Julen Lopetegui has called for his Wolves players to remain balanced following their victory over Chelsea at Molineux as attention quickly turns to next week’s home tie with Brentford.
The head coach felt his side were more than deserving of claiming all three points over the Blues, and praised the defensive work of his team to ensure a first clean sheet in four outings as well as the mentality and spirit of his players as the result lifts Wolves four points clear of the relegation zone.
On three points against Chelsea
“We are happy of course because we deserved to win against a very good team. It’s not easy but in the end you can achieve your aim, so we are happy because the team have worked very, very hard.
“We believed and we deserved to win. You need to work hard to win each match and fortunately we got to score, we got to have a clean sheet and now we have three points more. But we have to continue because we have in front of us a lot of work to do, but we are happy for today, of course.”
On Matheus Nunes’ goal
“It was good for him to score and it’s a good goal, of course, but I want to highlight the work of the rest of the players and the rest of team.
“With the ball, it’s not easy to play against these kinds of players, but we had to have a big mentality. When you have a big mentality, these qualities are key. We had a big spirit and after we had the belief to be able to play football too.
“In the end, we are happy because we won and we achieve three important points, but we have to continue.”
A sweet strike providing three sweet points 🤌 pic.twitter.com/JIq84ZIUxc
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 8, 2023
On facing Chelsea during a turbulent week
“It’s not easy for them of course, having made these kinds of changes, sometimes you get a reaction from the players that is strong, but because they have very big players, it’s not easy.
“But that’s why I said before the match that I’m not going to put the focus on them. We had to put the focus on what is our big plan, what we want to do in the end, and fortunately we won.”
On showing spirit and character
“You want to compete against all of the teams in the Premier League. You have to work very hard in the defensive work and after in the attack.
“That’s why you have to play a very complete match if you want to have to win, and sometimes we do and didn’t win, but today we deserved it and fortunately we did.”
On staying balanced
“Always the win is important, but we have had some happy days here like today and some unhappy days like against Leeds.
“So we have to be balanced and be the same for the next matches here. Another match is in front of us and now we have to put the focus in Brentford, against another fantastic team having a fantastic season, and put the focus 100 per cent in the match. I don’t know any other way to work.”
On switching focus to next weekend
“In the end, we have to achieve a lot more points. We have to think about what we have to do in the future not about what we have done.
“That’s why it was very important to put the focus in the next matches because it’s going to be a very long and very hard race. But we have to be balanced. If we lose of if we win, we have to be balanced and be ready to work with a good week to be ready against Brentford.”
