Dave Edwards: Wolves can inflict some real capital punishment
Two games in London and there is no reason why in-form Wolves can’t take three, four or even six points from the capital.
The trips to London, at Arsenal on Thursday and West Ham on Sunday, are season-definers against sides immediately above Wolves in the league.
I believe Arsenal in sixth and West Ham in fifth have all the pressure on them. There’s no pressure on Wolves.
Arsenal might be favourites for the top four spot at the moment with more games in hand, but if Wolves can go and pick up three points at The Emirates, that will take the wind out of the Gunners’ sails.
I just don’t think the pressure is on Wolves. I don’t think they are over-achieving – we’re 24 games in now, teams are where they are on merit. And the way Wolves had performed in games they very much deserve to be around the top six.
But I don’t think anyone expected it, especially after losing Nuno and a new manager coming in that nobody knew much about.
Wolves will enjoy going to upset people. I don’t think anybody outside of that dressing room expects them to win at Arsenal. They will go and defend well, like they always do, but they have players in that side to hurt teams.
It has been a perfect week for Wolves.
To come off the back of the win at Spurs, to have all these players back from injury – which are massive pluses – and to win against top opposition in the form of Leicester is very impressive.
It was a windswept Molineux on Sunday and the hosts won despite not playing well. Not many Wolves teams of late have been able to not play well and beat good opponents.
Daniel Podence is giving Wolves something extra.
He got the match-winner but was a real livewire all game. He turns defence into attack very quickly.
Lage’s men have now almost guaranteed themselves that top eight berth. They can really look up now and concentrate on being as high as they can.
The pace of Podence and Neto on the counter is a real threat. You can add Hwang Hee-chan and of course Jimenez into that and it’s a very exciting frontline.
What a sight it was to see last season’s player of the year Neto return on Sunday from 10 months out.
He’s lightning quick at his best and takes you up the pitch rapidly. Not just that, but when he gets around the opposition’s box – especially out wide – he will deliver an excellent cross or make something happen.
For someone of his tender years that is really refreshing. You see a lot of younger players overdo it.
I’m interested to see what the manager does tactically for that Arsenal game. Does he stick with the three in midfield which has worked recently?
Or does he introduce Hwang or maybe even Neto for the 3-4-3? They are good problems to have.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Ruben Neves for Wolves’ website last week. My advice to him was very simple – when you get the ball, shoot! It was nice to see it work!
It was a fascinating couple of hours. Having more of an insight to how much it means to him playing for Wolves, what he thinks of the fans and his team-mates, he is really all in at Wolves. It feels he’s indebted to them bringing him in as a 20-year-old.
What an asset he is.
The way he acts, talks, leads, and then you put that on top of the ability on the football pitch. He’s got to be one of the best footballers Wolves have seen down Molineux in the last 30 years, surely, he’s that good.
He’s going to have so many suitors. I think he’s one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, he’s certainly in that conversation for the No.6 role.
I’m hoping he’ll stay for a long, long time, but it was fascinating hearing about his life in Wolverhampton.
