On Saturday 21 October 2017, Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Preston North End 3-2 at Molineux in the Championship during Nuno's first season in charge. It was an exciting game that kept Wolves firmly at the top of the table.
Although the final score suggests Wolves were comfortable, they had to work hard for the victory. Preston arrived at Molineux on a nine-match unbeaten run and caused problems early on. Wolves eventually broke through just before half-time when Barry Douglas' cross found Ivan Cavaleiro at the far post.
Early in the second half Wolves looked to have put the match beyond doubt. Léo Bonatini converted a penalty after Matt Doherty was fouled, then added a second minutes later after following up a save from a Diogo Jota effort.
However, Preston fought back. Jordan Hugill headed home to make it 3-1, and an own goal from Conor Coady created a tense finish. Wolves held on despite late pressure.
This was one of the matches that demonstrated how strong Nuno's side had become. The win strengthened Wolves' position at the top of the Championship and continued the momentum that would eventually lead to the club winning the title and earning promotion to the Premier League.
A standout memory is Léo Bonatini's brace. At that stage of the season he was in excellent form and had become a key figure in Wolves' promotion push.