Fulham manager Marco Silva is wary of the threat that midfield duo Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes carry in this afternoon’s clash.
The partnership of Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes in the Wolves engine room has been pivotal in their success this season.
Hailed as “incredible” by Gary O’Neil following their performance in the win over Chelsea in December, the duo have built up a brilliant understanding with each other.
While Gomes is a ball-winning machine, Lemina complements the Brazilian with equal amounts of aggression and the pair are difficult to breach.
As the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City have found out, it’s hard for any top-level midfield to win the battle against the destructive Wanderers duo.
Gomes ranks in the top 3% of Premier League midfielders for tackles, as highlighted by FBref, while Lemina places in the top 10% for interceptions.
The pair are also strong at carrying the ball forward and ghosting into the box, as the 22-year-old showed with his brace against Spurs, whereas the Gabon international has weighed in with five goals.
Understandably, the threat they carry from a defensive and attacking point of view has seen several managers drop praise for them and Marco Silva is the latest.
Marco Silva hails ‘quality’ Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes
Wolves host Fulham in the Premier League this afternoon and Gomes looks poised to return to the starting XI after missing the 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United through illness.
In his pre-match press conference, the Cottagers boss is aware of the quality that the Wanderers midfield duo possesses.
“Of course, [Mario] Lemina and João [Gomes] in the middle can be solid enough, but at the same time they can arrive from a second line in the box,” Silva told the Fulham official website.
“They have this quality, we are aware of everything, but for sure they know our quality, too, and they know that it’s not going to be easy for them.”
Gomes was hugely missed against Newcastle
O’Neil may miss the goal threat of Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha while they are out injured, but the presence of Gomes in midfield against the Magpies was hugely missed.
Eddie Howe’s side had the edge over Wolves in the engine room as their midfield trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock dominated Lemina and Doyle.
Add Gomes into the mix – who was previously lauded as a “super talent” by O’Neil – and the outcome of the battle could have swung in the other direction.
There aren’t many better players in the world, never mind in the Premier League, at winning the ball back than the 22-year-old and that is highlighted by the fact he averages the third most tackles per game of any player in the competition.
So, the fact he’s ready to return to the squad is massive news for Wolves while Silva is understandably worried about the quality he poses.