‘He’s amazing’: Ruben Neves says one player was ‘unbelievable’ in Wolves versus Arsenal

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Ruben Neves paid a gushing tribute to midfield partner Joao Moutinho, after the Wolverhampton Wanderers star scored a stunning long-range winner against Arsenal on Tuesday, while speaking to the club’s official website.

In truth, it was no wonder Wolves were struggling.

Nuno Espirito Santo lost Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty over the summer before Raul Jimenez and Jonny Castro Otto were consigned to lengthy spells on the sidelines.

And that is before you mention a dramatic dip in form endured by the likes of Adama Traore, Conor Coady, Willy Boly and Rui Patricio, plus the Portuguese play-making duo of Neves and Moutinho.

That is pretty much the whole spine of the team, either out-of-sorts or unavailable.

But while Wolves were given a helping hand by VAR during a 2-1 comeback victory over a nine-man Arsenal side, the Molineux faithful would have been thrilled to see Boly, Neves and Moutinho return to something like their brilliant best.

Neves’ firmly-struck penalty cancelled out Nicolas Pepe’s early opener before Moutinho snatched a vital win with a stunning, 30-yard drive – his first Molineux goal at the 61st attempt.

“We have a lot of quality in our squad, so this can happen in all the games. We always have someone who can do something different and today it was Joao – what an amazing goal,” Neves said of his 34-year-old compatriot.

“I watched it from behind and it was unbelievable, he kicked the ball really well.

“But every time we can have players doing that, today it was Joao and I’m very happy for him because he’s deserved it, he’s an amazing player who brings a lot to our team.

“I’m really happy for him and I’m really happy for the team because it’s an amazing three points for us, a huge three points for us, because it will give us confidence for the rest of the season.”

Fortune certainly played a part but it was still a night full of positives for a Wolves side who tasted victory for the first time since mid-December.

Especially the performance of Willian Jose; the Real Sociedad loanee proving, on his Molineux debut, that he can fill a Jimenez-shaped void in Nuno’s frontline.