Mario Lemina has lauded his energetic midfield partner Joao Gomes, after the Brazilian scored a brace for Wolves in the 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Wanderers enjoyed one of their best performances and results of the season so far, defeating Spurs in their own backyard despite not having Matheus Cunha.
Although Wolves tend to fare quite well against the bigger clubs in the Premier League, some fans were a little apprehensive ahead of Saturday’s game because of Cunha’s injury.
The key star had started every single league game for Wolves, so it was a slight case of uncharted waters for Gary O’Neil.
But Wolves were magnificent, and two-goal Gomes has been coming in for all kinds of plaudits – including from Lemina…
Mario Lemina insists Joao Gomes ‘deserves’ praises for the work-rate he shows for Wolves
On Saturday, Gomes opened the scoring with a header from a brilliant Pablo Sarabia corner.
It was very poor marking from Spurs, but a great header nonetheless from Gomes.
After Dejan Kulusevski had equalised early in the second-half, Gomes grabbed another after a terrific breakaway by Pedro Neto. Gomes actually started the move and did so well to get up and finish it.
Not only did Gomes shine by scoring two goals, but he really was everywhere for Wolves with Sofascore data showing he made six tackles, and contested 18 duels.
Gomes often lines up alongside Mario Lemina in the Wolves midfield, and it’s clear the 30-year-old is a big fan of his partner. The Gabon international was delighted for Gomes, talking up the amount of work he does for the team.
Lemina said of Gomes after the game (via Wolves official): “He deserves it (the praise). From the beginning of the game, he was very aggressive and on his game. He deserves praise as he puts in a shift in every game we play.
“He has been going forward a lot and missed the feeling to score. I had to cover him as he wanted it. Well done to him. He gave us the lead and after he scored the second one, well done to him.”
Gomes will be special
It was great to see Gomes score two goals for Wolves against a top side, as it brought him the attention he has deserved for weeks.
The 23-year-old has had a terrific first full season for the club so far, and he is just getting better and better, a message he was keen to pass on to fans himself after the game.
Gary O’Neil wants him to improve on the ball going forward and once he does become a bit more technically strong, then Wolves will have a serious player on their hands.
There are several top young talents at Molineux right now and Gomes is right up there with the most exciting.