Wolves face Leeds United this weekend, as they continue searching for their first points of the season.
Last weekend, the Old Gold fell to a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, despite a promising first-half display.
Vitor Pereira’s men nearly got off to the perfect start, with Rodrigo Gomes and Hwang Hee-Chan both coming close to opening the scoring.
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While there were some impressive individual performances for Wolves, Nick Woltemade scored the only goal of the game to condemn Wolves to their fourth straight defeat.
Wolves matched Newcastle in the first half, but in the second period, their intensity and creativity dropped, and it was the hosts who looked more likely to score.
The majority of Wolves’ xG came in the first half against Newcastle
Data shows that Wolves were lively in the first half and created numerous goal-scoring opportunities.
Players like Ladislav Krejci impressed on his debut, mopping up in midfield and allowing Wolves to counter with real pace and directness.
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Across the match, Pereira’s side accumulated just 0.53 xG, far less than Newcastle’s 1.49 xG, which suggests the hosts were worthy winners.
However, the majority of Wolves’ xG came in the first half, highlighting a lack of inventiveness and creativity in the final third after the break.
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When Hwang Hee-Chan and Tolu Arokodare came off, the team was left without a recognised striker, further reducing their attacking threat.
Jhon Arias could be the solution to Wolves’ creativity issues
Pereira knows he must make drastic changes ahead of the Leeds match and hand Jhon Arias a starting spot.
The 27-year-old is known for his powerful shots, intricate dribbling, and subtle passes, making him a player capable of improving Wolves’ end product.
However, to reach his best level, he needs regular minutes to get up to speed with the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
Appearances 35
Goals 4
Assists 13
Jhon Arias’ 24/25 statistics
Arias likes to collect the ball deep and progress it forward, something that was noticeably missing in the second-half display against Newcastle.
With the wing-backs inverting, the Colombian will have the freedom to drop into pockets of space or roam into wider areas.
His inclusion in the starting lineup could provide the Old Gold with a much-needed boost in the final third, improving both their attacking output and overall threat.