Wolves news: Andre-Joao Gomes partnership key in improvement

Wolves were five points from safety when Vitor Pereira was appointed on 19 December. They are now six points above the relegation zone.

While many players have contributed and top scorer Matheus Cunha’s influence has been the focus of most Wolves-related headlines, two of Cunha’s fellow countrymen have played an important role in the team’s recent improvement.

Brazilian duo Andre and Joao Gomes have started together in the centre of midfield in 10 of the 12 Premier League games since Pereira’s arrival.

Andre’s £21m move from Fluminense in August created a quandary for previous boss Gary O’Neil; would it be possible to use Andre, Gomes and then-captain Mario Lemina in the same starting XI?

He tried, but it never quite worked. Last season’s player of the year Lemina struggled to reproduce his previous form and, in the eyes of many, none of the trio looked entirely comfortable in their respective roles for a prolonged period.

Lemina filled in at centre-back on occasion to cover for injuries, lost the captaincy before what proved to be O’Neil’s final game in charge and then his place in the side when Pereira took over.

His absence and subsequent exit to Galatasaray in February paved the way for Andre and Gomes to become Pereira’s clear first choices in a midfield two.

Using the old-fashioned eye test, they look assured playing together in a two-man midfield; shielding the defence, breaking up play and recycling possession.

Gomes’ passing accuracy, tackle success and number of interceptions per 90 minutes have all gone up in the past 12 games, compared to the first 16 matches of the season.

As for Andre – who was imperious in Saturday’s draw against Everton – his tackle success rate has dropped during the same parameters, however, he is averaging almost one interception and two recoveries more per 90 minutes under Pereira than under O’Neil.

And his passing has remained at a high level; his passing accuracy of 92.9% across the full season puts him 10th among all Premier League players to have featured in at least 500 minutes of top-flight action in 2024-25.