If there is one word to describe Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, it’s combative.
The Brazilian has made a habit of being one of the toughest tackling midfielders in England since coming to Molineux in January 2023.
Gomes has established himself as a very popular figure since his £15 million arrival.
Last season he really shone in the engine room alongside Mario Lemina, and while Lemina ended up winning Supporters’ Player of the Season, there was a lot of love for what Gomes did.
The man known as ‘The Pitbull’ is so high energy, and is constantly snapping into tackles.
Dave Edwards branded Gomes the best ball-winner Wolves have ever had last season, and it’s certainly difficult to argue with that.
Given the way Gomes plays, it’s only natural that he makes a lot of fouls – which is why one statistic at the weekend came as a real surprise.
Joao Gomes reacts after learning he didn’t make a single foul for Wolves against Bristol City
Gomes was terrific for Wolves on Saturday in the FA Cup against Bristol City.
The Brazilian played alongside Andre in midfield and the pair really dominated proceedings, especially in the first-half.
Gomes has played a lot of football lately and might well have been rested for the contest by Pereira. But the Wolves manager is clearly taking the cup seriously and fielded a near enough full-strength team.
After the game, one account on X posted some of Gomes’ statistics from the game – and one that stood out was the fact he actually made zero fouls.
Gomes caught wind of this, and it left him amused as he wrote: “First game of my career that I don’t make a foul 🤣”
Gomes made the most tackles with four, won 7/9 duels and made seven recoveries in the game.
And despite being so combative and tenacious, he did not concede on foul, which was clearly something he was proud of.
Joao Gomes getting better and better
It is certainly not common for Gomes to get through a game of football for Wolves without making a foul and it’s little wonder he is amused by this.
With the way he plays, there is always potential for him to concede free-kicks. His love of tackling also means he gets quite a lot of yellow cards.
Gomes giving away fouls is not necessarily a bad thing. As long as he gives them away in the right areas, he can relieve the pressure on his teammates.
Pereira surely won’t be telling him to change, with Gomes definitely on an exciting trajectory.
The one way in which he can get even better is on the ball – and there are signs of that happening now. Gary O’Neil previously called on Gomes to improve on the ball, and he can still do this.
But Gomes does now have two assists this season, which is double what he managed in the last one-and-a-half campaigns, and he’s also scored a couple. So he’s heading in the right direction.