Wolves have lost in the third round of the Carabao Cup 3-2 to Brighton.
Gary O’Neil rang the changes at the Amex Stadium following the weekend Premier League defeat to Newcastle United, with only Joao Gomes keeping his place.
O’Neil had warned fans that he would be changing things up, and all the changes appeared to have a detrimental effect.
Jose Sa came back into the side for the first time since being strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia – and it was an extremely poor performance from him. Arguably, he should have got stronger hands to all of Brighton’s goals.
It was an atrocious first-half display, which ended with Goncalo Guedes scoring to keep Wolves in the game.
Wolves did go on to lose, but Guedes now has three goals this season – and O’Neil’s next move with the forward should be clear.
Goncalo Guedes may need to start for Wolves against Aston Villa
A few weeks ago, Guedes opened his account for the season for Wolves against Burnley in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
He grabbed a brace against the Clarets, and O’Neil started him once again tonight against Brighton.
The Portuguese attacker was often a threat in the game, and he took his goal on the stroke of half-time really well.
Wolves were improved in the second-half, and Guedes was a willing runner.
He should have scored a second though when played in by Rodrigo Gomes, disappointingly dragging his shot wide.
Brighton, then got a third goal through Ferdi Kadioglu, before Tommy Doyle found a late consolation.
But it was a largely positive display from Guedes, and he looked a cut above most of his teammates and he has surely made a strong case to be starting this weekend against Aston Villa.
Wolves need Guedes’ goal threat
There are plenty of issues right now for Wolves.
But O’Neil surely can’t look past starting Guedes in the next game against Villa, with the star now having three goals under his belt.
It is quite strange that we are at this point, considering the narrative surrounding Guedes early in the summer.
But clearly, at the moment, he is dialled in. The £27.5 million man looks a threat, and it seems silly to leave out a player who has been dangerous this term. The work ethic is also there.
The likes of Hwang Hee-chan and Pablo Sarabia are massively out of form and Carlos Forbs and Rodrigo Gomes are both lacking experience at the moment.
In theory, Guedes’ mobility around Jorgen Strand Larsen, with Matheus Cunha thrown in too, could be a winning combination.