Nuno hails impressive table-toppers Wolves
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo praised his impressive side’s resilience after seeing them move four points clear at the top of the Sky Bet Championship last night.
The 43-year-old had been linked with the Everton vacancy this week but saw his team brush Fulham aside 2-0 at Molineux.
Romain Saiss and Leo Bonatini scored in the first half to extend Wolves’ lead at the summit and seal their first win in November since 2013.
Nuno, who was appointed in the summer, enthused: “I’m happy with the result and the performance.
“For a third game in a week it was incredible, there was no time to totally recover and the boys go and work the way they did, so we must be proud.
“We were looking for a third goal as 2-0 is always dangerous against a team of Fulham’s quality and it would have made us more relaxed.
“It’s three points now and the international break, so let’s recover well because there’s a long way to go.
“Bonatini is a quality player but his work is more than just the goals.
“He works for the team and he’s the first defender we have.”
Saiss’s header opened the scoring after nine minutes. Ruben Neves has already gone close before Saiss, recalled after suspension, glanced a fine header in at the near post from Barry Douglas’s ninth-minute corner.
Any Fulham hopes of a comeback all but ended when Bonatini’s 10th goal of the season doubled the hosts’ lead after 26 minutes.
Ryan Sessegnon conceded a free-kick on the right and former Dundee United defender Douglas’s excellent driven delivery was glanced in by Bonatini, who has now scored in six straight league games.
Bonatini, Diogo Jota and Ivan Cavaleiro all had chances to add to the lead in the second half, but poor finishing and Fulham goalkeeper David Button denied them a third.
Lacklustre Fulham remain 16th and had few openings, although Floyd Ayite fired their best chance wide just after the break.
Downbeat Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic said: “There are not so many positive things for us.
“The situation is not new. They scored two easy goals, we played around but didn’t create serious chances or show enough quality.
“It’s a similar story, we’re not in our best moment and some people still need to adapt to this competition.
“We are now one month without being at an acceptable level. We must be ready to fight or we could be in trouble.”
Sunderland meet both Wolves and Fulham next month, visiting Molineux on December 9 and hosting the Londoners on December 16.
Sunderland have been snubbed by Sky Sports in the latest round of games selected for live coverage.
TV games: Fri, Dec 15: Sheffield Wednesday v Wolves (7.45pm); Sat, Dec 16: Cardiff v Hull (5.30pm); Sat, Dec 23: Aston Villa v Sheffield United (5.30pm); Tue, Dec 26: Burton Albion v Leeds (3pm) and Brentford v Aston Villa (7.30pm); Fri, Dec 29: Cardiff v Preston (7.45pm); Sat, Dec 30: Bristol City v Wolves (5.30pm); Mon, Jan 1: Leeds v Nottingham Forest (3pm)