Wolverhampton Wanderers secured their first Premier League win of the season yesterday, defeating Southampton 2-0 at Molineux.
Goals from Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha secured the win for Gary O’Neil’s side, putting them just a point off safety after their dismal start in recent weeks.
It gives the 41-year-old an excellent platform to build from going into the third international break of the campaign, potentially being the start of a revival in the West Midlands.
There’s no denying that Brazilian attacker Cunha stole the show in the victory, with his thunderbolt securing all three points – but the same can’t be said for a variety of his teammates despite the win.
It could leave the boss with some crucial calls to make after the international break with one player doing extremely well to retain his place in the starting lineup after his display.
Mario Lemina’s stats against Southampton
Midfielder Mario Lemina started at the heart of O’Neil’s side, lining up alongside Joao Gomes and taking the armband in the process.
However, despite the faith shown in him by the Wolves boss, he was unable to produce an impressive performance, often looking lacklustre and negative in possession.
The 31-year-old Gabonese international may have registered the assist for Cunha’s goal, but it was an all-round afternoon to forget – with Andre needing to be knocking on the door for a start as a result.
Lemina only completed 16 passes at a completion rate of 76%, opting to play three long passes in the process, but was unable to find a teammate with two of those attempts.
He also was dribbled past twice, making just one interception and losing four of the seven duels he entered during the victory.
However, that being said, there was one other Wolves player who failed to impress against Russell Martin’s side – with O’Neil desperately
needing to drop the ace upon the return to action in a couple of weeks.
The Wolves ace who was worse than Lemina
Striker Jorgen Strand Larsen started his 11th consecutive Premier League match after his summer arrival on loan from Spanish outfit Celta Vigo.
He’s registered four goals so far this campaign, only being outscored by Cunha, looking to be an excellent addition and offering the outlet the club have been lacking in recent years.
However, yesterday he struggled massively during the win, featuring for 73 minutes, achieving a tally of just 15 touches – an average of one touch nearly every five minutes.
During his display, he only registered a total of six passes, committing two fouls and winning just one duel – losing a whopping 84% of the duels that he contested.
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Jorgen Strand Larsen’s stats for Wolves against Southampton |
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|---|---|
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Statistics |
Tally |
|
Minutes played |
73 |
|
Touches |
15 |
|
Passes completed |
6/9 (67%) |
|
Fouls committed |
2 |
|
Duels lost |
5/6 (84%) |
|
Shots taken |
1 |
|
Dribbled past |
3x |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|
As a result, the 24-year-old was awarded a 6/10 match rating by Sky Sports, the joint-lowest of any player who started the game for O’Neil’s men during the victory.
Whilst Strand Larsen has been an excellent addition since his move, yesterday was by far his worst display – often looking isolated and out of the game for large periods.
Ultimately, he will be lucky to maintain his starting role when Wolves travel to face Fulham upon the return of club football in two weeks time.
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