In the wake of Wolves’ 2-1 victory over Fulham, one statistic indicates that Gary O’Neil’s side should once again be playing in Europe next season.
A battling performance saw Wolves overcome their injury crisis to secure all three points against Fulham. Multiple players stepped up for Gary O’Neil as they returned to winning ways and continued their sensational form this season.
The victory has seen Wolves reclaim the eighth spot thanks to goals from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo at Molineux.
The Algerian was particularly impressive, with one journalist claiming that he was ‘the best player on the pitch.
However, the result could prove to be a significant one come the end of the season. One statistic indicates that Wolves should reclaim a spot in Europe come the end of the campaign.
Wolves’ form should earn European spot
While many fans will consistently look at how teams are doing around them, one statistic that always holds up is average points.
In the relegation battle, most clubs point towards the 40-point mark for safety which will keep teams in the division 99% of the time.
In the battle for Europe, one statistic points towards a 59-point benchmark needed to reach seventh place.
BBC WM’s Mike Taylor collected the total points of the last five teams to finish seventh. The lowest total comes to 57 and the highest is 62.
As it stands, Wolves are averaging 1.46 points per game which works out to around 56 points come the end of the season.
Based on the previous points tallies needed for seventh, this could well be enough for Wolves to gain this spot. Even then, eighth place is widely expected to be enough to get European football next season which O’Neil’s side is on track to do.
European football is in Wolves’ hands
Six wins out of their next 10 league games should be enough to secure European football at the end of the season. That would take the side to 59 points which would all but secure seventh place.
Before the end of the season, O’Neil’s side has a kind fixture list. The club still has to face Burnley, Forest, Luton and Crystal Palace as well as home ties against West Ham and Arsenal.
While it might still seem to be a big ask, it is well within this side’s capabilities to get these victories over the line.
Obviously, injuries will play a big factor on if whether Wolves can achieve this. However, as seen against Fulham, Wolves can get a result without many of their best players.