If this proves to be a tale of two departing star strikers, Matheus Cunha surpassed Jamie Vardy with as much comfort as Wolves have eclipsedLeicester Cityin this game and over the past five months.
Manchester United target Cunha scored the first goal and made the others for Jørgen Strand Larsen and Rodrigo Gomes while Vardy, having announced he will leave Leicester at the end of this tumultuous season, had his penalty saved by José Sá.
It was a contrast and a game that exemplified the teams’ fortunes since changing managers before Christmas. Wolves won the return fixture by the same scoreline in Vítor Pereira’s first game in charge, and have accrued 33 points in this time; Leicester have gained four points in this period, losing 17 of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 19 games, last to seal a humiliating return to the Championship.
“Six in a row,” chanted the South Bank as Wolves continued their best top-flight winning sequence since September and October 1970. Their chance to make it seven – which they have only managed once in their entire top-flight history – comes at Manchester City on Friday. “First the points, then the pints,” they sang. “Vítor Pereira, we’ll see you in ‘Spoons.” The Wolves manager will be bought a pint whichever pub he enters in Wolverhampton on Saturday night.
Vardy earned then spurned his penalty. With 198 goals from 497 games for Leicester, most neutrals are hoping the former non-league and England striker makes it to the double century in these last four games. Leicester, flaccid, were already 2-0 down when Vardy ran on to Bilal El-Khannouss’s pass midway through the second half and rounded Sá while leaving his trailing leg. But then the keeper got sharply down to Vardy’s spot-kick to complete Leicester’s miserable day.
Cunha scored the opener 12 minutes before the interval, a fine goal epitomising his finely tuned partnership with Rayan Aït-Nouri.
Cunha has done his bit to help extend Wolves’Premier Leaguestatus by at least another season, but his maverick, almost sepia-tinted, approach to the game – he spends a higher proportion of his game time walking (77%) than any other player in the Premier League – makes him a rare luxury player. His body language is mixed, and his pressing negligible. Therefore he needs to weigh in with the marvellous goals, assists and creativity for which United are reportedly ready to invest the stipulated £62.5m.
He had already run from deep in his own half to send one shot just wide, as Leicester backed off meekly. With their relegation confirmed last week, the confidence levels of Van Nistelrooy’s players were clearly on the floor.
André shot just wide from the centre circle, after Mads Hermansen’s poor pass out left the goal unguarded, and Ait-Nouri’s volley was cleared from the line after Nelson Semedo crossed from the other flank. The Wolves breakthrough seemed inevitable.
It was a beauty when it arrived. Cunha collected the ball from Toti just inside the Leicester half, played it out and received the return from Aït-Nouri, who ran on to the striker’s perfectly weighted ball towards the corner flag. Aït-Nouri had time to control the ball, come inside and wait for his temperamental teammate to take the position just outside the six-yard box from where he turned in the cross.
That was his 17th goal of the season, all but two coming in the Premier League, and shows why he feels he deserves to be playing for an elite club.
Quite how Wolves failed to double their lead seven minutes into the second half is a mystery, as Cunha’s shot was blocked and Aït-Nouri, four yards out, opted to pass to Strand Larsen, even closer to goal, who somehow stabbed the ball over the bar.
The Norway striker made amends moments later, getting on the end of Cunha’s superb angled pass before sliding home his shot, and celebrated in self-deprecating fashion, holding his head in his hands, laughing, and swinging his leg at the South Bank.
With six goals in six games, however, Larsen has led the way in Wolves’ best top-flight winning run in 55 years. Cunha broke away down the left to slide in another superb pass for Rodrigo to round off Wolves’ victory.
At least five Leicester fans had held banners aloft asking for the souvenir of Jamie Vardy’s shirt as their veteran captain started his long goodbye. Whose shirt he is wearing next season is yet to be determined but Leicester’s fate is sealed.