
04:31and you put a performance in like that, you see the quality that they do have.
04:35This team is more than good enough to stay in the league,
04:37but I think we'd be silly to come away from one win thinking
04:40they're totally safe, and it's all done.
04:43There's a long way to go still, but that is a great start,
04:46and hopefully a springboard to Wolves staying in the Premier League.
04:49There were some big plays and some big performances out there.
04:52Two more I just want to discuss quickly.
04:53Totti Gomez returning to the side.
04:55I know Santi Bueno was on the bench that came on late in the game,
04:58but I thought that Totti Gomez probably had a very, very good game.
05:02And also, we'll probably get forgotten about, but at 1-0,
05:05you know, Wolves could have had and should have probably gone two or three ahead.
05:08They didn't.
05:08At 1-0, he's still a bit nervy.
05:10Jose Sarr made some big saves there.
05:12Really big saves at 1-0 before, obviously, Mateus Cunha finished it off.
05:15Yeah, absolutely spot on.
05:17On Sarr, first of all, what he is best at,
05:19and what I think he's very good at,
05:21in comparison to a lot of Premier League goalkeepers,
05:23is his shot stopping, and he showed that today.
05:25I thought, actually, he commanded the area pretty well from set-pieces as well.
05:28I mean, Villa put a lot of pressure on with some set-pieces,
05:31and you've got a player like Anana coming on at half-time,
05:33who was about 7ft10.
05:34Massive!
05:35I mean, he's absolutely...
05:35Big boy!
05:37On and off the pitch.
05:39Don't do that.
05:41And I thought Sarr was very good.
05:43And I tweeted it as well during that second half.
05:45It's always a little bit of a risk to tweet something at 86, 87 minutes
05:48about a player, especially a defender,
05:50because it could go badly wrong at 1-0.
05:52But I took the risk.
05:53Totti Gomez, I thought, was phenomenal today.
05:55I thought he was absolutely fantastic.
05:57He adds...
05:58Your boy.
05:58My boy, my boy.
05:59He adds...
06:02In this particular system, as we've seen previously,
06:04under Gary O'Neill, before they moved to a back four,
06:06he suits it perfectly.
06:08He can come out onto his left foot on the left side.
06:10He can play the ball down the line.
06:11He's athletically quick.
06:12He's good in the air.
06:13He was brilliant today.
06:14Agbidu had a lot of really good moments as well.
06:16A few very shaky ones with the ball at his feet.
06:18Again, a few missed...
06:18Distribution needs a bit of work.
06:19His distribution needs some work.
06:20But for a tackler and a shot stopper...
06:22Exactly that.
06:22As a kit-headed defender.
06:24He blocked one from Marlon's shot.
06:26No, a Bailey shot, sorry.
06:28Just as he came inside the box.
06:29It was a fantastic block from Agbidu.
06:32I thought Bueno came on, actually, and did pretty well when he came on.
06:35I know he only had a few minutes,
06:36but he makes a tackle there that sets the Cunha goal up,
06:38which we'll talk about in a second.
06:40You could go across the pitch.
06:41Wolves were very good today, and they deserved the win.
06:43Yeah, and look, like you say,
06:43Mateus Cunha hasn't been himself last two or three games.
06:46Mateus Cunha's not going anywhere.
06:48He's not going anywhere.
06:49And we've said that, and we've said that, and we've said that,
06:50despite other people saying, you know,
06:52he might be going here, he might be going there.
06:54It wasn't...
06:54Wolves would be insane to lose Mateus Cunha.
06:57We know he's the best player on this side.
06:58We know that he hasn't been at the races last two or three games.
07:01That goal, at the very end,
07:03when we looked like he was just going to hold the ball up,
07:05the chance had gone.
07:06Especially when he missed that one in the first half as well.
07:08We'll do him the world of good.
07:10The world of good tonight.
07:12Because we know that regardless of...
07:14Obviously, he wants the team to do well.
07:15Mateus Cunha likes to score goals.
07:16Ford likes to score goals.
07:17Strangler likes to score goals.
07:19That will be great going forward.
07:21That's good news for him.
07:22It's good news for Wolves.
07:22Yeah, 100%.
07:23Just very quickly, you sort of glossed over the fact
07:25they missed so many chances in that first half.
07:27Cunha, obviously, a massive one.
07:28Guedes could have had a hat-trick
07:29and a bit of more clinical finishing.
07:31Be careful, love.
07:32End of the nose.
07:33Still there.
07:35I'm not very well, okay?
07:36I've got tissues everywhere.
