Prior to the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season, there was a large consensus that Wolves would be a candidate for relegation. Highly rated manager Julen Lopetegui had departed the club, following a transfer window that involved the departure of many key starters: Raúl Jiménez, Nathan Collins, Conor Coady, Adama Traoré, João Moutinho and even club captain Rúben Neves.
To make matters worse, despite selling over £90 million worth of players, Wolves have only made two new signings - both of which they were obliged to sign (following the conclusion of loan spells). This lack of ambition in the transfer market was what led to Lopetegui leaving with just three days until the start of the season. Wolverhampton Wanderers' fans were feeling very pessimistic about the season, with a new, largely inexperienced, manager (Gary O'Neil) and a severely weakened squad.
Gary O'Neil has started the season with two losses out of two, with a heavy defeat (4-1) at the weekend against Brighton and Hove Albion. This may send alarm bells ringing, but when digging under the surface you may find that Wolves are not to be underestimated.
Last weekend, as mentioned in Premier League Gameweek 1: Winners and Losers, Wolves were incredibly unlucky to walk away from Old Trafford empty-handed. Their attacking play was fast and free-flowing, whilst their defence kept the United fans quiet for 75 minutes.
A second defeat on the bounce leaves Wolves in 19th place, with a goal difference of -4. Many Premier League fans may already be writing Gary O'Neil's career at the Molineux off, but they would be wrong.
Despite conceding four, the defence was not as bad as it appears on the scoresheet. At the end of the Brighton game, the expected goals (XG) only favoured the Seagulls by 0.08 - with Wolves managing 2.14 and Brighton managing 2.22. Mitoma's opening golazo was simply unstoppable and past the 60-minute mark, Jose Sa didn't face a shot on target inside his box. The scoreline simply flattered De Zerbi's side.
At the other end of the pitch, Wolves were unlucky to only find the back of the net once. With the Midlands side underperforming their XG by over a goal and managing 16 total shots, it is fair to say that they were unlucky in front of goal. With four big chances missed, it could be said that the fate of the game was in their hands. However, part of the result was purely down to Jason Steele, who faced 1.48 XG on target. Wolves looked dangerous in attack and had plenty of good chances; with more clinical strikes and a worse goalkeeper in future games, they will manage to score plenty.
As the stats show, Wolves were unlucky at both ends of the pitch last weekend. They had a respectable 46% of possession and had the majority of momentum for the final 30 minutes. A poor first 15 minutes of the second half saw three out Brighton's four goals. On another day, with a better start to the second half, the home side may have even managed to steal a point. It is fair to say that Wolves did not deserve the scoreline that they received.
Whilst Wolves fans may be feeling like their league position (low), they should feel optimism about their upcoming fixtures. With their attack looking dangerous in their opening two games, next weekend's match against Everton (who have just conceded four goals against Aston Villa) looks promising. Premier League fans should not be fooled by Wolves' record, as they will be a tough side to beat after O'Neil settles in.
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