{"id":628,"date":"2026-08-22T18:38:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T18:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/?p=628"},"modified":"2026-08-22T18:38:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T18:38:20","slug":"give-him-his-flowers-preston-manager-paul-heckingbottom-praises-underrated-wolves-fc-star-who-was-outstanding-against-preston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/22\/give-him-his-flowers-preston-manager-paul-heckingbottom-praises-underrated-wolves-fc-star-who-was-outstanding-against-preston\/","title":{"rendered":"Give him his flowers preston manager Paul Heckingbottom praises underrated wolves fc star who was outstanding against Preston"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom has reportedly been left impressed by one Wolverhampton Wanderers player following Saturday\u2019s Championship meeting at Deepdale, with Fer Lopez emerging as the standout performer despite Preston suffering a 3-1 defeat.<\/p>\n

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Lopez delivered a performance that was impossible to ignore, scoring twice as Wolves produced an impressive away victory. The Spanish attacker opened the scoring after just eight minutes before returning in the second half to put the result beyond doubt with his second goal of the afternoon.<\/p>\n

While Wolves had several strong performers, Lopez was undoubtedly at the centre of everything positive for C\u00e9sar Peixoto\u2019s side. His first goal demonstrated exactly why he is regarded as one of the exciting talents within the Wolves squad. After Andr\u00e9 won possession and found him, Lopez showed composure to turn away from his marker before finding the top corner with a powerful left footed strike.
\nIt was the type of individual moment that can completely change the direction of an away match, and that was precisely what happened. Wolves grew in confidence after taking the lead, controlling large periods of the contest and forcing Preston to spend much of the afternoon chasing the game.<\/p>\n

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Heckingbottom would have been particularly frustrated by the way Lopez was allowed to influence proceedings, but there was also an appreciation of the quality shown by the Wolves attacker.
\nThe second goal was arguably just as impressive because it confirmed that his first strike was no fluke. With Wolves looking to finish the match strongly, Lopez found himself in the right position again and calmly stroked the ball home in the 82nd minute. That goal completed his brace and effectively ended any hopes Preston had of producing a late comeback.<\/p>\n

For a player who can sometimes be described as underrated outside the Wolves fanbase, this was the kind of performance that demands recognition. Lopez did not simply score two goals. He provided a constant attacking threat, showed confidence when taking on defenders and looked capable of making something happen whenever he received the ball in dangerous areas.<\/p>\n

The result was also important for Wolves, who had opened their Championship campaign with a 2-2 draw against Blackburn Rovers. The victory at Deepdale therefore represented a major step forward for Peixoto\u2019s team as they look to establish themselves as one of the leading sides in the division following their relegation from the Premier League.
\nWolves eventually secured a convincing 3-1 victory, with Adam Armstrong adding the second goal in the 71st minute after coming off the bench. His goal came following excellent link-up play with Raul Jim\u00e9nez, but it was Lopez who remained the headline performer. Preston scored a consolation through Jordan Thompson in stoppage time, although it did little to change the outcome.<\/p>\n

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The statistics also underline Wolves\u2019 superiority. They finished with 53 percent possession and recorded five shots on target compared with Preston\u2019s one. Although Preston attempted more shots overall, Wolves were considerably more clinical when opportunities arrived.
\nFor Heckingbottom, the biggest concern will be how Preston allowed Lopez so much freedom around the penalty area.<\/p>\n

The forward repeatedly found spaces and punished defensive mistakes with the sort of efficiency that can decide tight Championship matches.
\nThere is also a bigger conversation emerging around Lopez. Performances like this will inevitably increase attention on him, particularly if he continues producing consistently throughout the season. Scoring twice away from home against a Preston side desperate for points is a statement in itself.
\nWolves supporters will now hope this is only the beginning. The club needs players capable of taking responsibility in decisive moments, and Lopez showed exactly that quality at Deepdale.<\/p>\n

He was fearless, direct and clinical, and his contribution turned a potentially difficult away fixture into a comfortable victory.
\nFor Preston, it was a painful afternoon. For Wolves, it was a major boost. And for Fer Lopez, it was the perfect opportunity to remind everyone that he deserves far more recognition.
\nAfter producing two goals in a commanding 3-1 victory, the message is simple: give him his flowers. Fer Lopez was outstanding against Preston, and if he continues performing at this level, it will become increasingly difficult for anyone to describe the Wolves star as underrated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom has reportedly been left impressed by one Wolverhampton Wanderers player following Saturday\u2019s Championship meeting at Deepdale, with Fer Lopez emerging as the standout performer despite Preston suffering a 3-1 defeat. Lopez delivered a performance that was impossible to ignore, scoring twice as Wolves produced an impressive away victory. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":629,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":632,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628\/revisions\/632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}