The pressure was building, but Vítor Pereira can finally take a deep breath. His Wolverhampton Wanderers team grabbed their first victory of the season this Tuesday. It was a nail-biter, a proper fight, as they defeated West Ham 3-2 in the second round of England’s League Cup. Both teams play in the top division, making the win even sweeter for Wolves.
Wolves had a rough start to the Premier League. They lost their first two matches without scoring a single goal. It looked like another tough night might be on the cards. But a late surge changed everything for the Portuguese coach and his squad. They dug deep when it mattered most.
Rodrigo Gomes, a Portuguese player who started the game, put Wolves ahead first in the 43rd minute. The home crowd erupted. However, West Ham quickly turned things around after halftime. Czech midfielder Soucek scored in the 50th minute, and Brazilian star Paquetá added another in the 63rd. It seemed West Ham was in control.
Then came the magic. Norwegian striker Jorgen Strand Larsen became the hero of the night. He scored two quick goals in the final minutes, in the 82nd and 84th, turning the game on its head. Those crucial strikes secured Wolves’ first celebration of the season, a much-needed morale boost for Pereira and his team.
It wasn’t the only exciting match involving Premier League teams. Brentford played Bournemouth, winning 2-0. One of the goals came from Fábio Carvalho, a 22-year-old midfielder. Carvalho holds both Portuguese and English nationality and played for both countries at youth levels.
Meanwhile, the League Cup provided its usual dose of surprises. Sunderland and Leeds United, both newly promoted to the top flight, crashed out. These were arguably the two biggest upsets of the second round.
Sunderland’s exit was particularly tough to swallow. They lost at home to Huddersfield, a team from League One, which is the third tier of English football. After a 1-1 draw in regular time, Huddersfield won a tense penalty shootout 6-5. It was a truly painful defeat for the home side.
Leeds United’s nightmare week continued. It started with a brutal 5-0 loss to Arsenal in the Premier League. Then, they were knocked out of the cup by Sheffield Wednesday. That match also ended 1-1 before Leeds lost 3-0 on penalties. It’s a tough spell for the Yorkshire club right now.