Wolverhampton Wanderers have finally put an end to their bad run of form at the start of the season and have begun to pick up some wins. The Old Gold began the campaign terribly, going winless in all of their first ten games.
However, two victories in their last two matches, either side of the November international break, have seen Gary O’Neil’s side completely reverse their fortunes. A 2-0 triumph at home to Southampton was their first of the campaign before they got an impressive 4-1 victory away to high-flying Fulham.
Both performances were impressive from O’Neil’s men, as the statistics show.
The numbers behind Wolves’ Premier League wins
There are certainly some players who can hold their heads high after the wins against the Saints and the Cottagers. One of those, unsurprisingly, is Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian attacker scored one and grabbed an assist against Southampton, and got two goals and an assist against Marco Silva’s side.
Against the West London side, Joao Gomes was another player who was particularly eye-catching. The Brazilian midfielder scored a goal and got an assist to help his side to three points. Mario Lemina also put in a good shift playing out of position at centre-back.
One thing that will no doubt please the Wolves manager is that the statistics were there to back up the wins. In the game against the Saints, as per Sofascore, they created a better expected goals tally with 1.26xG and had four shots on target, more than their opponent.
It was a similar story against Fulham, where they had 1.32xG and five shots on target, as per Sofascore. In both games, they did have less possession.
| Wolves key stats vs. Southampton and Fulham | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | vs. Southampton | vs. Fulham |
| Shots | 8 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 5 |
| Expected goals | 1.26xG | 1.32xG |
| Big chances | 1 | 2 |
| Big chances scores | 1 | 2 |
| Goals scored | 2 | 4 |
| Ball recoveries | 45 | 53 |
| Stats from Sofascore | ||
O’Neil must surely be delighted that his side have helped to alleviate pressure on him and get the first two wins of the season. He will be hoping to carry that momentum on into their next game at home against AFC Bournemouth later today.
It will be fascinating to see if he keeps the same team that won at Craven Cottage. If that is the case, it will mean another start for Rodrigo Gomes at left wing-back.
Why Gomes should start vs. Bournemouth
Left wing-back is not the young Portuguese attacker’s normal position. The 21-year-old is a winger by trade, and that is where he had so much success last term for Estoril, the club he was on loan at, after scoring nine goals and registering eight assists in 36 games.
Wolves actually signed him from Portuguese side Braga for £12.7m. His performances last season led football scout Antonio Mango to call him a “diamond”.
However, he slotted in at left-wing back on Saturday against the Cottagers, and given he had the license to push up and play high, it was a role that suited him well from an attacking sense, as he created two chances.
This season, the Portugal under-21 international has played seven times for his new club, starting last weekend and in the first game of the season against Arsenal. He is yet to find the back of the net, but showcased just how potent he can be in front of goal after scoring in pre-season.
He could be their own version of Antoine Semenyo, who is actually suspended for this afternoon’s clash. The Bournemouth star has been superb throughout his time at the Vitality Stadium, having notably scored four league goals already this season. Although he is a winger by trade too, the former Bristol City ace has slotted in at wing-back at times under Andoni Iraola.
To be a winger converted to a wing-back, it takes an engine to have the energy to get up and down the pitch all day, which, like Semenyo, Gomes certainly has, as he showed at the weekend. Not only that, he has attacking prowess, and it certainly feels like his first goal involvement for the Old Gold is not far away.
It certainly makes sense for O’Neil to field the same starting lineup against the Cherries that dispatched Fulham. He will be hoping Gomes and all of his teammates can repeat the performance and pick up another huge three points.
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