Wolves ran out 1-0 winners against Sheffield United on Sunday, with Pablo Sarabia scoring in the first-half – which was set up wonderfully by Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Wolves went eighth with the win, but were then pushed back down to ninth on Monday night after West Ham United had beaten Brentford 4-2 at the London Stadium.
It is a very exciting time now for Wolves, with European football a genuine possibility. It was something that was out of the question when Gary O’Neil first came in, but fans are now able to dream.
O’Neil has come in and improved practically every player in the Wolves squad.
Arguably, no one has had a bigger glow-up than Ait-Nouri, who found himself frozen out at Wolves towards the end of last season under Julen Lopetegui.
The Algeria international has been brilliant, but there is probably one thing he should focus on to take his game to the next level…
Rayan Ait-Nouri has the capacity to make more assists for Wolves, after brilliant cross for Sarabia on Sunday
Ait-Nouri has always been known for his attacking flair at Wolves.
He arrived at the club initially on loan from Angers in the summer of 2021, and it was clear pretty early on that getting forward was a big part of his game.
He remains that exciting attack-minded player today, although his defending and positioning have definitely improved a lot compared to when he first arrived.
That was something he was criticised for, but to his credit, he has gone away and worked very hard on that aspect of his game. Now, it doesn’t really get spoken about.
The system change has most definitely helped him. The switch to a back three with wing-backs allows him more freedom to attack, knowing Toti Gomes can cover the space in behind him.
Despite playing mostly as a left wing-back during his time at Wolves – a position he admits he prefers – Ait-Nouri doesn’t have too many assists to his name. His brilliant assist for Sarabia on Sunday was surprisingly only his 10th for Wolves in 103 games – and the youngster should now be looking to increase his rate.
He has also only scored four times for Wolves.
Ait-Nouri improving his end product will take him to the next level
One thing that’s been clear with Ait-Nouri at Wolves is that he can sometimes be guilty of overplaying or choosing the wrong option.
His footwork can be phenomenal, and he works the ball into some amazing positions. But sometimes, attacks involving the £10 million man will disappointingly fizzle out. Granted, it’s happening less now, but Ait-Nouri can still be more decisive.
He is still young, and Wolves fans would like to hope that he will become much more consistent in the final third.
He has made great strides in his development under Gary O’Neil, who thinks the ‘sky is the limit’ for the ‘mad’ 22-year-old.
If Ait-Nouri is able to increase his assist numbers, he will take his game to a whole new level and Wolves will have another special player on their hands, just as they do with Pedro Neto.