LIAM BERRY SHARES HIS PLAYER RATINGS FOR WOLVES WIN AGAINST BOURNEMOUTH
Gary O’Neil overcomes his former club in a sweet victory that sees his side move up to 12th position in the Premier League table.
Jose Sa - 7
The shot-stopper didn’t have much to do, and wasn’t at fault for the Cherries’ goal. Solid performance and looks like he’s slowly replicating his form from 2021/22. Obvious that he’s more comfortable with a five-man block defending his goal.
Matt Doherty - 6
A pretty average performance from Doherty. A few good forward runs and linked up with Pedro Neto nicely but doesn’t yet look up to speed and hasn’t quite hit the high standards he set in his first spell at the club. Still a good player to have as back-up to Nelson Semedo who missed this fixture through suspension. O’Neil revealed after the match he had been struggling with injury so that might explain it as well.
Maximilian Kilman - 7
The captain had another great game, his consistency is good to see and is once again backing up his previous potential as a really tidy centre-half. I think he suits the five-at-the-back system as it allows him to push up here and there with less pressure. He did that well against Bournemouth, often found deep in the opposition half contributing to the build-up play. Not to mention his solid defensive performance.
Craig Dawson - 8
Dawson has hit a good run of form in the past couple of weeks, dealing with top strikers as Erling Haaland and Ollie Watkins, and he kept his good run going against Bournemouth. Calm under pressure and played out from the back with confidence ultimately giving Wolves the foundation to attack the Cherries and stay on the front foot.
Toti Gomes - 7
Toti has found himself on the teamsheet since O’Neil made the switch to the five-at-the-back, and hasn’t been out of it since. His on-the-ball skill has improved vastly alongside his determination and he is progressing nicely as a Premier League player.
Rayan Ait-Nouri - 7
Under Lopetegui, the youngster fell out of favour, and his days at Wolves seemed to be numbered. But under O’Neil he has been a revolution. Carrying the ball forward and linking the play with the attacking players, he is really becoming a regular in the side. His most notable moment probably being when he, Hee Chan Hwang and Matheus Cunha showed their ‘rondo’ skills around the Bournemouth defence. Another good performance from the Algerian.
Boubacar Traore - 8
The midfielder was handed a start after a Mario Lemina red card in the West Midlands derby in the previous game, and he might have given the manager a headache for the midfield position going forward after putting in a solid performance. A little bit shaky on the ball in the first half but looked a lot more comfortable in the second with Tommy Doyle’s introduction to the game.
Joao Gomes - 6.5
Our number eight might have felt hard done by for being taken off at half time, but ultimately it was the substitute that changed the outlook of the game. A solid first half display which is becoming a consistent thing so far this season, Gomes is establishing himself in the toughest league in the world!
Pedro Neto - 8.5
Neto kept up his form with another assist, this time laying the ball cleverly to Cunha who struck just after half time. His confidence on the ball under O’Neil has been noticeable, and is becoming a top player in the Premier League. No one in the league has more assists than him, and he will definitely attract interest from top clubs in January. Another top performance from the winger.
Matheus Cunha - 7.5
After a cagey first half, Cunha immediately rectified this at the start of the second half with a quality finish. The spotlight has been on Neto and Hwang in the past few weeks but Cunha is the final piece of the puzzle to complete a deadly front three. His build allows him to hold the ball up at times, and he still possesses the ability to run with the ball, so Cunha’s role should not be overlooked.
Hee Chan Hwang - 7
Setting up the winner, Hwang just seems to be involved in most of Wolves’s goals at the moment. In a great run of form, he arrived in the right places at the right times and caused Bournemouth a real problem on the left flank. Great performance from the South Korean and he just keeps adding to his goal contributions this season.
SUBSTITUTES
Tommy Doyle – 8.5
Pablo Sarabia – 6
Sasa Kalajzdic – 8
ARTICLE BY LIAM BERRY
I am a life long Wolves fan that is passionate for the club. I am a sixth form student who loves writing about things I love!