07:37I think it was a swap.
07:38Yeah, you might have to wear that out.
07:40No, no, no, it's fine, it's fine.
07:41It's only a mistake.
07:42It's either that or it's two.
07:43Oh, guys, please don't touch me.
07:47This is unbelievable.
07:48Don't do that.
07:49Yeah, Guedes could have had a hat-trick
07:50with some better finishing.
07:52And considering he missed that chance
07:54and then has this one.
07:55And we think the chance is gone.
07:56He starts to be surrounded
07:57and he digs it out with his feet
07:58and it's a lovely finish.
08:00The celebration was very telling.
08:02A lot of relief.
08:02Again, similar to the Belaguard one.
08:04As you say, for him as an individual,
08:05we'll do him the world of good.
08:07And he celebrated with the heart
08:12going nowhere.
08:12Love that.
08:14Which we said anyway.
08:15Of course we did.
08:15But that was his opportunity
08:18to express to the Wolves fans what's happened.
08:20We knew this.
08:21He's still very likely to sign this contract.
08:25And he'll be a Wolves player
08:26until the summer at the very least.
08:27And you need a player like him on song
08:30because he's more than good enough
08:32to keep this team in the division.
08:33You need a player of his quality playing well
08:35and that's what we call him.
08:36Yeah.
08:38Could have done without taking his shirt off
08:39and getting me a bookie from a fancy team.
08:40But I'll have one of them afterwards.
08:42He's a wilder player.
08:42Not happy with that.
08:44Even the ball to him through Hwang Hee-chan as well.
08:46Good ball.
08:47Somebody who's been devoid of confidence came on
08:49and I thought was decent today.
08:51I thought we'd be critical of Vito Pereira
08:53with his substitute.
08:53I thought bringing Rodrigo Gomez on today,
08:55bringing Tommy Doyle on,
08:56that was the time when he needed to do it.
08:58Thought Doyle was very good actually when he came on.
08:58Doyle was really good.
09:00Sarabia coming off at the right point.
09:01Obviously on the booking,
09:02you don't know what's going to happen.
09:03The last thing you want is him to get sent off
09:05even though he had a very, very good game.
09:06So I think all in all,
09:09everything,
09:10Pereira got everything right today
09:12and they got the fans back on side.
09:13When they look at the table tonight
09:15and we're going to now go towards Monday at 11 o'clock,
09:18if you've got potential players,
09:19if you've got potential players,
09:20maybe story,
09:21maybe let's see what happens today
09:22and they've seen that.
09:23Beams all over the world tonight.
09:24Oh, they're beating the Champions League.
09:26Aston Villa.
09:27You don't know what that will do with potential dealers
09:29that are in the mix.
09:29So let's hope if they can add a couple more now,
09:32one or two more before 11 o'clock on Monday,
09:34this could be a fantastic weekend for Wolves,
09:36the one they've needed.
09:37Yeah, one they've needed definitely
09:38because it's all about that support from those fans
09:41and those fans that were very loud today.
09:43They were brilliant.
09:43They stuck with the team and you need them on side.
09:46It's going to be a big couple of days for this football club
09:49because they do need to bring additions in.
09:51But if they can perform like that,
09:54they've got a good chance of staying up anyway.
09:56Well, I think they'd be silly not to bring these additions
09:58and bring the players in.
09:59Look, Doyle's been a player
10:00that's basically been written off by Pereira.
10:01If we're being really honest.
10:03And he comes on today and puts a performance in like that
10:05off the bench I thought was very, very good.
10:07Wolves haven't got quality in this team,
10:08but they are on an emotional side.
10:10And when that emotion works for you,
10:13you get performance numbers all like that.
10:15And when it's against you, we get four losses in a row.
10:17So they have to try and use that to their advantage.
10:19But signings on top of that would be
10:21the cherry on the cake this weekend.
10:23Oh, on the cream, on top of the cream.
10:25Look, at the same time, you know,
10:27we obviously covered Aston Villa's paper as well.
10:28We had Matt Mayo today.
10:29So we've, you know, obviously disappointed for him.
10:33We've got to be impartial.
10:35Right, OK.
10:35It's Wolverhampton 1-2, Aston Villa 0.
10:37For the post-match reaction, make sure you log on
10:39to Express The Staff.
10:40Are we doing it in unison?
10:40Come on, we haven't done it for a long time.
10:41In unison?
10:42Yeah.
10:42All right.
10:42Ready?
10:43Don!
10:44Come!
10:47I wasn't ready.