One of Gary O’Neil’s key players of 2023/24 could now find himself away from the starting XI against Arsenal.
It’s been a summer of hard work and motivation at Wolves, who are looking ahead to the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
Gary O’Neil had the chance to assess his squad in both Marbella and the United States, with one friendly remaining before the Premier League season kicks off.
With a trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal in Wolves’ sights, one player could find himself in an unexpected position on the opening day.
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Hwang Hee-chan could find himself benched in Wolves’ Premier League opener against Arsenal
At the end of the 2023/24 season, there was a lot of time for reflection as those most important to O’Neil’s style of play came to light.
One of the key figures in the manager’s system was Hwang Hee-chan, who contributed to 15 goals in the Premier League, despite being absent in the winter due to the Asia Cup.
In the early stages of last term, there were few forwards as prolific in the league as the Korean however, his claim to the starting XI may have just taken a huge turn.
During Wolves’ pre-season tour of the States, new signing Rodrigo Gomes has showcased his potential, seeing fans sing his praises after the most recent victory over RB Leipzig.
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The 21-year-old’s impact has been impossible to ignore, particularly as against Leipzig, O’Neil trialled Gomes on the left side with Pedro Neto starting on the right.
For Hwang, this could spell danger as if Gomes was to start against Arsenal, the front four could arguably be Matheus Cunha, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Gomes and Neto.
It would be incredibly harsh to see Hwang benched although that is the reality of having a competitive squad, something that O’Neil longed for in his first year as manager.
Competition from Rodrigo Gomes is actually good for Hwang
After Hwang scored six goals in the opening 10 Premier League fixtures of 2023/24, not many would have imagined that his scoring form would freeze.
The Korean scored as many goals in the remainder of the campaign following the 10th match day, as injury and a dip in form saw the goals dry up.
When at the top of his game, the 28-year-old is unplayable to some defenders, seeing Hwang described as “phenomenal” by former teammate Max Kilman last term.
That being said, competition is something that O’Neil will be desperate to introduce to players such as the South Korea international, whose dip in form may have been prevented had there been game time to fight for.
The role of Gomes will play a significant part in where Hwang stands in the squad on the opening day, as the 21-year-old continues to go from strength to strength in Old Gold.