Wolves are back in action against Luton Town this weekend, giving Gary O’Neil the opportunity to unleash one star who was unfortunate to miss out against Bournemouth.
It’s been a season of progression for Wolves under the tutelage of Gary O’Neil but the wheels have come off in recent weeks.
The Old Gold looked certain to launch a challenge on the European places but following a glut of injuries to key players and an abysmal run of results, O’Neil’s men are now seven points behind seventh position.
Wolves latest defeat came against Bournemouth on Wednesday night, extending their winless run in the Premier League to six matches, but it didn’t come without it’s controversy.
The hosts saw Hwang Hee-Chan‘s goal chalked off as Matheus Cunha was deemed to have elbowed Justin Kluivert in the build-up, which left supporters outraged at VAR once more as the Brazilian barely touched him.
O’Neil didn’t use that as an excuse for his side’s performance, claiming it was the worst he’s seen this season as only one player stood out.
Matheus Cunha’s performance v Bournemouth
Cunha missed the 2-0 defeat against Arsenal through injury, but the Brazilian returned to the bench against the Cherries and made a real impact in the final 35 minutes.
The 24-year-old injected some much needed pace into a side that looked fatigued and struggled to match the quality the visitors threw at them.
The above statistics paint a picture of a striker using his ball-carrying attributes and energy to take the game to the opposition, proving to be a real nuisance in his short time on the pitch.
Cunha’s impact will almost certainly guarantee him a start against Luton this weekend, but he isn’t the only attacking player who deserves the nod.
Tawanda Chirewa deserves to start vs Luton Town
Tawanda Chirewa impressed on his full Wolves debut against Arsenal, pitting his wits against the best defence in the division and letting William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes know they were in a game.
The 20-year-old was unfortunate to get left out of the starting XI against Bournemouth, especially when looking at how poor Pablo Sarabia was.
Chirewa used his strength and ball-carrying to drive his side forward, with O’Neil missing the youngster’s energy on Wednesday night until he was brought onto the pitch, in which he showed his ability to wreak havoc against the opposition.
Having reached a period of the season where Wolves have nothing to play for, the attacking midfielder – hailed “exceptional” by talent scout Antonio Mango – deserves to start against Luton.
The Hatters have the second-worst defence in the Premier League with 75 goals conceded, behind only Sheffield United (92).
Chirewa will feel he can exploit the visitors defensively with his pace and power while repaying his manager for showing faith in him.