As Wolves prepare for relegation, one statistic really does hammer home how bad the team has been in front of goal.
Friday’s loss to West Ham United has left Wolves on the brink, with relegation officially now a possibility this weekend if certain results happen.
It’s a situation that has rather been a long time coming, with Wolves having been down at the bottom all season.
Wanderers have scored just 24 goals across their 32 matches so far, while also conceding 58 goals, leaving them with the worst goal difference in the division.
That imbalance has defined their campaign, with results consistently reflecting a side unable to keep pace at either end of the pitch.
But arguably, it’s at the top end where Wolves’ biggest issue has lain.
Wolves’ attacking struggles laid bare by new statistic
The scale of the problem becomes clearer when looking at how often Wolves have failed to find the net.
As per BBC Sport in their preview ahead of the Leeds United clash, Wolves have failed to score in 16 Premier League games this season, as many as they did across the previous two seasons combined (2023/24 – 9, 2024/25 – 7).
It is the first time their attacking output has dropped this low in years, and they last failed to score in more games in 2009/10, which is truly remarkable.
Simply put, goalscoring has been a major issue for Wolves.
And this will again shine a light on just how badly Fosun and then-chairman Jeff Shi got it wrong with their recruitment decisions last summer.
Wolves’ recruitment is main reason for relegation
This season there hasn’t been a reliable source of goals, and the forward line has not delivered the level required to compete in the Premier League.
And that reflects poorly on recruitment decisions made last year, where the balance of the squad shifted without replacing attacking quality.
Without enough creativity or finishing ability, Wolves have been left with a side that struggles to create chances and even more difficulty converting them.
Last term, Wolves had Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Pablo Sarabia – three players who could – and did – all make things happen in the final third.
Even Goncalo Guedes chipped with 10 goal involvements.
Too many proven players were let go, only to be replaced by non-proven ones from overseas.
Jhon Arias and Fer Lopez both struggled to be the creative forces their predecessors were, and Tolu Arokodare has scored just three Premier League goals.
There is also an argument to say Wolves also made a mistake with Jorgen Strand Larsen, as Newcastle United came in for him with a £55 million bid. The Norwegian was kept, but had a terrible campaign with some questioning if his head had been turned.
As Wolves officials assess where it all went wrong, they really do need not look any further than last summer’s recruitment.
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