Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott has reserved huge praise for one of Gary O’Neil’s summer signings at Wolves.
The Wolves boss will be in disbelief to have seen his side lose against Newcastle United on match day four of the Premier League.
O’Neil’s squad were deservedly leading the game up until the final quarter, as two wonder strikes from the Magpies turned the scoreline around in the space of just five minutes.
As a result, the Old Gold’s search for their first league win of the season continues although, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Midlands club.
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Theo Walcott forms comparison between Jorgen Strand Larsen and Erling Haaland
Despite suffering defeat, there were plenty of positives for O’Neil to take from Wolves’ duel with Newcastle.
One of the biggest pluses of the fixture was the performance of Jorgen Strand Larsen, who recorded his first Premier League assist to set up Mario Lemina.
The summer signing, who arrived at Molineux on an initial loan from Celta Vigo, is fitting into O’Neil’s system like a glove, seeing him earn high praise early into his Wolves career.
Dissecting Wolves’ defeat to Newcastle on Match of the Day 2 was former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, who explained why he likes Strand Larsen.
“The reason why I like him is he is very similar in the way he plays to Haaland.
“I know I am bigging him up, but it’s more the fact that he occupies the centre-half and he puts them in a position where they don’t want to be at times.
“What I like about him as well, he is not afraid of sort of muscling anyone off the ball.”
Walcott wasn’t the first to compare Strand Larsen to Erling Haaland, with the two Norweigan strikers having similar profiles when leading the line.
Wolves fans will hope that the 24-year-old can follow in his countryman’s footsteps, with the early signs of his Premier League career being encouraging.
Strand Larsen is a perfect fit for Wolves
Given what O’Neil wanted so badly at Wolves last season, Strand Larsen seems to be the ideal signing for the club to have made in the summer.
Standing at 6 foot 4, the striker is not only a desirable physical presence but is also technically gifted as well, as seen through his assist against the Magpies.
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The fusion that O’Neil is unearthing between Matheus Cunha and Strand Larsen could be something to behold, with Wolves needing a few tweaks to really get going this season.
It’s very uncommon that a striker arrives in the Premier League and settles as seamlessly as the Norweigan, as Wolves know all too well.