Tawanda Chirewa scored within moments of his introduction to secure Wolverhampton Wanderers a vital 2-1 comeback victory at Burnley on Friday night. The win, Wolves' first in three matches, lifts César Peixoto's side to sixth in the Sky Bet Championship table.
Chirewa, a 23-year-old Zimbabwe international, replaced Sean Neave in the 72nd minute and needed just 21 seconds to make his mark. He latched onto a poor touch from Burnley's Igor Julio, drove into the box, and saw his angled shot loop over goalkeeper Grégoire Coudert. The goal completed a turnaround after Jamie Vardy's first-half opener for the hosts was cancelled out by Fer López just before the interval.
Peixoto praises squad mentality
The Wolves manager highlighted the collective effort required for the result, which came amid a significant injury list. "The difference today was our mentality," Peixoto told reporters after the game. "This was a victory for the whole group and the entire team, especially as almost every player has featured in our last three games." He also praised Chirewa's readiness, stating, "The important thing is that the players are ready for when they come on."
The victory was a welcome boost after consecutive defeats and with forwards Raúl Jiménez and Adam Armstrong joining the injuries list this week. It moves Wolves onto 18 points from 11 games, just three points off the automatic promotion places. Burnley's misery at Turf Moor continues, with their winless home league run now stretching to 21 games, a record across England's top four divisions.
Vardy had given the Clarets a 20th-minute lead with a sharp low finish, his first goal since returning to English football. Wolves levelled against the run of play when captain Kyle Walker gifted possession, allowing Neave to set up López for a side-footed finish. José Sá made a key early save from Vardy, while Coudert denied López from a free-kick after the break before Chirewa's decisive intervention.
Wolves now prepare to host Middlesbrough at Molineux next Saturday, looking to build on this momentum. Burnley's next home game is against Portsmouth, with a derby against Blackburn Rovers to follow on 22 November.
