Toti Gomes was made captain earlier in the summer by Vitor Pereira, and it was a decision that fans had begun disagreeing with.
There are many supporters that believe Joao Gomes is better captain material for the Old Gold, and with the central defender falling out of favour under Pereira, they might have been right at the time.
Wolves had chances but fell short against Aston Villa
The Portuguese centre-back has played just 60% of all available Premier League minutes, and with your captain, you want him on the pitch as much as possible.
And under Rob Edwards, there have been signs of a resurgence for Toti, and Pereira’s choice may finally be proven correct.
- READ MORE: Four things we learned from Wolves’ defeat vs Aston Villa as Jhon Arias’ struggles continue
Toti Gomes put in a captain’s performance against Aston Villa
Toti Gomes has not had the greatest of seasons for Wolves, but neither have most players in the squad.
However, the 26-year-old is the club captain, and with that comes more expectation, which in itself brings more criticism.
If Wolves wanted a result against Aston Villa, they needed the leadership in the side to step up, and while the outcome did not go the way they wanted, Toti Gomes did lead by example.
Overall, his statistics present well. The defender competed in six duels, and he won all of them. He won two out of three of his attempted tackles, and he also made seven clearances (as per Sofascore).
Toti Gomes was superb against Aston Villa 🔥
A true captain's showing!
| Statistic | Total |
| Ground Duels won | 5/5 (100%) |
| Aerial Duels won | 1/1 (100%) |
| Tackles won | 2/3 (66.6%) |
| Clearances | 7 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
Villa struggled to break down Wolves, and that also came down to the organisation at the back, and the captain certainly plays a huge role in that.
Additionally, there was one moment in particular when Emmanuel Agbadou was bested by Donyell Malen. The Dutchman looked set to go through on goal and score, but Gomes raced over and put his body in front to block the shot.
It was the kind of heart and desire you would expect from a captain. There are many ways to lead, and leading by example is one of them.
He certainly did that even if the result did not go his way.
The defensive resilience did not go unnoticed, as Wolves were praised for their shape at the back.
Rob Edwards will need more of the same from his captain
If Wolves are to have any chance of surviving relegation, then Toti Gomes will have to continue to perform like this on a consistent basis.
While the match was a derby, and that will have played a part in his fight and determination, this must not be a one-off occasion.
Performances like this are why he was made captain, but this season they have been few and far between.
Rob Edwards picked out four positives for Wolves against Aston Villa, and the showing from Toti Gomes embodied every single one of those.
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