Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Tolu Arokodare finally opened his account in English football, scoring in Wolves’ 2-0 English Football League Cup (EFL) win over Everton on Tuesday night.
But manager Vitor Pereira made it clear that while the Super Eagles striker showed promise, he must still sharpen his bite to thrive in the Premier League.
Arokodare opens Wolves’ account in Carabao Cup
Signed from Racing Genk on deadline day, Arokodare needed just three appearances and 174 minutes across all competitions to net his first goal in Wolves colours.
Coming off the bench at Molineux, the Nigerian forward sealed the result in the 87th minute, lifting the ball over the Everton goalkeeper after a perfectly timed through pass from Joao Gomes.
The strike doubled Wolves’ advantage, sending them into the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Pereira urges Arokodare to sharpen his scoring boot
Despite praising the striker’s confidence, Pereira cautioned that the Nigerian international still has work to do to reach the physical standards of English football.
“When we are expecting a strong shot on the goal, because he has the confidence in himself. Of course, he is not in his shape physically speaking. Larsen today worked a lot for the team, and after Tolu went inside, he helped us. This is the spirit that I want to see,” Pereira told Wolves’ official website.
The Portuguese coach explained that the plan was not to push Arokodare too early but instead allow him to adapt gradually:
“Tolu came in the moment that we didn’t have Jorgen to play. The plan was not to play with him for 90 minutes; the plan was to give him time to adapt and to start getting minutes. He needs to work hard to get his condition, and he will help us.”
What’s next for Tolu and Wolves?
Wolves will find out their next Carabao Cup opponents when the fourth-round draw is made later today.
For Arokodare, the early goal is an encouraging sign, but the bigger test lies ahead—finding the sharpness and consistency to become a regular scoring threat in English football.
Leave a comment