Comment: I knew Andre was up for the Black Country derby within minutes

For Wolves, there were outstanding performances across the pitch on Sunday, but Andre was at the heart of one of the most complete displays of Cesar Peixoto’s tenure so far.

This was a team executing its manager’s plan with conviction and rather more comfortably than the 1-0 scoreline suggested.

Had it not been for Albion goalkeeper Max O’Leary, Wolves could have been celebrating a far more emphatic victory. The chances were there and the performance deserved greater reward.

There had been some debate in the build-up about whether Wolves’ players would truly understand what this fixture meant. By full-time, there could be no such doubts. They had not merely understood the occasion - they had embraced it.

Few embodied that more than Andre. The Brazilian was at it from the outset. Within minutes, he flew into an early challenge which prompted me to turn to fellow members of the press box and say simply: “Andre’s up for it.”

That intensity never wavered. A second-half tackle in front of the dugouts saw him turn towards the home supporters and raise his hands, urging them on. From the first whistle to the last, Andre looked like a player willing to embrace everything this derby demanded.

He celebrated quite a few of those tackles, too. So did the supporters. Alongside Marshall Munetsi, he helped Wolves establish a firm grip on midfield, providing bite and intensity.

The standout feature of Wolves’ derby victory was undoubtedly their pressing. But when Albion did manage to advance beyond that first line, they were often met by Andre, hounding down opponents, breathing down their necks and scrapping for possession.

There may have been moments when he was close to a booking, but this was a derby. Surely this is precisely what you want from a midfielder in such a fixture?

There were proper, firm challenges. Andre did not shy away from them. He imposed himself on the game, made his presence felt and produced a number of important interventions which prevented Albion from settling into any rhythm.

But it would be wrong to reduce Andre’s performance simply to its combative qualities. There was plenty of quality on the ball, too. He played the pass which helped create Munetsi’s early effort and was involved in one particularly attractive move down the right as Wolves moved the ball quickly and with purpose.

Andre was at the heart of much of Wolves’ forward play, playing some delightful long and lofted passes while helping to progress attacks, exploit the wide areas and work the ball into the box.

His influence was not confined to one particular zone, either. His heat map tells its own story: Andre seemed to be everywhere.

The midfielder has started all seven of Wolves’ Championship matches since signing a new contract earlier this year and has quickly established himself as an important component of Peixoto’s team.

The Brazilian leads Wolves for tackles with 24 - 10 more than Fer Lopez, who is next on the list. He has made six interceptions, won possession 37 times and contested 70 ground duels, coming out on top in just under half of them. There have been two assists, too.

And there is another important point here: Andre is still only 25.

He is yet to reach what should be the peak years of his career, having experienced the disappointment of relegation with Wolves last season and now showing the determination to help put the club back in the top flight.

Sunday was a performance which epitomised what you want from a player in a derby: aggression, commitment, intelligence, quality and, above all, a willingness to embrace the occasion.

Andre did exactly that. He looked like a player who understood precisely what this game meant. Long may that continue.