Wolves will be hoping to turn their form around in the Premier League after a shocking start.
The odds were stacked against the Old Gold before the 2024/25 season kicked off, as Wolves were handed an incredibly challenging fixture list.
From the opening eight games, Gary O’Neil’s side faced six of last term’s top seven, telling of the obstacles the Midlands club have had to overcome.
Sitting bottom of the table with just one point to show for their efforts, Wolves have a lot of ground to cover to avoid a relegation battle, which is possible thanks to the array of talent at Molineux.
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Wolves star Rayan Ait-Nouri is outperforming Diogo Jota
O’Neil is fortunate to have some inspiration in his squad to help turn things around at Wolves, with plenty of top calibre talents at his disposal.
One of the most impactful players over O’Neil’s reign has been Rayan Ait-Nouri, who has picked up where he left off last season.
The start of the campaign wasn’t easy for the defender however, he’s certainly grown into his game despite Wolves’ disappointing run of results.
| Rayan Ait-Nouri | Diogo Jota | |
| Played | 8 | 7 |
| Assists | 2 | 2 |
| Chances created | 10 | 3 |
| Chances per 90 | 1.37 | 0.54 |
The numbers emphasise how decisive the Algerian’s versatility has been for Wolves this term, with Ait-Nouri outperforming one familiar face at Molineux by quite some distance.
From left-back, the Algeria international has created seven more chances in the Premier League than Liverpool ace Diogo Jota, who was of course a former hero in the West Midlands.
O’Neil has a secret assassin in Ait-Nouri, being able to unleash the 23-year-old to add more of a spark to Wolves going forward, as well as leaning on the £10m man defensively.
Gary O’Neil tweak suits Ait-Nouri
As mentioned, the start of the campaign wasn’t easy for Ait-Nouri, as well as a number of Wolves players, who struggled to adapt to O’Neil’s plan to make a back four work.
Having become accustomed to playing the role of a wing back last season, reverting to taking up the duty of a more defensive position on the left side was trialling.
It wasn’t only difficult for the player, but for Wolves as a whole, who thrive going forward when Ait-Nouri is able to be relieved of his defensive duties.
As seen through the numbers, it would be incredibly wasteful to limit the Algerian to a deeper role, with the fullback crafted to play as a wing back in a back five.