Wolverhampton Wanderers have dismissed head coach Vitor Pereira following a 3-0 defeat at Fulham, leaving the club bottom of the Premier League with just two points from 10 games. The Portuguese manager's departure comes 45 days after he signed a new three-year contract extension. Wolves are now eight points from safety, with no team ever surviving relegation after earning two or fewer points at this stage.
Wolves' decision to sack Pereira was confirmed on Sunday, November 2, 2025, after their latest loss extended a winless run to 14 league matches—the longest since 2012. The 57-year-old, appointed in December 2024 as successor to Gary O'Neil, had guided the team to a 16th-place finish last season, 17 points clear of relegation despite a similarly poor start. However, this campaign's struggles persisted, including a 4-3 Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea and ongoing fan frustration, highlighted by chants of 'you're getting sacked in the morning' after a 3-2 home loss to Burnley.
Executive chairman Jeff Shi acknowledged Pereira's efforts in a statement: "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." All eight of Pereira's backroom staff also departed, with Under-21 coach James Collins and U18 coach Richard Walker temporarily overseeing training.
Pereira reflected on the 3-0 Fulham loss, where defender Emmanuel Agbadou received a first-half red card, calling it "the worst" of his tenure: "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." Wolves' statistics underline the crisis: joint-fewest goals scored (seven) and most conceded (22) in the league, marking the third time in Premier League history they've allowed 20-plus goals in their first 10 games of consecutive seasons.
Summer recruitment has drawn scrutiny, with sales of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri offset by underperforming arrivals like Jhon Arias, Fer Lopez, and Tolu Arokodare, none of whom have scored in the league. Jorgen Strand Larsen, who netted 14 last season, has also struggled post-permanent transfer. Early rumors point to potential replacements including Rob Edwards (Middlesbrough), Gary O'Neil (ex-Wolves), Michael Carrick (unattached), and Brendan Rodgers (ex-Celtic). Wolves face Chelsea next on November 8.
