Wolves winger Pedro Neto could be even more important to Gary O’Neil’s side against Spurs, with an interesting update coming from Tottenham’s open training session.
Wolves will be hoping to get their form back on track against Spurs on Saturday after Gary O’Neil’s side suffered defeat to Brentford in their previous Premier League fixture.
The Old Gold lost 2-0 at Molineux to the Bees in what was a poor performance by the manager’s standards, as the hosts missed their two star forwards.
Hwang Hee-chan was unavailable for the fixture while Matheus Cunha was forced to withdraw after 20 minutes due to a hamstring injury, which will leave him out of action for the next few weeks.
Luckily for Wolves, Hwang is expected to return to face Spurs, although he may not be O’Neil’s biggest threat, with a new opportunity potentially open for Pedro Neto to grasp.
Why Pedro Neto will be even more important for Wolves against Spurs
As reported by GIVEMESPORT earlier today, Spurs had one key player absent from their open training session ahead of their matchup with Wolves.
GIVEMESPORT noted that star left-back Destiny Udogie was not present in training, sparking rumours over his fitness going into Saturday’s fixture.
Level with Pedro Porro, no Spurs defender averages more tackles per game than the 21-year-old, who would be a huge miss for the Lilywhites if he is absent which could be an interesting view for Wolves.
The Italian would be coming up against Neto, who has been unplayable at times on the right flank this season for O’Neil’s side thanks to his pace and playmaking ability.
None of Ange Postecoglou’s other left-backs are as blessed with pace as Udogie, giving Neto the opportunity to come up against a lesser opponent that he could terrorise.
How Pedro Neto can now damage Spurs
While Udogie is one of Spurs’ best assets, Neto is one of Wolves’, as highlighted by his contribution to the Old Gold this term.
Once hailed as “unbelievable” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the winger is not only one of Wolves’ best but one of the Premier League’s best, with no midfielder averaging a higher rate of progressive carries per 90 than Neto – 5.68, via FBref.
Defenders that come up against the 23-year-old’s pace and danger in possession find him difficult to contain, particularly those not blessed with pace, giving Spurs a disadvantage if Udogie is not available.
Cunha’s injury will limit Wolves’ resources coming from the centre of the attack, meaning that O’Neil could opt to shift the attention to the flanks, where the Portuguese gem is most dangerous.
The performance of Neto could play a fundamental factor in the final result, with the latest team news swaying in the forward’s favour.
Only time will tell if the Italian is fit to feature or not, with his presence not to be feared regardless by the infectious energy and form of Neto, who could cause any defender problems this term.