Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina has cemented himself as one of Gary O’Neil’s prized midfielders, with the numbers now showing that the Gabon international is doing something that Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho failed to do at Molineux.
Wolves have been revamped since the arrival of Gary O’Neil just five days before the opening of the 2023/24 calendar, with a host of players showing their best form under the boss’ regime.
One of those thriving in the Englishman’s set-up is Mario Lemina, who has barely put a foot wrong since arriving in the Midlands from Nice in January 2023 for just £9.7m.
At the end of last season, there was some anxiety regarding how the engine room would look after the lucrative departure of Ruben Neves, and the farewell to his veteran counterpart, Joao Moutinho.
What Lemina has done at Wolves that Neves and Moutinho didn’t
Many would agree that the transition from the Portuguese pivot to the partnership of Joao Gomes and Lemina has been easier to digest than first expected.
Lauded as an “incredible” pairing by O’Neil earlier this season, Gomes and Lemina have found the perfect balance between protecting the back line and supporting in the final third, as highlighted by Lemina’s exploits upfield.
In an analysis piece by Adam Bate, Sky Sports documented the factors that make the Gabon international so successful in the current Wolves squad, with the numbers coming as a surprise in comparison to pairings prior.
Bate cited that in 109 appearances each in the Premier League under Nuno Santo, Neves and Moutinho had 28 and 24 touches inside the penalty box respectively.
Thanks to O’Neil’s attack-minded flow in midfield, Lemina has passed that tally in only 20 games that he has played under the new manager.
The importance of the 30-year-old in Wolves’ XI is clear on a match-by-match basis, with Bate using the former Southampton man’s last-gasp winner against Spurs as a case study to explain his movement in the box.
If O’Neil didn’t expect his midfield, and in particular Lemina, to move as freely, the three points on that day arguably would not have come, with the Gabonese gem being in the right place at the right time in the 97th minute.
Wolves are thrilled with the role of Lemina in the current squad, and if the midfielder can emulate the successes of those before him, the good times will continue at Molineux.