Wolves defender Matt Doherty thinks he knows what the Old Gold were missing against Manchester City.
After six consecutive Premier League wins, Wolves’ run was ended as Manchester City beat Vitor Pereira’s side 1-0 at the Etihad.
Kevin De Bruyne scored in the first half to give Pep Guardiola’s squad the lead, a strike that turned out to be the matchwinner.
Though Wolves could’ve got more from the game, there was a cause for the visitors being lucky, as some believed Rayan Ait-Nouri could’ve been sent off.
Still, there wasn’t too much for Pereira to complain about after the contest, as the mood in the squad remains higher than ever this season.
- READ MORE: Wolves fans agree that one player was ‘genuinely awful’ vs Man City, Vitor Pereira made a mistake
Matt Doherty heaps praise on Jorgen Strand Larsen
The defeat was a stain on a perfect record stemming back to mid-March, and despite it being Wolves’ first loss in six, some were not overly satisfied.
Speaking to Express and Star after the game, defender Matt Doherty admitted that the contest was a ‘missed opportunity’ for Wolves.
Aside from commenting on the result, the Irishman also drew attention to the absence of Jorgen Strand Larsen, who missed out due to a groin injury.
Strand Larsen has been in searing form amid Wolves’ winning streak, and Doherty was quick to highlight that the squad were missing their target man at the Etihad.
“The confidence of having your striker in good form, it changes the whole dynamic of your team,” Doherty said.
“When you’ve got a striker like Jorgen, who’s scoring goals and in form, linking well with everybody else. It’s obviously a big miss.”
With six goals in his previous six games for Wolves before injury, it’s no wonder that Doherty was feeling Strand Larsen’s absence.
Strand Larsen was missed against Man City
It’s been quite the turnaround of fortune for Strand Larsen, who, after receiving criticism for a mid-season slump, has found his scoring boots once more.
The Norwegian has 13 goals so far in his debut Premier League campaign, a tally better than most strikers who have traded European leagues for the English top tier.
Against City, it was clear what Wolves were missing, as chances were created but the back of the net was unable to be touched, with that deadly presence in the box absent.
There’s hope that once recovered from a minor groin strain, Strand Larsen will return to the starting XI against Brighton, as Wolves look to end a turbulent 2024/25 campaign on a high.