Wolverhampton Wanderers face their biggest test in recent weeks as they face Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday evening as they look to end their winless streak.
Not since a 2-1 win over Fulham last month have Gary O’Neil and his men tasted victory. Could that end against the Gunners?
The Old Gold have lost their previous five meetings between the sides, scoring just twice in that run. Their last win was back in February 2021, with the club triumphing 2-1 at Molineux and, as you can see from the table below, the starting lineup has changed a fair bit since then.
Player
Position
Rui Patricio
GK
Nelson Semedo
RB
Conor Coady
CB
Wily Boly
CB
Max Kilman
LB
Ruben Neves
CM
Joao Moutinho
CM
Adama Traore
RW
Daniel Podence
AM
Pedro Neto
LW
Willian Jose
ST
Ahead of the match, the former Bournemouth manager could face a selection headache as several of his players have been ruled out of the match.
O’Neil spoke to the media on Friday prior to the clash against a side chasing Premier League glory as he discussed the state of his team, saying: "Neto is doing well and on the grass. If everything goes well he should play before the end of the season.
“Rayan could be available for the bench. Semedo is out, Cunha is out, Hwang only 45 tops. Bellegarde is out. Dawson has had his operation.
"Cunha had a kick on his calf against Forest and has done damage to the muscle. Semedo overload on his calf, but not serious.”
The Englishman will be particularly concerned about who can fill the void up front with Matheus Cunha missing once again, especially as he impressed against Nottingham Forest last week, scoring twice.
With this in mind, here's a look at the ‘options’ O’Neil has at his disposal in the absence of the clinical Brazilian…
1 The obvious option Hwang Hee-Chan
Despite O’Neil saying Hwang would only be able to play “only 45 tops”, it makes sense for him to be unleashed in the starting XI in order to give the club the greatest chance of success against the Gunners.
In his three previous encounters with the North Londoners, Hwang has scored once and has proved he has been one of the finer performers at the club this term.
In just 25 matches, the South Korean forward has netted 11 goals and grabbed three assists, adapting to life under the new management regime fairly well.
Among his teammates, the former RB Leipzig gem currently ranks second behind only Cunha for goals and assists (13) in the top flight, along with ranking fourth for big chances created (four), sixth for key passes per game (0.7) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (1.4), showing how important he is to the club and their ambitions of securing a top half finish in the league.
O’Neil could well prefer to keep Hwang as an option if the game is tight towards the final 30 minutes or so, however, bringing him off the bench when he is fresh in the hope he can deal some damage to the Arsenal defence.
If so, a tactical tweak could see another player take up a more advanced role in the starting XI…
2 The tactical tweak Pablo Sarabia
The veteran Spaniard has enjoyed a productive season under the Englishman. Not only has he gotten on the scoresheet three times across 31 matches, but the £90k-per-week dynamo has registered ten assists in the process.
He is typically utilised in an attacking midfield slot, playing alongside Neto or Hwang in order to support Cunha, who tends to play as the main centre-forward.
Of course, against the Gunners, this won't be possible, and it could lead to Sarabia being deployed as the main striker this weekend.
The attacking midfielder has scored once in the three games he has played as a centre-forward this season, while across his career as a whole, the former Paris Saint-Germain has netted six goals and grabbed an assist in just 16 matches as a striker.
Hailed as “unique” by O’Neil earlier this season, the 31-year-old is enjoying a stellar campaign and if he manages to star against Arsenal, he might just endear himself to the Molineux faithful that little bit more.
He currently ranks in the top 9% when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for assists per 90 (0.36), indicating the creative threat that he can offer at the top end of the pitch.
3 The wildcard pick Nathan Fraser
The 19-year-old has already begun to make his mark in the senior side this season, making ten appearances for the club, scoring twice, and grabbing an assist.
There is no doubting his potential, while O’Neil has been forced to utilise him on numerous occasions recently due to his injury woes.
During their last league win over Fulham, Fraser was selected in the starting XI and performed fairly well. He missed a big chance to score while making one key pass, losing possession just four times and winning four of his seven contested duels during his spell on the pitch.
This remains his last start in the top flight, featuring for just eight minutes in the four games since, but could the clash against Arsenal offer him another chance to showcase his talents? Or will O'Neil instead opt for the more senior options above?
While the Wolves boss may wish he could have every single player available to him, especially considering the poor run his side are on, his injury crisis does give him a licence to unleash several young players in the squad.
If Wolves could snap their five-game winless run against Mikel Arteta’s men this weekend, it could be the catalyst which spurs the side to push ahead and claim a top-half finish.
Another league defeat, however, couldn’t come at the worst time, with ties against Manchester City and Liverpool to follow before the end of the campaign.
If both teams play to their potential, it promises to be an exciting match, that’s for sure.
Ranking Wolves' best managers by win percentage
Where does Vitor Pereira rank among the best to work in the Wolves dugout?
ByJack Salveson HolmesApr 15, 2024