Wolves have extended their unbeaten run to six matches, drawing 0-0 tonight against Brighton.
Tonight was always going to be a good measure of where Wolves really are at the moment under Gary O’Neil, with the Seagulls a team that have given the team difficulty in recent meetings.
Tonight’s contest was fairly one-sided in terms of possession.
Brighton dominated the ball throughout, with Wolves keeping things tight in the middle.
The game plan was to catch Wolves on the counter with the pace of Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha in particular.
But chances to do that were rather few and far between, with Wolves only having a few opportunities all night. Cunha had Wolves’ best chance just after the restart as he latched onto a Neto cross, but couldn’t convert despite two bites of the cherry.
Mario Lemina also had a good chance with a surge forward late on.
O’Neil is likely to be fairly pleased with a point given how the game panned out and the pressure Brighton applied throughout.
Jermaine Jenas praises Tommy Doyle during Brighton 0-0 Wolves
This evening, O’Neil handed Tommy Doyle another start for Wolves, with Joao Gomes still suspended and Boubacar Traore still away at AFCON.
It was the third start in a row for Doyle, who impressed in the two FA games against Brentford.
Tonight was a tricky game for all of Wolves players, but especially Doyle and Mario Lemina in the midfield, with the pair having to work their socks off against Brighton’s trio.
Jenas, commentating on TNT Sports, said of the young Englishman: “I actually think in midfield Doyle for Wolves has had a really good game. First-half, neat and tidy, cleared that one off the line. A great little phase there to get that ball down the line to Neto. He’s sticking out in that midfield like a sore thumb.”
According to Sofascore, Doyle completed 27/37 passes and 6 defensive actions (2 clearances, 1 block, 3 interceptions and 3 tackles). He also won 3/5 duels.
Doyle looking like a brilliant addition for Wolves
This was a decent result for Wolves, taking a point against a side that have proven problematic in recent times.
Doyle did really well in the engine room, and worked his socks off alongside Lemina, and the interceptions he made really helped to relieve the pressure for the visitors. His clearance off the line in the first-half was also a huge moment.
With every game that passes by, Doyle shows more and more and it is starting to look like a bit of a no-brainer to sign him this summer for the reported £5 million.