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👀 | EYE TEST: WOLVES

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👨‍💻 @eyetestfpl

Wolverhampton Wanderers have one of the best runs of fixtures in the division from Gameweek 4 onwards, stretching right the way through to Gameweek 14.

For Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers who prioritise fixtures over form, and especially for those on a Wildcard, Wolves’ defensive and attacking options are seriously worth considering.

Wolves sit top of our Season Ticker over the next 11 Gameweeks.

A manager losing their first three league matches in charge of a club is usually a cause for alarm but it doesn’t tell the full story here, as Bruno Lage has weirdly generated much optimism about his Wolves side after some well-rounded displays.

Offensively, Wolves boast the third-highest expected goals (xG) from open play tally (4.39), ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool.

At the back, they have the second-lowest xG from open play conceded (1.3) total despite having played against Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

TIGHT AT THE BACK

Since Gameweek 1, Lage has largely set up in a back three system which allows Wolves to create superiority in defensive numbers out wide.

Not only in their own defensive third, Wolves were also compact higher up the pitch, not allowing any United players to be left unmarked.

Over the last three Gameweeks, Wolves have conceded only 33 crosses from the flanks (the second-lowest in the league).

As Harvey Barnes (£6.8m) also found out in Gameweek 1, Wolves’ defensive solidity prevented the likes of Jadon Sancho (£9.2m) and Luke Shaw (£5.5m) from building any kind of momentum from the left flank.

Based on his heatmap, Sancho largely spent his time closer to the halfway line rather than the byline which suggests how successful Wolves were in keeping him quiet, limiting him to zero attempts on goal in the process.

Above: Jadon Sancho’s heatmap in Gameweek 3, from the Premium Members Area

The usually creative Shaw also failed to make meaningful offensive contributions, creating zero chances from open play.

Such a disruption in United’s overall build-up play ultimately resulted in Bruno Fernandes (£12.1m) having only one shot inside the box whilst also creating only one chance – a significant drop-off in creative output for someone as influential as him.

With Ruben Neves (£5.5m) and Joao Moutinho (£5.0m) as the midfield shields, defending from the front has also been a recurrent theme in the early days of Lage’s tenure.

Such a playing style allows Wolves to create a considerable amount of offensive turnovers in the opposition half which often leads to Wolves getting the ball quickly to Adama Traore (£6.0m), who can then launch a one-man counter.

However, despite this defensive toughness, they seemed to be letting in awkward goals that come out of nowhere.

So far, they have been undone by a finish of the highest calibre from Jamie Vardy (£10.5m), a Dele Alli (£6.5m) penalty and a Mason Greenwood (£7.7m) goal from tight angle with an xG of 0.04, which suggests Wolves have been somewhat unlucky from a defensive standpoint.

If you are looking to invest in Wolves’ defensive options, Nelson Semedo (£4.9m) can be an excellent option as he’s able to potentially offer clean sheets as well as attacking returns, which we will touch upon shortly.

Otherwise, Marcal or Conor Coady (both £4.5m) offer a slightly cheaper route to Wolves defence.

STRONG ATTACK

Moving onto the attack, Wolves also offer some of the best budget options in the game.

The way they tend to overload up front in a 2-3-5 shape, with both full-backs pushed high up the pitch, makes Semedo an especially attractive defensive option.

Although Semedo costs £0.4m more than Marcal, he is worth the price difference due to his greater involvement in the opposition final third, making six penalty box touches compared to Marcal’s one in the last two Gameweeks.

Given his attacking attributes, it’s also perfectly understandable why Semedo would be deployed much higher up the pitch than his counterpart.

Another facet of this attacking system is that with both full-backs advancing, the two Wolves wingers can tuck inside more, forming a narrow front three. This certainly boosts the appeal of Wolves’ attacking assets as this might mean they will be playing closer to goal.

ADAMA TRAORE

Over the last three Gameweeks, Adama Traore (£6.0m) has really caught the eye. Due to his pace and unmatchable dribbling skills, more often than not, he serves as the main counter-attacking outlet for Wolves every time they regain possession.

He almost never disappoints in this role, making 28 successful dribbles out of 34 (a staggering 82.4% success rate!). His ability to glide past his opponents like they never exist often makes him a one-man transition machine, single-handedly turning defence into attack.

His two big chances so far have come about in exactly the same manner, with the opposition player first losing the ball near the halfway line before either Neves or Moutinho release Traore into space.

Due to his ridiculous strength, he can also make this sort of offensive turnover all by himself, putting plenty of shots away after easily nudging players off the ball.

The main concern with Traore, finishing ability aside, is how he will have to deal with less attack-minded teams from Gameweek 4 onwards.

Due to the crowded nature of these low-block defences, he often resorts to efforts from range, which are speculative at best.

Or, he will have to drift wide in order to find more space.

This is not necessarily a bad thing for his potential owners as he has respectable crossing ability from the flanks but arguably, him drifting wide will significantly reduce his goal threat whilst increasing his already high assist potential.

So far, he has created the joint-highest number of chances among all midfielders (nine).

Although Traore is likely to see less space in the upcoming Gameweeks, the bold nature of some of the newly-promoted teams like Norwich City and Brentford might still present Traore some counter-attacking opportunities.

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