Vitor Pereira sacked: Wolves dismiss Portuguese boss after winless Premier League start and Carabao Cup defeat

Wolves have sacked head coach Vitor Pereira after their winless start to the Premier League season continued with a 3-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday.

Wolves' defeat at Craven Cottage followed a first-half red card to defender Emmanuel Agbadou, with Pereira subjected to chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" by the travelling fans.

The loss followed a 4-3 defeat to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday and left the Midlands club with only two points from their first 10 Premier League games of the season, eight points from safety. No club has ever survived with two or less points at this stage of a Premier League season.

Pereira's sacking comes only 45 days after he signed a new three-year contract at Wolves despite them being bottom at the time, having lost their first four league games.

• How Wolves unravelled under Vitor Pereira
• Transfer Centre LIVE! | Wolves news: The stats that damned Pereira?
• Wolves fixtures & scores | FREE Wolves PL highlights▶️
• Got Sky? Watch Wolves games LIVE on your phone?

Their poor form has continued under the former Porto boss, with Wolves the only winless side in England's top four divisions.

Pereira appeared to argue with Wolves supporters after last weekend's 3-2 loss to Burnley at Molineux, with fans chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning" for the first time.

Pereira was appointed by Wolves as Gary O'Neil's successor in December 2024 when they were second bottom and steered them to a 16th-placed finish, 17 points clear of the relegation zone.

All eight of Pereira's backroom staff have also left the club, with Under-21 head coach James Collins and U18 head coach Richard Walker set to take training while the club finalise the appointment of a new first-team head coach.

Executive chairman Jeff Shi said: "Vitor and his team worked tirelessly for Wolves and helped guide us through a challenging period last season, for which we are grateful.

"Unfortunately, the start to this season has been a disappointment and, despite our strong desire to give the head coach time and matches to find an improvement, we have reached a point where we must make a change.

"We thank Vitor and his staff for their efforts and wish them the very best for the future."

Sacking follows 'worst' defeat

Pereira was damning of Saturday's defeat to Fulham, describing it as the worst of his tenure.

He said: "It was the worst, in my opinion. Today I felt my team physically were not in condition, not at the level to face Fulham.

"Tactically with some mistakes, technically we were not there at the best level, we lost a lot of passes.

"We conceded the first goal but after the red card it was very difficult. We need to have a conversation to understand what happened today.

"I cannot come here to have answers for everyone. I must talk to my players to understand what the problem was today. I can say to you I am doing my best and working hard. I cannot control time or the confidence the club has.

"But me and my staff are trying everything to help the team to perform and get results."

Recruitment also in spotlight

Pereira has paid the price for Wolves' dreadful start but their struggles have also put their summer recruitment in the spotlight.

Wolves sold key players Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri to Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, while Nelson Semedo and Pablo Sarabia were among those released.

Their replacements have struggled in the opening months in the season, with attacking recruits Jhon Arias, Fer Lopez and Tolu Arokodare yet to score a Premier League goal between them.

Jorgen Strand Larsen, scorer of 14 goals last season, has also been poor since making his loan move from Celta Vigo permanent following interest from Newcastle in the summer.

How Wolves unravelled under Pereira

Sky Sports' Adam Bate:

The final image of Vitor Pereira on the pitch as Wolves manager was a damning one. As the away supporters at Craven Cottage chanted for him to be sacked in the morning, there was applause for the Brazil international midfielders Andre and Joao Gomes.

The pair, stood a little apart from the rest, had been dropped to the bench for the 3-0 defeat to Fulham. It was just the latest decision that had left fans bewildered, emblematic of the unravelling under Pereira that sees Wolves rooted to the bottom.

The issues at Molineux, ones that leave them with two points from 10 Premier League games and odds-on favourites for relegation after eight seasons in the top division, undoubtedly run deeper than Pereira. This is a club that has been drifting for too long.

It is the fourth consecutive season in which Wolves will finish the calendar year with a different head coach to the one who had taken the team in pre-season. It is the second season in a row in which they have contrived to win none of their opening 10 games.

Other clubs might cope with such upheaval, able to point to an overarching strategy beyond the coach. It is difficult to make that case for Wolves given that Pereira became so central to their plans, particularly following the exit of sporting director Matt Hobbs.

The appointment of Domenico Teti as director of football, a man Pereira knew from their time together at Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia, had indicated a growing level of control. The failure of this latest personnel change, just 45 days after Pereira had been rewarded with a new three-year contract, reflects badly on chairman Jeff Shi.

Adam Bate examines where it went wrong for the once popular Portuguese coach at Molineux

Writing was on the wall for Pereira with no league win since April

Analysis by Sky Sports' Rich Morgan:

I was at Craven Cottage to watch winless Wolves tamely surrender 3-0 to Fulham on Saturday, the club's eighth defeat in their opening 10 Premier League games, a limp display that Vitor Pereira called "the worst" since he replaced Gary O'Neil last December.

"Today I felt my team physically were not in condition, not at the level to face Fulham," was the downbeat Portuguese's honest appraisal of his side's performance in west London. "Tactically with some mistakes, technically we were not there at the best level, we lost a lot of passes."

And it seems those words, coupled with the club having just two points so far, with no side having ever stayed up having picked up two or less points after the first 10 games of a Premier League season, have stung the owners into action.

Pereira was given his marching orders on Sunday morning, just 45 days after signing a new three-year contract at Molineux - reward for keeping the club in the Premier League last season after they had also begun the campaign with no wins in their opening 10 matches to eventually finish in 16th.

However, following clashes with his own fans following last weekend's dramatic 3-2 home loss to Burnley, the writing appeared to be on the wall for the former Porto head coach and whoever now takes on the role faces an unenviable task trying to keep them in the top flight, with Wolves eight points from safety and without a league win since victory over Leicester City in April.

The stats that damned Pereira

• In addition to being bottom of the table with only two points from 10 games, Wolves have scored the joint-fewest goals (seven) and conceded the most (22).
• Wolves have gone 14 consecutive league matches without a win for the first time since a run of 15 winless games between February and August 2012.
• Wolves are the third side in Premier League history to concede 20 or more goals in their opening 10 games of consecutive seasons (27 in 2024/25, 22 in 2025/26), along with Southampton in 1998/99 (23) and 1999/00 (21) and Bournemouth in 2022/23 (22) and 2023/24 (21).
• Wolves have failed to win any of their opening 10 league games in both of their last two seasons (D2 L8 this season and D3 L7 in 2024/25), as many times as in their 125 previous campaigns in the top-four tiers (1926/27 and 1983/84).

Wolves' next six fixtures

• Nov 8: Chelsea (a) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm - live on Sky Sports
• Nov 22: Crystal Palace (h) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
• Nov 30: Aston Villa (a) - Premier League, kick-off 2.05pm - live on Sky Sports
• Dec 3: Nottingham Forest (h) - Premier League, kick-off 7.30pm - live on Sky Sports
• Dec 8: Man Utd (h) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm - live on Sky Sports
• Dec 13: Arsenal (a) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Vitor Pereira sacked: Wolves dismiss Portuguese boss after winless Premier League start and Carabao Cup defeat