Submarines: Johnstone, Lemina, Sarabia, Forbs, Bellegarde, Meupiyou, Cundle, Pond, Okoduwa.
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Nottingham Forest: Salts, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Submarines: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Awoniyi, Ward-Prowse, Alex, Jota Silva, Yates, Sosa, Boly.
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Arbitrator: Peter Bankes
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It’s perhaps no surprise to learn that there are more Portuguese managers (four) in the Premier League than English ones (three). Two of them – Vítor Pereira and Nuno Espírito Santo – meet today, the latter returning to the club and the city where he lived between 2017 and 2021.
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Wolves under Nuno have been brilliant: promoted from the Championship in his first season, he then achieved consecutive seventh-place finishes in his first two seasons in the top flight before a mid-table campaign ended his time in the Midlands. Nuno bought well, largely compatriots including Diogo Jota, Rúben Neves, João Moutinho, Rui Patrício, as well as Raúl Jiménez (albeit from Portuguese giants Benfica), Adama Traoré (from Middlesbrough) and Max Kilman (from Maidenhead United outside championship). With this squad, plus academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White, it’s easy to see why Wolves qualified for the Europa League.
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Nuno and his Portuguese entourage created an identity and legacy that survives in the Wolves team today. The number of Portuguese speakers in the first team is now in double figures (including four Brazilians), while new manager Pereira and six Portuguese staff members are added to the total. Wolverhampton has also changed with the appearance of Portuguese restaurants and cafes across the city (although I’m sad to report that the Aromas de Portugal cafe, which was heavily discussed in our 2018 interview with Jota and Neves, is now closed).
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Anyway, welcome home Nuno, so to speak. It remains to be seen what kind of reception the top four chasers will receive at relegation-threatened Molineux, but it should be a lively and (very Portuguese) one.
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To start up: 8 p.m. GMT.
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Key events
England coach Thomas Tuchel is also present. The only English footballers from both teams are Tommy Doyle (Wolves), Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White (Forest).
Will lose
Will loseour man at Molineux this evening, records:
Wolves have conceded 10 goals from corners this season, more than any other team and that appears to be weighing on Vitor Pereira’s mind as he put his starting XI through numerous warm-up drills to ensure that they are up to it. Now to see if it will work…
No Premier League team had less possession this season than Forest, but they can level on points with Arsenal in second place tonight. Don’t expect Forest’s counter-attacking football to change tonight, especially with Hudson-Odoi’s pace back in the team.
The first email is from Peter Oh: “Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas!” Speaking of partridges in a pear tree, did you know that the Portuguese word for pear tree is pereira? “It bodes well for Wolves fans who are waiting for one last Christmas present.”
Julen Lopetegui, former Wolves manager Looks like he’s in trouble at West Ham.
The Wolves “defense” tonight is certainly… different. There is no natural central defender at all. Doherty, Bueno, Ait Nouri and Pedro Lima are all full-backs or full-backs.
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira spoke about their form in front of the cameras this evening:
Sometimes it is a hybrid system. Sometimes we play with four, and sometimes with three defenders. I don’t want to play with three central defenders. I want to play with three defenders. It’s different. Sometimes we press higher with our wingers.
Let’s unpack these teams a little.
The wolves have changed a lot! Pedro Lima makes his Premier League debut (he has played twice in the League Cup this season) while Rodrigo Gomes, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Goncalo Guedes and Tommy Doyle all return to the XI. Matheus Cunha is a big failure, he is suspended. It’s not immediately clear who the captain is, nor have the Wolves announced it on their social media channels.
Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi return for the visitors, after missing the win at Everton due to injury. A big plus for Nuno.
News from the team!
Wolves: José Sa, Doherty, Bueno, Ait Nouri, Pedro Lima, Doyle, Joao Gomes, Rodrigo Gomes, Goncalo Guedes, Hwang, Larsen.
Submarines: Johnstone, Lemina, Sarabia, Forbs, Bellegarde, Meupiyou, Cundle, Pond, Okoduwa.
Nottingham Forest: Salts, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Submarines: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Awoniyi, Ward-Prowse, Alex, Jota Silva, Yates, Sosa, Boly.
Arbitrator: Peter Bankes
Preamble
It’s perhaps no surprise to learn that there are more Portuguese managers (four) in the Premier League than English ones (three). Two of them – Vítor Pereira and Nuno Espírito Santo – meet today, the latter returning to the club and the city where he lived between 2017 and 2021.
Wolves under Nuno have been brilliant: promoted from the Championship in his first season, he then achieved consecutive seventh-place finishes in his first two seasons in the top flight before a mid-table campaign ended his time in the Midlands. Nuno bought well, largely compatriots including Diogo Jota, Rúben Neves, João Moutinho, Rui Patrício, as well as Raúl Jiménez (albeit from Portuguese giants Benfica), Adama Traoré (from Middlesbrough) and Max Kilman (from Maidenhead United outside championship). With this squad, plus academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White, it’s easy to see why Wolves qualified for the Europa League.
Nuno and his Portuguese entourage created an identity and legacy that survives in the Wolves team today. The number of Portuguese speakers in the first team is now in double figures (including four Brazilians), while new manager Pereira and six Portuguese staff members are added to the total. Wolverhampton has also changed with the appearance of Portuguese restaurants and cafes across the city (although I’m sad to report that the Aromas de Portugal cafe, which was heavily discussed in our 2018 interview with Jota and Neves, is now closed).
Anyway, welcome home Nuno, so to speak. It remains to be seen what kind of reception the top four chasers will receive at relegation-threatened Molineux, but it should be a lively and (very Portuguese) one.
To start up: 8 p.m. GMT.
theguardian