Wolves are still winless in the Premier League, drawing 2-2 with Crystal Palace on Saturday night.
The pressure has cranked up again on manager Gary O’Neil, with this game one that many fans were optimistic about winning.
Wolves had a tremendously difficult start in terms of the fixtures.
But now, the club have a favourable run, and Palace are only a few points above Wanderers in the table.
Wolves went 1-0 down in the game, but then flipped it on its head with goals by Jorgen Strand Larsen and Joao Gomes.
But as has happened a few times already this season, Wolves let slip their lead.
It is more frustration for the fans, many of whom have now seen enough and want O’Neil gone.
But the players are still very much playing for him, and one man who looked even more determined than usual yesterday was Joao Gomes.
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Joao Gomes’ stats for Wolves against Crystal Palace are superb
Joao Gomes, like a lot of his teammates, hasn’t quite found his best level this season compared to last.
The Brazilian was brilliant alongside Mario Lemina in 2023/24 but this term, he has struggled to have the same kind of influence.
That said, he’s been much better since the game with Manchester City.
And against Palace yesterday he was everywhere – especially in the second-half.
According to Sofascore data, Gomes had 64 touches in the game, which was only less than three other Wolves stars and one Palace player.
He completed 40/47 (85%), with three of those passes being ‘key’. Gomes also made three tackles, and one interception.
Gomes also completed 4/4 dribbles (100%).
If it felt as though Gomes was everywhere against Palace, that’s because he was. No player in the game contested more than his 16 duels during his busy performance. He also won the most with 11.
His 7.9 rating from Sofascore was his highest so far this season in the Premier League.
Gary O’Neil drops Joao Gomes verdict
Arguably, this was Gomes’ best performance of the season so far.
The South American was so determined alongside Tommy Doyle in midfield, and it was nice to see his display include a first goal at Molineux.
Fans know him to be a top ball-winner first and foremost. Indeed, Dave Edwards has previously said Gomes is Wolves’ best ball-winner ever. But he arguably has the potential to make more contributions in the final third.
After the contest, O’Neil spoke of his decision to take off Doyle for Mario Lemina, which led to boos from some fans in Molineux.
He said (via Wolves official): “There’s frustration [from the fans] around the results and where we are in the table, of course. But Joao was excellent, Mario came on and he was excellent.”
Certainly, £15 million signing Gomes has made a strong case to be starting Wolves’ next game against Southampton, which is an absolutely enormous fixture now, and one that could cost O’Neil his job if he does not win it.