Julen Lopetegui saw a big effort from his players against Brentford and was delighted to see another three points added for their aim.
The Spaniard has now masterminded back-to-back Premier League victories at the exact point Wolves needed it, as Diego Costa and Hee Chan Hwang fired the old gold to success over the Bees. While insisting there is still work to be done to secure Premier League safety, Lopetegui piled praise on his team who he now owes another clean sheet meal for this week.
On a pleasing afternoon
“Always we are happy with wins because we need a lot of wins to achieve our aim. Today was a very difficult match, it’s not easy to win two matches consecutively at home. After we played against a very hard team, away one of the best teams in the Premier League, and I think we’ve won a good match.
“We suffered in the moments we had to suffer, but we deserved in the end to win against a very good team. Three points more, we continue, we need more points in front of us to achieve our aim, so we have to be ready.”
On Costa getting his goal
“Diego is working. He has helped the team and the squad, sometimes on the pitch, sometimes the bench. Sometimes out of the squad list, it has happened. He’s here to help the team, help the club, and he’s very important. Today fortunately he has scored, he’s deserved one goal, but after, despite the goal, he’s played a very good match, with the ball, without the ball. I’m happy for him, of course, but above all for the team.
“He’s coming here to help, he’s important, and he’s working hard to have his chance to play. Today he had it. He has scored, but I think he made a very good match despite the goal. It’s important for him and for us.”
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 15, 2023
On the team staying strong
“I think it’s about the commitment to show you want it more than them. This is football, but I think we have done a very big effort, it’s true. To play against Brentford, they put a lot of mental stress, because at set pieces they are a very special team. I think we have matched them, and we are happy.
“I think we have done good matches, so to talk about the best is not important. It was a good match, against a good team, with a big commitment. We have run a lot and I don’t know another way to be able to win these kinds of matches. After, it is football, you can do the same and lose. I think we deserved to win today, but it’s not what you deserve, it’s scoring and not suffering a goal against a very hard team. We are happy to develop and the performance we have done today. We have to be ready for the next.”
On work still to be done
“We are not safe. We are fighting. We have to take a lot of points ahead of us, a lot of teams, so we have to be ready to get these points.
“It’s one step more. We have to get more steps because to achieve our aim we have to get to the end more points in front of us. You know the Premier League, you can win two matches, you can win against any team, you can lose against any team. This is the Premier League, so we have to be ready for the work we have to do in the future. We are happy, of course, but tomorrow we are thinking of the next one.”
On a clean sheet meal
“I’m very pleased to take my players for a meal, of course. It’s a good investment for me, for sure. It’s a good thing for them, but me too, because with a clean sheet you are closing to winning each match.”
On a good defensive performance
“All the team has worked very hard in the defensive way, not only against [Ivan] Toney, they have very good players. Toney is made one of the top players now in the Premier League. They have a very good team, a good coach, and are clear show they want to play. They change sometimes the attack, it’s not easy to play against this kind of team, but that’s why I highlight the work or all the team in a defensive way.”
