Wolves moved five points clear of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at 10-player Bournemouth as Matheus Cunha scored the winner five minutes after Illia Zabarnyi’s red card.
Bournemouth defender Zabarnyi was sent off in the 31st minute for a studs-up tackle on the shin of Rayan Ait-Nouri after referee Michael Salisbury overturned his yellow card call following a VAR review at the pitchside monitor.
The visitors then quickly made their advantage count as Cunha clinically finished to score his 13th league goal of the season and net for a fourth consecutive game in all competitions.
Bournemouth defender Illya Zabarnyi was sent off in the first half of their 1-0 home loss to Wolves
Wolves failed to finish the game off in the second half as winter-window signing Marshall Munetsi missed a glorious chance on his first start for the club.
Bournemouth failed to have a shot on target in the second half as Andoni Iraola’s side missed the chance to move into the Premier League’s top four in a dent to their Champions League qualification hopes.
But at the other end of the table, it was a vital afternoon for Vitor Pereira’s side as they clung on for a first away league win of 2025 to boost their hopes of survival as relegation rivals Ipswich lost at home to Tottenham.
Analysis: Classy Cunha the difference again for Wolves
Matheus Cunha celebrates his first-half goal
Cunha was yet again the difference-maker for Wolves.
The Brazilian’s star quality will likely keep Pereira’s side up with his winner at Bournemouth moving them five points clear of the relegation zone.
Wolves made three signings in the winter window, with Munetsi making a real impression on his first start for the club in the win on the south coast.
But make no mistake, the biggest bit of business the club pulled off in January was keeping Cunha at the club after he signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract amid interest from numerous Premier League clubs.
The new deal, however, contains a release clause in excess of £60m, which is active in the summer.
More performances like the one at Bournemouth, which saw him score his 13th league goal of the season, will surely see the clause triggered.
If Cunha does eventually leave then he will likely exit Molineux a hero with his stunning form set to keep Wolves in the Premier League.
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