Report | Leicester 0-3 Wolves

Wolves provided their supporters with an early Christmas present as the Vitor Pereira era began in style with a dominant showing on the road against Leicester City.

Just four days after the Portuguese came into the job, his team provided one of their most impressive showings of the season to overcome their fellow Premier League strugglers with a devastating first half.

Wolves opened the scoring through Goncalo Guedes who got onto the end of a long ball to fire into the far corner, before Rodrigo Gomes scored his first goal in Old Gold to double the advantage.

Just before half time, Matheus Cunha scored his ninth goal of the campaign when Guedes fed his attacking partner who found the net from a tight angle. Although Wolves were unable to add to their tally in the second half, a professional defensive display saw Pereira’s side walk away with all three points.

The opening 10 minutes at the King Power were quite a scrappy affair with neither side able to get into a rhythm, but once Pereira’s Wolves got into the groove, they began to turn Leicester inside and out.

However, it was the Foxes who had the first opportunity to find the net after Jamie Vardy got in behind Santi Bueno, but Jose Sa was quick off his line to block the former England striker’s effort before the Portuguese cleared the danger.

With Leicester putting in some harsh challenges on Wolves, the first goal of the game came from a set-piece situation, but this time in the Old Gold’s favour.

Having seen their initial free-kick cleared, Nelson Semedo lifted the ball back into the penalty area and after the Leicester defence allowed the ball to bounce, Guedes was there to pounce ahead of Conor Coady and turn his shot past Ward on the turn – with the Portuguese scoring the opening goal of the Vitor Perreira era.

Leicester got their game going midway through the first-half and offered some threat to Sa’s goal, with James Justin having a go from long distance, before the goalkeeper had to stop Stephy Mavididi after the winger cut inside onto his right and hit a fizzing effort at goal.

But it was the side in all gold who scored the second through a large slice of luck. A long ball was played into the Leicester box by Matt Doherty, which Justin lets bounce and Rodrigo Gomes is there to control the ball on his shoulder and does enough to get a foot on the ball to turn it past Danny Ward.

VAR delayed the celebrations of Gomes’ first goal for the club, but after deciding the ball came of the winger’s sleeve, the goal was eventually given.

The defensive worries of Wolves this season almost rose their heads once again in the first half as Leicester gave up a glaring chance. Mavididi’s cross into the box was missed by Toti, giving Vardy the chance to have a shot at goal, but the defender did well to get back on the line and stop the shot.

But moments later, Wolves made it three. Semedo and Guedes combined well down the right once again and after the forward cut inside, he laid a ball into the path of Cunha who took a good first touch before firing his second into the net from a tight angle, providing the perfect opening 45 minutes showing under their new boss.

Half-time | Leicester 0-3 Wolves

With a three-goal advantage to take into the second half, Wolves played a more tactical 45 minutes following the break, as Pereira’s side focused more on keeping their second clean sheet of the season while getting forward on the break.

Vardy had the best chances of the second half for the Foxes, with the striker putting pressure on Sa’s goal, but he could only find the side netting with a pair of efforts.

But Wolves could – and possibly – should have put the game beyond any lingering doubt by adding a fourth, but the Old Gold saw their chances go begging. Santi Bueno almost found the net with a diving header from a brilliant Cunha cross, but the ball just went the wrong side of the post.

Cunha’s free-kick also just missed the same post, while Joao Gomes gave up the opportunity to add to his goal tally in gold and black with the midfielder twice getting picked out by Cunha in good positions, but the first he went with his head when a boot would have been better and he could only turn it wide, before his curling shot was straight at Ward.

As the Ole’s rang out around the stadium from the away support, Wolves more than held on to claim a well deserved three points in their bid to beat the drop.

Full-time | Leicester 0-3 Wolves

Leicester | Ward, Justin (De Cordova-Reid 54), Coady, Vestergaard (Faes 45), Kristiansen, Soumare, Skipp (Winks 45), El Khannouss (Choudhury 54), Mavididi, Ayew (Buonanotte 83), Vardy.

Unused subs | Iversen, Okoli, Thomas, Daka.

Wolves | Sa, Semedo (Forbs 88), Doherty, Bueno, Toti, R. Gomes (Dawson 83), Andre, J. Gomes (Bellegarde 88), Guedes (Hwang 73), Cunha, Strand Larsen (Doyle 83).

Unused subs | Johnstone, Lima, Meupiyou.

Referee | Anthony Taylor