by 
Matheus Cunha has once again underlined his importance to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ chances of putting a desperately poor start to the season behind them. The Brazilian capped an outstanding individual performance with two superbly scored goals and an assist as Gary O’Neil’s side maintained their recent progress with a second successive victory which eased the pressure on the head coach and takes the club out of the bottom three.
O’Neil led the celebrations in front of the visiting fans after a superb second-half performance overwhelmed a Fulham side who had started the day with hopes of a top-six finish. The manager’s relief at seeing his injured side claim a much-needed three points was understandable. And, just like against Southampton when Wolves finally secured their first league win of the season in the 11th minute just before the international break, it was Cunha who made the difference.
The signs were ominous for O’Neil and his players when Alex Iwobi put Fulham ahead in the 21st minute with a well-executed effort from the edge of the box. Wolves’ response was impressive, however, with Cunha equalizing 10 minutes later before feeding João Gomes ahead to give his side the lead early in the second half. A second effort from Cunha, this time a memorable first effort from inside the box, and an injury-time goal from substitute Gonçalo Guedes after a counter-attack capped off a performance that extended their unbeaten run to four games and which O’Neil considered one of his best since taking charge of the Midlands club.
“There were some tough times,” O’Neil said. “The players never showed any cracks, always continued to work. Always stay truly humble and honest. It was a step in the right direction. Some days I’m sure I’ll be replaced, but it won’t definitely be because of losing players. It was one of my favorite performances, considering all the adversity, the pressure the band went through, some of the injuries and illnesses we suffered. One of my favorite afternoons as Wolves head coach.
Although O’Neil was keen to recognize his team’s contribution, the head coach acknowledged that Cunha stood out. “I think everyone knows how important he is to us, but it’s also important to recognize the work he’s done,” he added. “He is not the Matheus Cunha who arrived at Wolves, even several months ago, 18 months ago. He’s come so much that I like working with him, because the price is definitely coming down, he can be a very high level player.
Marco Silva, the Fulham manager, was left to reflect on how his side failed to capitalize on Iwobi’s opening goal. They were undone by Mario Lemina’s long ball which was met by an excellent first touch and finish from Cunha, then again when Cunha’s reverse pass released Gomes in the box.
“Given the result, it’s difficult to accept,” said the Fulham manager. “A strange game. We started as we really should, on the right foot, trying to control the game. We created chances. What had a big impact was when we conceded the first goal. We controlled the game.”
