Wolverhampton Wanderers will be aiming to carry on their good form of late when they take on Brentford in the Premier League tomorrow afternoon.
The Old Gold were unlucky to lose 4-3 to Manchester United last week, before securing a wonderful victory over Chelsea on the weekend as they completed the double over the Stamford Bridge side for the first time since the 1974/75 season.
Gary O’Neil is building something special at Molineux this season and if his side continue to impress, they could certainly secure a top-half finish in the top flight.
The former Bournemouth manager might not make too many changes to the side which won 4-2 in London a few days ago and with this in mind, here's a look at the starting XI which could take to the field at Molineux tomorrow.
1 GK – Jose Sa
During the January transfer window, Nottingham Forest were reportedly showing an interest in signing the Portuguese goalkeeper, yet nothing materialised, and he remains with Wolves until the summer at least.
While Wolves may be playing well, Sa has kept just three clean sheets in 21 league matches so far this season and grabbing his fourth tomorrow could go a long way to helping the side secure another crucial win.
2 RCB – Max Kilman
The captain has started every single league game this season so far and his presence in the back three is vital to how Wolves operate.
He has even chipped in with a couple of goals in recent weeks too, scoring in the win against Everton, while finding the back of the net in the last-gasp defeat to Manchester United, and it proves he is capable of coming up with the odd goal.
3 CB – Craig Dawson
The 33-year-old veteran has plenty of experience in the top flight and this has proven crucial this season as he has only missed two matches since the start of the term.
The former West Ham United defender is enjoying somewhat of an Indian summer to his career in the Midlands, and it is clear O’Neil can rely on him to perform every week.
4 LCB – Toti
The 25-year-old has really come into his own over the previous 12 months. He made 17 Premier League appearances last term and so far this season, the defender has already hit 20 games in the top flight, missing just three matches.
He will only continue to get better the more he plays and O’Neil has a settled back three which forms the foundation of his starting XI.
5 RM – Nelson Semedo
This season, the defender has been mainly utilised on the right side of the midfield to incorporate a back three, and it appears to be working well so far.
The former Barcelona gem could do with improving his goal involvement rate, however, as across 22 matches, the 30-year-old has registered zero assists.
6 CM – Tommy Doyle
Mario Lemina played OK against Chelsea, but he only managed 46 touches throughout the match while completing 86% of his passes and O’Neil could drop him to the bench in order to unleash Tommy Doyle.
The 5 foot 7 gem was hailed as “fantastic” by talent scout Jacek Kulig previously and when he came on against the Blues on the weekend, he completed 100% of his passes while winning his sole ground duel, and it could be time to unleash him in the starting XI against Brentford.
7 CM – Joao Gomes
The midfielder was solid against Chelsea, not only grabbing an assist but making six tackles and two interceptions during his spell on the field, which nullified the Blues.
The 22-year-old is certainly a player to watch out for in the coming years, but he is already gaining vital experience in the Premier League this season, playing 20 games for the Old Gold as they have performed well and expect to see him start against the Bees tomorrow.
8 LM – Rayan Ait-Nouri
Typically, a left-back, the French-born starlet has been operating in a more advanced role this season in order to allow O’Neil the chance to deploy a back three.
While he has played 20 league matches during 2023/24, the youngster has yet to score or register an assist and, like Semedo on the other flank, more must be shown in an attacking sense by the pair.
He has started five of their previous six top-flight matches and expect him to be unleashed again from the first whistle.
9 RF – Pablo Sarabia
The Spaniard may have only started ten of their 23 league matches so far this season, but he does have two goals and five assists to his name, proving that he is incredibly effective when he does play.
The 31-year-old has a wealth of experience, and it has clearly been on display in recent months and this could be vital if the Old Gold plan on taking three points against Brentford.
10 LF – Mathues Cunha
The Brazilian was in fine form against Chelsea, becoming just the fourth player in Premier League history, after Kanu, Robin van Persie and Sergio Aguero, to score a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge.
He also won a penalty, succeeded with two of his four dribble attempts, and made one key pass as the Old Gold were in dominant form against the Londoners last weekend.
If he carries this type of form into tomorrow’s clash, the Brentford defence will be run ragged.