Football writer Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 36.
Team analysis: Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves have soared away from the relegation zone under Vitor Pereira’s expert guidance, and are sitting comfortably in mid-table, in 13th place.
The 56-year-old has had an incredibly stabilising effect on the side, with Wolves winning eight of their last 12 matches, conceding only 10 goals during that time.
Ahead of their defeat by Manchester City last Friday they had been on a six-match winning run, making them the top team for form in Europe. Now they sit second, just behind a Barcelona team who have played an extra league match.
Most points in Europe's big five leagues since 15 March
| Matches | W | D | L | Pts | |
| Barcelona | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolves | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| Real Madrid | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| Man City | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Napoli | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Strasbourg | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Roma | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
Their turnaround has been nothing short of spectacular, when you consider Wolves spent most of this campaign flirting with relegation.
Since the start of February, only the champions, Liverpool, have accrued more points than Wolves.
Top five PL teams over last 12 matches
| Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| Liverpool | 8 | 2 | 2 | +11 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolves | 8 | 1 | 3 | +9 | 25 |
| Aston Villa | 7 | 2 | 3 | +7 | 23 |
| Man City | 7 | 2 | 3 | +7 | 23 |
| Chelsea | 7 | 2 | 3 | +6 | 23 |
A settled side
Pereira’s predecessor Gary O’Neil spent the early part of 2024/25 searching for a starting XI he could trust.
Wolves never really settled into any kind of tactical rhythm, using five different formations, flitting between a back four and back three.
Pereira has prioritised a focused approach, using the same 3-4-2-1 system in all 19 of his Premier League matches in charge.
He has made some notable changes within that settled framework.
Emmanuel Agbadou, the impressive January signing, has been a fixture in the centre of Pereira's three-man defence. The head coach has swapped Matt Doherty and Nelson Semedo’s positions, to allow the latter to operate at wing-back.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe international Marshall Munetsi has also come into the team, starting regularly as an attacking midfielder.
Most unchanged PL starting XIs since 21 Dec
| Club | Total |
| Newcastle | 10 |
|---|---|
| Wolves | 6 |
| Everton | 5 |
| Bournemouth | 4 |
| Nottingham Forest | 4 |
| Fulham | 4 |
Injury permitting, Pereira likes to make minimal alterations - although that thought process is logical when Wolves have been winning so many matches.
Yet since he took over on 21 December, it is worth noting that Pereira has named six unchanged starting line-ups.
In that spell, only Newcastle United have kept the same XI on a more frequent basis. This level of continuity has worked wonders for Wolves.
Brilliant Brazilians
One partnership that Pereira has certainly settled on is in central midfield, where Brazilian stars Andre and Joao Gomes have struck up a brilliant rapport.
In the 3-4-2-1 shape, it is important both central midfielders show great industry, and that is certainly the case with the Wolves duo, who love to break up play all over the field.
Andre, 23, has been a revelation this season, retrieving possession more than any other Wolves player.
When you look at the areas (below) where Andre and Joao Gomes regain possession for the side, blocking up central lanes inside their own half superbly, it is easy to understand why Wolves have been better defensively in recent months.
Together, they screen service very well and protect Pereira’s new-look back three.
Andre defensive actions map
Joao Gomes defensive actions map
Andre, who won the Copa Libertadores with Fluminense, has been excellent since arriving at Molineux last August.
In terms of midfielders who have made at least 15 starts, he ranks second for winning possession inside the middle third, and third for overall ball recoveries.
His aggressive partner Joao Gomes is the division’s sixth-most prolific tackler and another who retrieves the ball on a regular basis.
This duo, with two attacking midfielders ahead of them in a box midfield, have been top-class out of possession.
How Andre and Joao Gomes rank among PL midfielders 24/25
| Per 90 | Andre | PL rank* | Joao Gomes | PL rank* |
| Possession won | 7.01 | 3rd | 5.74 | 18th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poss. won middle third | 4.02 | 2nd | 2.87 | 21st |
| Tackles | 3.19 | 12th | 3.38 | 6th |
| Tackles won | 1.91 | 11th | 2.0 | 10th |
*Minimum 15 starts
Playing with assurance
There has also been greater calmness about Wolves since Pereira took charge.
They play with greater assurance than earlier on this season and are less frantic than before.
The stats below are not poles apart, but you can see that there has been a shift towards looking after possession with a touch more care.
They are more measured in their build-up and have left themselves less exposed at the back.
How Wolves compare under O'Neil and Pereira
| O'Neil | Wolves 24/25 | Pereira |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Matches | 19 |
| 46.3% | Possession | 47.7% |
| 81.0% | Passing accuracy | 83.5% |
| O'Neil per 90 | O'Neil total | Wolves 24/25 | Pereira total | Pereira per 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 | 22 | Build-up attacks | 38 | 2.0 |
| 2.1 | 33 | Direct attacks | 26 | 1.4 |
| 7.4 | 118 | Passing sequences (10+ passes) | 187 | 9.8 |
Andre is a key player in that regard, moving the ball with precision in tight areas, often releasing the likes of Matheus Cunha and Munetsi with early passes into pockets of valuable space.
His ability to keep the ball under pressure, after often initially winning it himself, marks Andre down as one of the Premier League’s best all-round defensive midfielders.
Best PL midfielders for passing accuracy 24/25
| Player* | Passing accuracy |
| Curtis Jones | 93.95% |
|---|---|
| Andre | 92.96% |
| Mateo Kovacic | 92.77% |
| Ilkay Gundogan | 92.32% |
| Sander Berge | 91.61% |
*Minimum 15 starts
The 23-year-old has the second-best passing accuracy percentage in the Premier League among all midfielders, just behind Liverpool’s Curtis Jones.
And as you can see in his distribution map (below) from Wolves’ 1-0 win at Manchester United, Andre gets all over the pitch to be involved in their build-up play.
He constantly knits together Wolves' moves, helping them play out from the back, and slipping passes into the wingers or attackers.
Pereira’s faith in his partnership with Joao Gomes has been a huge factor in their change of fortunes.
Andre pass map v Man Utd (A)
Wolves have been better in almost all departments since Pereira came into the club. The most progress has been made defensively though.
He has stemmed the avalanche of set-piece goals against Wolves; they have conceded just five in his 19 Premier League matches, compared with 14 goals in 16 games prior to his arrival.
A glance at the data shows how much influence his tactics have had.
Wolves are facing fewer shots, their goalkeeper is less overworked, and the rate of their concessions has more than halved.
How Wolves compare for shots faced under O'Neil and Pereira
| O'Neil | Pereira | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Matches | 19 |
| 14.6 | Shots faced/90 | 10.8 |
| 5.7 | Shots on target faced/90 | 3.4 |
| 1.7 | xG against/90 | 1.4 |
| 2.5 | Goals conceded/90 | 1.2 |
Pereira has extracted more from his players by creating a culture of strategic consistency, and by asking his players to be a little more thoughtful about their positioning and decision making, with and without the ball.
A home match against Brighton & Hove Albion may have filled some of the Wolves players or fans with dread earlier in 2024/25, but they will attack Saturday's fixture with relish.
