Julen Lopetegui has special praise for one Wolves player - and it’s not Matheus Nunes

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui singled out wonderkid Joao Gomes for special praise after the vital 1-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday afternoon. Wolves’ head coach spoke very positively about the Brazilian, though did then reiterate the importance of working together as a team rather than looking at individuals.

It was a delightful display from everyone in gold to earn an important three points in the push for survival from relegation. The visitors applied pressure in the second half but Matheus Nunes’ 32nd-minute wonder strike was enough to seal the deal for Wanderers – much to the disappointment of Frank Lampard on his managerial return for Chelsea.

“To beat this type of team you have to be close to perfection,” Lopetegui said post-match. “We tried to be aggressive on the ball and attack when we had the opportunity. We are happy for today, three points more. The goal was great but it is not only the goal, to have three points more you have to do very good work as a team.

“Joao Gomes played a very good match. He’s very young and has not had much experience in England. I think he’s going to have a good future. We are happy for him, Toti and all the players. But I prefer to highlight the team because we need the whole team to achieve our aim for the end of the season,” Lopetegui continued.

Being reluctant to single out players is very much a characteristic of Wolves’ head coach, so it’s no surprise he quickly referred back to the squad as a whole after doing so. But the fact he spoke so highly of Gomes is a real positive and highlights just how well the 22-year-old did to win his duels in the centre of the park.

Star man Ruben Neves was absent for Wanderers today but you would’ve hardly noticed as Gomes and midfield counterparts Nunes and Mario Lemina did brilliantly to undo Chelsea. The three points soar Wolves up to 12th in the table, just one place behind Saturday’s fallen opposition. More vitally, that’s now a four-point gap to the drop.