It was the Jorgen Strand Larsen show at St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon as the Wolves striker sunk Southampton.
Strand Larsen scored a brace, his first goals since the 2-2 draw against Tottenham in December, as Wolves secured a 2-1 win over Southampton.
The 25-year-old took his tally to nine for the campaign against the Saints and led the line brilliantly with two superb finishes.
It’s a huge turnaround from last weekend, as some fans criticised the Norwegian for looking off the pace against Everton, watching him get bullied by James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite.
But there was a good reason for his struggles, as Vitor Pereira confirmed Strand Larsen was playing with a broken hand, proving he’s willing to turn up regardless of his condition.
That is exactly like one other Wolves star, who produced an underrated performance alongside the Celta Vigo loanee.
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Joao Gomes was sensational against Southampton
Plaudits rained down for many players after this latest win, none more so than Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who assisted Strand Larsen twice.
However, the performance of midfield machine Joao Gomes went unnoticed as he was instrumental to securing all three points.
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With Andre deployed in his number six role, Gomes played more advanced against Southampton, seeing his involvement increase.
The Brazilian carried the torch for Wolves with some brilliant driving runs and was his tenacious self without the ball, ferociously winning possession back for his team.
Joao Gomes stats vs Southampton
90 minutes played
45/47 passes completed (96%)
4 passes into final third
6/6 tackles won
10 defensive actions
7 duels won
6 recoveries
All stats via Fotmob
Southampton struggled to live with the energy and tenacity of the 24-year-old, as demonstrated by the above statistics, and he surprisingly stayed on the pitch for the full ninety minutes too.
Gomes is often substituted in the second half of matches with a yellow card but he kept disciplined in this contest and remained out of the referees book.
Gomes responds after Southampton win
In a game that saw Bellegarde and Strand Larsen help deliver the killer blows, it’s clear that Gomes deserves equal recognition.
Following the three points on Saturday, Wolves fans believe survival is wrapped up after opening a nine point gap on Ipswich Town in 18th place.
Gomes also responded to the three points via X, formerly Twitter, with fans flooding in to reply to their Brazilian powerhouse.
Well done guys 👏🏼🐺
+3 important points
— João Gomes (@GomesOficial08) March 15, 2025
The next step for him to reach is producing more quality in the final third, and once he does, he will become the complete midfielder.