Wolverhampton Wanderers are under new management. Just days after Gary O’Neil was given his marching orders after a poor start to the season, his replacement was confirmed.
Vitor Pereira is the man tasked with dragging the Old Gold away from the relegation zone, and he faces a tricky first match away to Leicester City, who are also fighting to avoid the drop.
Spells with Porto, Fenerbahçe, Olympiacos, and Flamengo ensure the manager won’t be daunted at taking on the Premier League, although he will have to get things right straight from the off if he wishes to keep his new club in the top flight.
Wolves team news vs Leicester City
Pereira will take on the Foxes with a nearly full-strength squad available to him. Indeed, only Pablo Sarabia will be missing due to injury, with the new boss confirming this in his pre-match press conference, saying: “it’s not possible with his calf”
Considering the Spaniard has played just seven times during 2024/25, scoring once, he will hardly be missed from the starting XI.
Rayan Ait-Nouri will be, however. The defender is suspended for the clash against Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s men after being sent off during the dying embers of the defeat to Ipswich Town last week.
This will be a major blow for Pereira as the left-back is capable of producing moments of magic that can turn games in Wolves’ favour, no doubt about that.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s statistics for Wolves this season
Ait-Nouri has been ever present for Wolves in the Premier League this season, starting every single one of the club’s 16 games thus far.
Across these matches, the defender has even managed to score three goals while registering three assists, showcasing his talents going forward into the final third.
The Algerian has also created two big chances, averages 0.9 key passes per game, and succeeds with 1.8 dribbles per game in the top flight, yet more evidence of his attacking talents.
Metric
2023/24
2024/25
Goals
2
3
Assists
1
3
Big chances created
3
2
Key passes per game
0.8
0.9
Successful dribbles per game
1.9
1.8
Via Sofascore
While his main talents come in the opposition half of the field, his defensive abilities have also been on show. Indeed, Ait-Nouri has won 5.4 ground duels per game – a 57% success rate – along with making 2.5 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, and 2.1 clearances per game in the Premier League this term.
All of these statistics suggest that Pereira has a player who can change games in a heartbeat, and he will be missed this afternoon.
Remaining in the top flight will be crucial if the club wish to keep Ait-Nouri in the Midlands, especially with there being some interest shown in the defender.
Manchester City have shown plenty of admiration in the player in recent months, indicating that they could be ready to strike should Wolves’ poor form continue under their new coach.
While he will miss this weekend’s clash, Ait-Nouri will be back for the following week. The question is, who will Pereira call upon to take over on the left flank against the Foxes?
Summer signing Rodrigo Gomes has the perfect profile, which could see him slot into the starting XI with ease. Will he win just his fourth Premier League start of the season this weekend?
How much Wolves signed Rodrigo Gomes for
In the summer transfer window, Gary O’Neil wasted no time in making sure his squad was strengthened ahead of the new season, bringing Gomes to the Midlands.
He cost around £12.7m from Braga, but given that the winger had played nearly 40 times for the club last term, scoring nine goals and grabbing eight assists in the process, that did not seem to be a significant fee.
“The type of player Rodrigo is, he had a fantastic season last season, playing in many different positions and he’s only 20 years old. For where we are as a club, he’s the perfect type of signing for us. He’s young and has potential.” Said O’Neil upon signing Gomes.
While he hasn’t quite had much action on the pitch, he impressed the manager in pre-season, who said: “He’s a real threat because he works tirelessly and always arrives in the goal.”
These words came after the winger scored against West Ham United and RB Leipzig ahead of the new season. Is now his chance to shine under the new manager and showcase his abilities?
Rodrigo Gomes’ stats for Wolves this season
Despite his impressive stats for Braga last season, Gomes has failed to score or grab an assist in ten games for the Old Gold this term.
He has averaged just 31 minutes per game in the top flight for Wolves. During that time, Gomes has created zero big chances, averaged 0.3 key passes per game, and succeeded with 40% of his attempted dribbles each match.
While not the most jaw-dropping statistics, there is plenty to work with as Gomes adjusts to life in the English top tier as it is certainly more difficult than the Portuguese league.
Although operating on the right wing for his club last term, Gomes has played wide on the left in his few opportunities at Wolves, which suggests he could be the perfect player to take over the reins from Ait-Nouri against the Foxes.
Having the likes of Matheus Cunha in front of him will only be a good thing, as the Brazilian will be able to link up well with Gomes in the final third, potentially forming a dynamic partnership in the process.
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If Pereira can lead the Old Gold to just their third league victory of the campaign this weekend, it could prove to be the catalyst required for them to start making their way up the table towards safety.
The Portuguese manager might not have been everyone’s preferred choice, but that won’t matter if he is able to turn things around at Molineux over the next few months. That’s for certain.
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