Cunha fires Wolves to valuable win at Bournemouth
Source:Â http://richportaltv.com
Wolves defeated 10-man Bournemouth on the road, earning a crucial three points in their struggle for Premier League survival thanks to Matheus Cunha’s fourth goal in four games.
The high-flying Cherries, who began the afternoon hoping to move into the top four, suffered a costly loss when Illia Zabarnyi was dismissed in the first half.
Rather than showcase their Champions League abilities, Bournemouth lost for the second time since November 23. The Wolves, on the other hand, pulled away from the bottom three by five points.
The hosts’ defensive line was broken less than five minutes after Ukraine international Zabarnyi was sent off.
Impressive Brazil forward Cunha lifted the ball over goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga when James Hill and Dean Huijsen failed to clear Nelson Semedo’s cross from the right.
Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth had started the game on the front foot, with Marcus Tavernier’s whipped effort signaling their intent.
However, Vitor Pereira’s visitors grew into the game as Semedo hit the base of the post with a left-foot effort, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s follow-up attempt was superbly repelled by Arrizabalaga.
At the other end of the pitch, Justin Kluivert forced Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa into a smothering save, and the contest was very much in the balance when Zabarnyi went sliding in on Rayan Ait-Nouri.
The former Dynamo Kyiv defender was initially shown a yellow card by referee Michael Salisbury, but that was upgraded to red after a VAR review deemed his challenge to be dangerous, with Zabarnyi’s left foot slipping off the top of the ball onto the shin of the Wolves wing-back.
After the interval, it was predictably difficult for the home team as the visitors took full advantage of their numerical advantage.
Marshall Munetsi’s gilt-edged attempt from Bellegarde’s cross went wide, giving the Wolves a chance to double their lead. With Bournemouth only having one shot in the second half, Wolves always appeared at ease.
Wolves had dropped five of their last six Premier League games since the year began when they came to Bournemouth.
Nonetheless, the visiting fans, who have not witnessed their team lose a Premier League match in this region of the south coast, had a pleasant day out.
Having pushed leaders Liverpool close at Anfield last weekend, this result was hardly an unthinkable outcome, although Wolves were undoubtedly aided by Zabarnyi’s early bath and ultimately by having a game-changing player like Cunha at their disposal.
“We need players to work a lot, fight and run, and also players inside the pitch that can, in a situation, technically decide a game,” said head coach Pereira.
“Cunha is this special player that can give us these moments of magic.”
The former Atletico Madrid forward has now scored 13 league goals this term, and his current hot run of form shows seven goals in 11 games across all competitions.
On this evidence, it was easy to see why he was linked with a move away from Molineux during the winter transfer window and why Wolves were equally as desperate to tie him to the new four-and-a-half-year contract he signed.
Cunha has said he is committed to the Wolves, and everything he did—whether linking the play or carrying the ball forward—oozed quality.
He had already tested Arrizabalaga with a left-footed effort before making the decisive contribution. If they survive, his contributions will have been key.