Wolverhampton Wanderers have a tough assignment up next in the Premier League, against the in-form Everton. Whilst the gap between the Old Gold and 18th-place Ipswich Town is five points, Wolves will surely want a big three points to keep them well above the relegation zone.
This has, historically, been a good fixture for the West Midlands outfit. As per Transfermarkt, they have lost just four top flight games to Everton since their first season back in the Premier League in 2018/19, winning seven and scoring 21 goals.
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So, with history on their side and a win needed, Wolves may well go into this game quietly confident. However, Vitor Pereira will be without his star man, Matheus Cunha.
Why Wolves will be without Cunha vs Everton
Last Saturday saw Wolves travel to Bournemouth in a tough assignment in the FA Cup. Despite taking the Cherries to penalties after a 1-1 draw, the Old Gold were defeated and ultimately eliminated from the FA Cup.
It was Cunha who got on the scoresheet, for this sublime strike on the hour mark.
The defeat was disappointing for Wolves, who fought hard but could not overcome a high-flying Bournemouth side. Defeat aside, the most frustrating part of the day for Wolves was Cunha’s red card.
He was sent off for violent conduct, after “fighting and kicking out at him before aiming a headbutt”, as BBC Sport put it. It means the Brazilian will miss three games, starting against Everton, although he will be absent for games against Southampton and West Ham United, too.
Cunha
However, the FA have further charged him, claiming he “acted in an improper manner”. If found guilty, Cunha will miss a fourth game, a huge relegation six-pointer away to Ipswich at the start of April.
Looking in the shorter term, Wolves will definitely be without Cunha for the clash with the Toffees this weekend. He is a huge loss for Pereira’s side, but perhaps he could soften the blow by starting another deadly forward in his place.
Wolves’ perfect Cunha replacement
The Old Gold are a little depleted in attack going into the Everton game. Not only are they without Cunha, but Portuguese duo Goncalo Guedes and Rodrigo Gomes are only just returning from injury - albeit with the pair deemed "ready" to feature, according to Pereira. Either way, it could be a chance for Hee-chan Hwang to step up.
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The 2023/24 campaign was incredibly impressive from South Korean international, Hwang. In 29 Premier League games, he managed to get on the scoresheet on 12 occasions and grab three assists, too.
However, the former RB Salzburg attacker has struggled to replicate that form this season. He has scored just two goals in 17 top-flight appearances. They are the only times he has found the back of the net in any competition.
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Despite his tough campaign this term, the 29-year-old has proven he can offer a source of goals in the top flight. In fact, last term, there were plenty of his stats, as per Squawka, that are comparable with Cunha.
For example, the Brazilian averaged 0.5 goals per 90 minutes, compared to 0.6 for Hwang. The South Korean attacker also had a better take-on success rate, with 54.55%, with Cunha averaging a 51.2% take-on success rate.
Hwang vs. Cunha key stats 2023/24 PL season compared
Stat (per 90)
Goals
Conversion rate
Chances created
Take-on success rate
Ground duels won
Stats from Squawka
The Old Gold number 11 might fancy his chances of scoring against Everton should he come into the side at the weekend. He scored past the Toffees as recently as 2022/23, in a 1-1 draw at Molineux.
Replacing Cunha is obviously never going to be easy for Pereira. But, having someone like Hwang in the squad is certainly helpful. Statman Dave once described him as the “perfect modern forward”.
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Perhaps he can help replace the goals Cunha brought to the side, and help Wolves earn a crucial three points against Everton at the weekend.
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