Wolves secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Stoke City on Saturday, extending their strong start to the Championship season under new manager Cesar Peixoto. Despite conceding an early goal, Wolves responded quickly and decisively to deepen Stoke’s struggles, leaving the Potters at the bottom of the league after three consecutive defeats.
The match began with promise for Stoke as Sam Gallagher fired a powerful strike from 30 yards out in the second minute, giving the visitors an early lead and raising hopes of their first win this season. However, Stoke were unable to build on that momentum. Sorba Thomas missed two clear chances to double Stoke’s advantage, and the visitors were soon punished for their wastefulness.
Rodrigo Gomes turned the game on its head for Wolves with a rapid double in first-half stoppage time. Capitalizing on an error from Stoke defender Eric Bocat, Gomes netted the equalizer after goalkeeper Viktor Johansson denied Raul Jimenez’s initial shot. Minutes later, the Portuguese winger extended Wolves’ lead following a skillful assist from 18-year-old Mateus Mane, who had earlier beaten two defenders before his shot was parried by Johansson.
Wolves continued to dominate after halftime, with Jimenez converting a penalty in the 55th minute after being fouled by Ben Johnson. It was Jimenez’s second successful spot-kick in as many games since rejoining the club this summer. The Mexican striker’s goal gave Wolves a comfortable cushion as Stoke’s defensive issues persisted.
Late in the match, new signing Jordan James sealed the win with a finely executed goal on his home debut. Coming off the bench, the on-loan midfielder from Rennes combined with Fer Lopez before driving into the box and finishing with precision in the 84th minute.
Wolves’ home crowd of 30,334 witnessed a performance that demonstrated both attacking flair and resilience, a marked improvement from last season’s struggles. Peixoto, who replaced Rob Edwards in June, praised his team’s response after going behind and acknowledged the need for continued progress. “After we conceded an early goal, it was very important to show a reaction. We showed personality to fight, we scored four goals and we could have scored more,” Peixoto said. “It’s only three points and we have to stay humble. We know we have to improve a lot and be more consistent.”
Stoke manager Mark Robins expressed frustration with his team’s mistakes, noting that poor decisions contributed to their defeat. “They haven’t had to work for a goal, and this is a really good squad of players – they will be up there this season,” Robins said. “But we have been the architects of our own downfall for the second week running – a really bad habit. We look like we could be a really decent team, but we’ve got to stop making stupid decisions and shooting ourselves in the foot.”
With this result, Wolves have won four of their first five league matches, while Stoke remains at the bottom of the Championship table, still searching for their opening win of the campaign.