Wolves return to Premier League action this weekend with leaders Arsenal the opponents – and Jhon Arias will hope to keep his starting berth.
The Old Gold fell to yet another defeat in the competition on Monday night, losing to Manchester United at Molineux.
It was a night that saw lots of Wolves fans protest against owners Fosun, with people congregating outside the Billy Wright Stand and entering the ground 15 minutes after kick-off.
Wolves’ attention has now turned to the game with Arsenal this weekend.
It is a very daunting prospect, with the Gunners having enjoyed a fantastic season so far.
They’re top of the league right now, and have just beaten Club Brugge in the Champions League to maintain their 100% record in the competition.
Rob Edwards has some thinking to do regarding his team selection, but one man it’s difficult to make a case for to start the game is Jhon Arias.
Jhon Arias should not start for Wolves against Arsenal
Arias has been hugely disappointing since he arrived at the club from Fluminense.
The Colombia international joined as the club’s second signing of the summer, and hopes were really high for him as a player with international pedigree and strong reputation in Brazil.
But Arias has unfortunately not hit the ground running, with fans becoming particularly critical in recent weeks.
Wolves fans, would you welcome Jhon Arias being sold in January?
He cannot seem to get going 😕
And his season went from bad to worse against United, as fans ironically cheered Arias and Jorgen Strand Larsen off the pitch when they were being substituted.
As per Sofascore data, Arias had just 28 touches against United – only Strand Larsen had fewer of the starting Wolves players. He won just 5/11 duels, and had zero shots.
The work rate is there from Arias. But sadly, the attacking threat and impact is not.
He has started the last three Premier League games in a row and he just hasn’t provided a good enough argument to keep his place against Arsenal.
And in recent days, some Wolves fans even think Arias should be sold in the next window, with the club looking at Championship football next season.
The options to replace Arias for Wolves
It was really surprising that Arias actually started against United, given his poor display against Forest.
But he once again failed to make an impact, and Edwards ought to seriously consider dropping him for someone else.
Fer Lopez did well when he came on against United, and many fans would love to see the Spaniard given a chance. That does feel somewhat unlikely though, given how little he’s played.
Should Jhon Arias be dropped from the Wolves starting XI against Arsenal? 🤔
Let us know below who you think should replace him, or if he should get another chance!
Another option for Edwards is to use Hwang Hee-chan. The South Korean may well suit a partnership with Strand Larsen.
Or perhaps Mateus Mane will cross the manager’s mind. The youngster has come on in games recently and is always positive. He’s not started for the first-team yet, but it’s starting to feel like it’ll happen soon.
And then Tolu Arokodare is someone Edwards could turn to, but he’d have to switch up the formation to go with two up top as he obviously can’t play as an inside forward.
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