Wolverhampton Wanderers secured their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup last night with an excellent 2-0 win over fellow Premier League side Everton.
Goals from Marshall Munetsi and Tolu Arokodare secured the victory for Vitor Pereira’s side, in what was just their second triumph of the 2025/26 campaign to date.
No wins have yet come in England’s top-flight, but the prospect of a cup run could hand the fanbase a reason to be positive despite their dismal league form of late.
Such a performance was an excellent one against a side who have only tasted defeat twice in the same time period, with the draw for the next round taking place later on this evening.
Numerous players managed to impress, undoubtedly contributing to the win, but it was an uncharacteristically quiet evening for one of the club’s star men.
Jorgen Strand Larsen’s stats against Everton
Over the last year, striker Jorgen Strand Larsen has rapidly become one of Wolves’ most important players – often providing the goods at key moments.
He’s netted 16 goals in his 43 appearances for the club, even being subject to a £50m offer from Newcastle United – a bid that was swiftly rejected by the hierarchy.
The 25-year-old talisman has since penned a new contract with the club, even leading the line for Pereira’s in the meeting with the Toffees at Molineux last night.
Strand Larsen featured for 68 minutes of the contest, offering a key outlet at the top end of the pitch, completing 83% of the passes he attempted, whilst also winning 50% of the aerials he entered.
The Norwegian also achieved a 100% shot-on-target accuracy rate, along with three touches in the opposition area – but was unable to get on the scoresheet like he did in the previous round against West Ham United.
It was a disappointing evening on the whole for Strand Larsen, especially after Arokodare replaced him and scored, but one other player managed to star and is becoming as important as the aforementioned talent.
The Wolves star who’s becoming as important as Strand Larsen
There’s no denying that Wolves have fallen way below the expectations placed on them by the supporters over the last few months – with their start in the league nothing short of a disaster.
Five games and no wins could be a concern for the hierarchy, but everyone must get behind the side to overturn their recent slump in form on the pitch.
The performance against Everton will no doubt have injected confidence that the players are able to compete, especially against one of the form sides in the same division.
Such an outing gave numerous players to thrive and showcase their talents, with Brazilian midfielder Andre grabbing such an opportunity with both hands last night.
The 24-year-old has struggled for regular starts this campaign, only starting three out of the five outings, but his display last night was arguably his best of the current campaign.
He featured for a total of 87 minutes last night, but was forced off with an injury in the latter stages and was subsequently replaced by defender Emmanuel Agbadou.
However, his performance up until that point was simply sensational, subsequently completing 100% of the passes he attempted, along with a 100% dribble success rate.
Such numbers highlight how impressive he was in possession, often being the player to make the side tick during the excellent victory over David Moyes’ men.
Minutes played
87
Touches
67
Passes completed
100%
Dribbles completed
100%
Duels won
88%
Tackles made
5
Blocks made
2
Interceptions made
1
Recoveries made
5
Andre was just as impressive without the ball, subsequently making five tackles and two blocks, whilst also making one interception and five recoveries.
He also won 88% of the ground duels he entered, further showcasing his dominance without the ball, before motoring the side forward with his aforementioned tallies in possession.
To top off his incredible showing, the Brazilian was handed a superb 7/10 match rating by journalist Rajan Sangha – reaffirming how impressive his showing was in the West Midlands.
After such a performance, Pereira has no option but to start Andre on Saturday, when his side travel to the capital to face Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the bigger picture is only positive for the Brazilian star, now having the perfect opportunity to make himself one of the first names on the teamsheet along with Strand Larsen.