Gavin Bazunu's fingertip stop from Adam Armstrong, midway through the second half on Tuesday night, proved the turning point that sent Wolves to a 3-1 home defeat against Bolton Wanderers. A side that had controlled the game after equalising suddenly found themselves chasing it, and by the time Josh Sheehan added a late third, Molineux had witnessed its first home defeat of the Championship season.

It followed a loss at Middlesbrough on Saturday, meaning Cesar Peixoto's side have taken nothing from two matches since the division's three-week international break, having gone into the pause on the back of a strong win over West Bromwich Albion.

Captain Kieran Trippier, though, refuses to let the dip spiral into a crisis. "I've played many years in the Championship," the 36-year-old told BBC Radio WM. "I know what it's all about, the ups and downs in football. The key now is to keep calm and stay positive. You just have to stand up and get through moments like this. It's all about people like me staying positive about the place."

Trippier's reading of the Bolton defeat centres on fine margins rather than a collapse in performance. Wolves had equalised and were, by his account, in the ascendancy when Armstrong pulled on goal. Bazunu's save changed the contest. Sam Dalby tucked away the rebound to restore the visitors' lead, and Wolves never recovered.

"We got back into the game and were controlling it," Trippier said. "And it was a fine save which changed the game. Then we lost possession and they got in. It's all about fine margins. That's football."

The captain's wider point is one of proportion. With only nine or ten matches played, Wolves still have 37 Championship fixtures remaining to shape their campaign. "We know we have got to do better, definitely," he acknowledged, "but we've got another game Friday night. Burnley will be another tough one. But we know we can do much better."

Friday's visit to Turf Moor carries its own personal edge for Trippier, who had a spell at Burnley earlier in his career before moving on through the divisions. He knows the ground, the atmosphere and the demands a Championship crowd places on visiting teams in an evening kick-off. That familiarity, he suggests, is precisely what Wolves need to draw on.

Peixoto's side must respond quickly. The Championship offers little time to regroup, and a third successive defeat would start to put real pressure on a squad that arrived in the second tier with ambitions of pushing toward the promotion places. For now, the manager will lean on the experience of a captain who has navigated this division before and understands that a fortnight can look very different on either side of a run of results.

Trippier's message to supporters and teammates alike is straightforward: steadiness, not panic, is what pulls a side through a rough patch in a 46-game season. Whether Wolves can deliver that on Friday night at Turf Moor will say a great deal about where this team actually stands.

Frequently asked

Why have Wolves lost two games in a row?
Wolves suffered defeats at Middlesbrough and then 3-1 at home to Bolton Wanderers after returning from the Championship's three-week international break. Captain Kieran Trippier points to fine margins, highlighting a crucial save by Bolton keeper Gavin Bazunu that changed the course of the Bolton match.
Who is Wolves' captain this season?
Kieran Trippier is captaining Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship this season. The 36-year-old has previous experience in the second tier and has been speaking publicly about keeping the squad calm during their current run of defeats.
When is Wolves' next Championship match?
Wolves travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Friday night, giving Cesar Peixoto's side a quick opportunity to end their two-game losing run.