Wolverhampton Wanderers face arguably one of their most daunting tasks yet this season – playing Arsenal at the Emirates.
They shouldn’t be put off by this gargantuan tie however, as they have already defeated Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur this term, while securing a point against Newcastle United and the Gunners will need to be wary.
Gary O’Neil has built a solid team during his first few months at the Old Gold and if he aims to push his side towards a top-half finish in the Premier League, securing a positive result against the north London side could go a long way.
The 40-year-old will need to make a few changes to his starting XI from the match against Fulham at the start of the week and one key player will be missing…
Joao Gomes’ season in numbers
Joao Gomes will miss the Arsenal tie due to suspension having picked up a booking against the Cottagers in his last match and this is a big blow for the club.
The Brazilian has been a constant fixture in the starting XI this term, missing just two matches, yet he has picked up five bookings and this is something O’Neil may be telling him to watch out for in the future.
Gomes has succeeded with 62% of his dribble attempts while recovering 5.3 balls per game and his presence in the midfield will be missed by the Molineux outfit.
The question is, who will replace him in the heart of the midfield?
Boubacar Traore could replace Joao Gomes
Boubacar Traore joined the Midlands side during the summer of 2022 on an initial season-long loan, but he played just 12 times due to suffering a groin injury in January.
The midfielder was previously dubbed as a youngster who was “exploding” by his former manager at Metz, Frederic Antonetti, and due to triggering a few clauses at the end of his loan spell, Wolves secured his signature on a permanent basis during the summer.
The 22-year-old has started just twice in the Premier League during 2023/24 however, and he will need to be at his best to nullify an Arsenal side who only recently scored six goals against French side Lens.
Traore has succeeded with 100% of his dribbles during his brief time on the pitch thus far, along with averaging 1.5 tackles per game and recovering 3.1 balls per game, and a more consistent run in the team should see these statistics improve.
Alongside Gomes, Mario Lemina is suspended too and this will mean O’Neil will have to make wholesale changes to his midfield ahead of the clash against the Gunners.
O'Neil could sign "outstanding" £2m gem to replace £40k-p/w Wolves star
This Old Gold appear to have their eyes firmly fixed on an exciting young talent…
ByAdam ScullyDec 1, 2023
Missing two vital players won't help his cause, but by unleashing the £55k-per-week gem, O'Neil could give the youngster a valuable start against one of the best teams in the league.
It remains to be seen whether Traore will be up for the challenge, yet his prior performances last term before getting injured were positive and if he can replicate those this afternoon, he might just prove a lot of people wrong.
