It’s been a season to forget for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite a tough 2023/24 campaign, in which they were led to safety by manager Gary O’Neil, the Old Gold now find themselves rock bottom of the Premier League this term. It may be surprising for people that Wolves are struggling as much as they are this season. BBC Sports’ chief football writer Phil McNulty was one person who thought they would steer well clear of the drop zone this term. He explained that, in his opinion, the Midlands outfit “can avoid danger” this term, although so far it has not worked out very well.
A closer look at their underlying stats this season reveals a cause for concern. The bottom-of-the-table side are yet to get a win on the board this term, one of four sides to do so along with Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace, and Southampton. They have not even earned a point since a 1-1 draw away to Nottingham Forest. Pinpointing their biggest weakness this season is not too difficult. They have been incredibly frail at the back, conceding the most goals in England’s top flight so far with 23, five more than any other side in the division.
What is perhaps most surprising is that O’Neil’s side are not last in the Premier League when it comes to the number of expected goals against. As per Understat, they rank 16th, with a tally of 16.54xGA, although they are massively underachieving on that front. The statistics suggest that their struggles are not entirely unexpected, with some observers predicting that they would avoid relegation. However, their performance this term has been significantly worse than expected.
Manager O’Neil might decide to try something new to lift his team. A marquee signing in the transfer market could provide a much-needed boost, or a change in formation could help turn their fortunes around. In the short term, Wolves will need to focus on cutting down on the number of goals they concede. They have let six in against Chelsea at Molineux in a shocking 6-2 defeat and conceded five goals away from home to Brentford in a 5-3 loss.
As the season reaches its first international break, O’Neil will be under pressure to turn things around. A win against Brighton and Hove Albion, who they host on Saturday, could be just the boost they need to start climbing the league table. youngster Rodrigo Gomes has shown his potential in the EFL Cup, but now it’s time for him to take his game to the next level. If O’Neil decides to throw him into the starting lineup, he could terrorize the Brighton defense and help lift his side out of the relegation zone.
