Wolves secured their first win of 2025/26 as Vitor Pereira’s side knocked West Ham United out of the Carabao Cup at Molineux on Tuesday night and the Matchday Live Extra team were in position to give their thoughts post-match.
Coming into the game off the back of two defeats from their opening pair of Premier League fixtures, the Old Gold completed a late turnaround in the Carabao Cup with Jorgen Strand Larsen’s brace securing a first ever cup victory over the Hammers in four attempts.
After the final whistle, former Wolves full-backs Andy Thompson and Lee Naylor discussed how the introduction of Matt Doherty, Jackson Tchatchoua, Joao Gomes and Strand Larsen impacted the contest, how well the Norwegian took his two goals and how the players have given Pereira a selection headache ahead of Saturday’s Premier League visit of Everton to Molineux.
Impact of the substitutions
Thompson: “I think it’s massive to the way that they’re going to be feeling now going into the weekend. If they’d have lost that today, it would have been three losses going into Everton, who have just had a win, and it would have been a massive blow to them, but it was the reaction that I liked. I thought the reaction and the way that the subs worked and the way that they went about it made a massive difference to the way they went about the game. You could just feel the energy in what they had. As soon as those four players came on, it made such a difference to the team. With the quality that we had on the bench, I thought it was always something that was going to give us a bit of hope when they came on, but West Ham at that time were controlling the game. They got themselves in front, with two goals that I don’t think we’ll be too happy with conceding, but the way the four subs went about it, they’re four good, experienced players, influential throughout the game, they just changed the game.”
Naylor: “Subs can have a positive and a negative effect on you, and if they’re not coming on up to speed, you can get caught wanting. But the boys that came on tonight, they were right up to speed. They came on right out of the traps and they were getting at people. It just seemed like Andre came alive when his partner came on – they seem like a duo as a pair in midfield. But when they go hunting in packs and they win that ball, they make the opposition make mistakes, and then you have Larsen coming on and doing what he does.”
Strand Larsen’s brace
Thompson: “The first one was a great reaction. Again, it’s come sharp towards him and he’s finished it really well, and the second one was a good ball in, but he made that space his own. He knew the ball was coming in and he timed it perfectly. But that’s what it’s all about – if he knows the ball’s coming into the box, he knows he can attack it, especially if he knows where it’s coming, and it’s that little bit of understanding, but there was only one person who was going to win that header and it was him, and he's got that winning goal. He just showed how important he is to us when he came on, and the reaction of everybody in the ground, and the reaction when he got the two goals and how important it is to him.”
Naylor: “He just put himself about, he made himself hard to play against. You could tell he was going to be a problem for the West Ham defence as soon as he came on. He was taking touches, he was using his body, he was using his strength, he was bringing people into play, but his bread and butter is living off crosses and getting in scoring positions, and what a great reaction to the rebound. We’ve had two tonight which were incredible and I don’t think the cameras could keep up with them, but as soon as that ball came out, he was straight on it, with his left peg as well, and he’s finished it brilliantly. Then a fantastic ball in from the right and it’s that aggressive nature he’s got about him and he made that ball his. No-one else was ever going to get that.”
Molineux pushing the players
Naylor: “It takes something from the players to make them do that. Although I do ask the crowd to constantly keep that upbeat because it makes the opposition terrified. You could see the nerves in the West Ham defence when the crowd got on their back and our players started playing with a tempo and it all added up to us getting the win.”
“When the crowd is going here, it’s one of the best feelings ever. We are an energetic group and it’s important that we create a good atmosphere here at Molineux."
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 27, 2025
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Pereira’s selection headache
Naylor: “I think Hugo has put his hand up now and that position is his. Everything he did tonight was positive. I also thought Fer Lopez did very well tonight, especially in the second half. He came alive and he found a way to get to West Ham and he found those pockets. He picked up the ball and he made things happen. He would find Hugo Bueno with those balls out to the left side and them pair had a little thing going, but the changes happened and the rest is history. He was treading water towards the end, but those in-betweens, you could see he was trying to get the one-twos going. I actually think it’s just down to fitness with him because this football is totally different to South America. He needs to get up to speed, he needs that time to adjust and when he does, he’ll come good. But it’s a totally different change for him.”
Thompson: “The manager’s been given a big headache now because the players who came on, you’ve got to be looking at those four to be starting with it. Probably Sasa would be the one who would drop out and Fer Lopez deserves an opportunity, Arias was a lot better in the second half and he started to show his pace. It’s a big transition coming from South America into the Premier League. But Bueno has got to play for me at left-back. I’ve thought this for a long time, that he’s just a quality player. When he left last year, I didn’t quite understand why he left, I know we had Ait-Nouri, but when he came out with a knock for a little bit we didn’t have a left-back at the time, but Bueno is always looking to get forward, he’s always an option, which you saw Fer Lopez picking him out a lot of the time. It’s a nice headache for the manager, but possibly Fer Lopez would come into the side from the players who finished the game.
Thompson and Naylor were talking to James Fielden on Wolves’ official post-match podcast, Matchday Live Extra, which is available to listen to now on all podcast providers.
