Vitor Pereira believes Wolves should have got more out of their defeat to Arsenal but was left ruing a failure to capitalise on chances in front of goal as well as having an extra man for half an hour.
After Arsenal saw Myles Lewis-Skelly dismissed just before the break, Pereira’s side were unable to make the most of their advantage. However, the Gunners found the net just four minutes after the game reverted to equal sides when Joao Gomes was sent off for a second yellow card.
But the head coach felt his team still did enough to have secured at least a point from the contest thanks to commitment and tactical nous his players displayed.
On a missed opportunity against the Gunners
“Yes. In the end of the game, I tell you we lost a big chance to win this match, because we played a very good game, in my opinion.
“Tactically, commitment, energy, we did everything to win the game. What we missed was to score, to score one goal.
“We had two chances before they scored, we had two clear chances to score the first goal. After yellow card for Joao, they scored one goal and we didn't.”
On not getting the result Wolves deserved
“It was a game where we went head-to-head with Arsenal. With a team that we know what they have as a squad.
“We played head-to-head, we played full pitch, we tried to play our game, tried to create and we create our chances. This is the type of game that the result doesn't reflect what has happened on the pitch, but that is football.”
On frustration at Gomes’ sending off
“It was, but Joao gives a lot to us. He is a player that, every match, he gives 100% from himself. We talk a lot of times, and he said to me, ‘Coach, I'm emotionally balanced, I'm ok, I will control myself. Don't worry.’ But in the end, it’s football.
“The problem is that we need solutions for the midfield. We need solutions, we need to have more players with the skills to play with two in the middle. The next days, we must bring in another midfielder because we need it.”
On failing to capitalise with an extra man
“When we started the second half, Arsenal pressed us a little bit more, a bit higher, but in the moment that Joao got the second yellow card, we played in the offensive midfield, we played and created chances to score.
“That was a crucial time and we got the yellow card. That's football. Let's see the future, learn with experience, learn from this kind of experiences and I believe that he will learn the lesson, but he's a player that I cannot ever criticize.
“I cannot criticize a player like Joao because every time, he is a player with 100% commitment with the team.”
