One of the best games of the Premier League season.
And the highlight of Rúben Neves’ career.
Wolves would be ahead of Leicester City in the table with a win today.
And so, they came out playing hard.
Rúben Neves, the 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder, leading the way.
That's the best game of football I've seen in a long time. Ruben Neves is unbelievable 🍺 #Wolves #PL
— James Fisher (@James7294) January 19, 2019
Third minute of the game, Neves finds the ball at the top of the box.
And fires a beautiful strike at goal, just saved by the fingertips of Kasper Schmeichel.
Neves thunderbolt with a bit of curve to it… Schmeichel made his dad proud with that save. #WOLLEI
— Elliot Lee (@ElliotLee_14) January 19, 2019
Wolverhampton scored, a minute later—beginning a wild string of goals from both them and Leicester City, that might just amount to the best EPL game we’ll see in 2018-19.
FOOTBALL 😍 pic.twitter.com/7WKNAC78I4
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 19, 2019
So in the 64th minute, Leicester having just tied the game, we come to the assist.
The ball cleared out of the box with a header, to the feet of Neves. He takes a touch, a few touches, and then—that ball.
Half the length of the field, struck with perfection for Diogo Jota…
And a moment later, it’s in.
3-2 Wolves ahead of Leicester.
I think we need to buy Ruben Neves before anyone else does. He’s got it all.
— The Man Utd Way (@TheManUtdWay) January 19, 2019
But then, as if that wasn’t enough of a game, Leicester ties it 3-3 in the 87th minute.
And in the final minute of stoppage time…
A pass maybe even more brilliant than the first.
Not technically the assist, but the pre-assist, the ante-assist.
And from who else—but Rúben Neves?
A goal out of nowhere.
Neves. To Jiménez. To (once again) Diogo Jota, for the hat trick.
Unbelievable pass, unbelievable game.
And a performance from a defensive-midfielder like I haven’t seen in a while.
Because when you can make the opposing manager do this, you’ve done something special.
Tough pill to swallow that for Claude Puel and Leicester. Fair play to Wolves, they’ll do well to hang onto Neves next season. #WOLLEI pic.twitter.com/wc53X0cUFS
— Kevin (@KevinKT29) January 19, 2019
And so, after today, we might just have a Leonardo Bonucci on our hands, in the EPL.
King of the long-ball assist—in a way the league hasn’t had since Xabi Alonso.
Rúben Neves, who you can’t imagine will stay with Wolves for long.
Diogo Jota scored an unforgettable hat-trick but is he even man of the match?! Ruben Neves was out of this world, back to his filthy Championship best. Player ratings are gonna be fun
— Tim Spiers (@tim_spiers_Star) January 19, 2019
And all of this today is fitting, considering the meaning of the man’s name.
Soccer balls falling out of the sky like snowflakes, to the feet of Diogo Jota.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…