Wolves defeated West Bromwich Albion for the third time this season as the U21 side won 3-0 last night, with Leon Chiwome dominating the Baggies in the Black Country derby.
A senior win, a women’s win and now an U21 win, Wolves are truly the kings of the Black Country.
Last night, the U21s defeated West Brom 3-0 in the Premier League 2 in a stellar display that saw Mario Lemina’s brother, Noha Lemina, make his debut in the Old Gold.
While a lot of talk surrounded the PSG loanee’s first appearance, it was a different attacker that may have left Gary O’Neil with food for thought after the contest.
How Leon Chiwome performed for Wolves against West Brom
A goal from Alfie Pond and a brace from Leon Chiwome secured the win for Wolves, with Chiwome displaying just how clinical he is at academy level.
The 18-year-old has recently trained with the first team, suggesting that he could soon see a route into the senior side.
If last night’s performance was anything for the manager to go off, the 2006-born striker could be close behind academy jewel Nathan Fraser in sitting on the fence between the academy and the first team.
Two goals against the Baggies took the teenager’s Premier League 2 goal contribution tally to four in seven games, showcasing the threat he possesses when leading the line.
What the future could hold for Leon Chiwome at Wolves
When it comes to strikers in the academy, talk naturally diverts to Fraser, who has taken the leap to become a sporadic first-team member after succeeding at youth level.
Once lauded as having an “excellent profile for a centre-forward” by academy manager Jonathan Hunter-Barrett, Chiwome certainly fits what O’Neil is looking for in his first team.
Speaking to the media after the January window, the manager revealed that he was unable to secure the signing of a number nine, a position that he was keen to fill if it wasn’t for the club’s lack of finances.
“We could afford some [strike targets], but not ones that I thought would help us. The group is the group and we get to work on trying to maximise it.”
Having Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic on loan leaves O’Neil with only Hwang Hee-chan and Nathan Fraser as the two identifiable strikers in the side, something that Chiwome could capitalise on.
If there’s one way to grab attention at Wolves, it’s to score a brace against West Brom, which the teen achieved last night.
There is a long way to go for Chiwome to break into the first team, but the signs are there for the striker to pave a way into O’Neil’s sights in the near future, just as Fraser did.