Wolverhampton Wanderers defeated in-form Aston Villa 1-0 this afternoon as they virtually secured their Premier League status for another season.

The Old Gold had secured some impressive wins over the previous month, but a 6-0 loss against Brighton and Hove Albion seemed to knock the stuffing out of the side, and Julen Lopetegui was aiming to bounce back today.

The Spaniard brought in Toti Gomes as he replaced Hugo Bueno, and it turned out to be a match-winning decision, as the defender scored a header from a corner during the first ten minutes which ended up as the only goal.

Both teams had chances throughout, yet Wolves’ resolute defending was integral to the overall performance, and they now sit on 40 points, ten clear of the drop zone.

Toti was a worthwhile inclusion, and his Sofascore rating of 7.6/10 was the highest of any outfield player in the starting XI. Aside from scoring the winner, he was a rock at the back, winning five of his ground duels, making three tackles and three clearances, while taking 40 touches, suggesting he looked to get on the ball regularly.

However, it was forward Matheus Cunha who was Lopetegui’s true hero on the day as he starred alongside Diego Costa.

How did Matheus Cunha perform against Aston Villa?

The Brazilian was excellent against Villa, looking lively throughout as the Molineux outfit looked to secure a vital win, and he was a key part of this success.

His 7.4/10 Sofascore rating ranked him as the joint-second-best outfield player after Toti and alongside Matheus Nunes, and although he didn’t score, his overall contribution was solid.

The forward had two shots during the tie and succeeded with all six of his attempted dribbles, as the Villa defence struggled to keep tabs on him during his time on the pitch.

He did complete just nine passes, yet he more than made up for this with his defensive output, chipping in when it mattered most. Cunha won nine ground duels, made two tackles and interceptions as well as one clearance, as he demonstrated his physical attributes to wonderful effect.

It was a display that Loeptegui would have hoped for pre-match and the striker certainly delivered. Securing their top-flight status ahead of next season could be crucial in terms of luring more players of Cunha’s quality to the Midlands ahead of 2023/24, and the manager has turned their fortunes around massively since taking over just before Christmas.