west ham stadium

West Ham 0-2 Wolves Player Ratings

by with No Comment Player Ratings

A confident 2-0 display at the London Stadium proved that although Wolves had a 100 day break from their last competitive fixture, this did not create any issues for Nuno’s men. A reserved first-half performance, with the most threatening moment coming at Wolves’ goal, however, after the break and the introduction of the substitutions, the players found themselves effortlessly wandering into the opposition’s box. Good momentum to take for this feast of football.

 

Rui Patricio

For a first game back, Patricio can be relatively pleased with how he commanded his area. West Ham were trying to place their big men on him for the corners and every time the ball came in, he scooped the ball into his grasps with little to no pressure. Quiet day at the office for Wolves’ man in the sticks. 6/10

Matt Doherty

Confident display from Doherty who never struggles to glide past players with ease. He showed signs of this in the first half but grew into the game in the second half and combined well with Traore to deliver the all important, perfectly lofted ball in the box for Neto’s volley. A testament to a player who has risen through the leagues with Wolves and showed his undeniable quality. 7/10

Willy Boly

Cool, calm and collected from one of the league’s top centre backs, it is no coincidence that Wolves have kept another clean sheet with Boly in the back line. The fact that Wolves purchased Boly for a fee that looks so minimal compared to the norms for players these days is something we must all be so grateful about. Confident on the ball but also disciplined enough to know when danger was in the air. 7/10

Conor Coady

The skipper, who seems to have an everlasting engine, was not given a great deal to contend with from West Ham. I believe he dealt well with the physicality of Antonio, something which he has struggled with in the past. Provided some lovely long-range passing and commanded his back line well. 7/10

Romain Saiss

I felt Saiss struggled a bit in the first half with the West Ham right side and seemed a bit leggy compared to his defensive partners, but as the game grew, so did Saiss. Close call in the second half but timed his tackle to perfection to prevent the West Ham danger. He has comfortably made the left centre back role his own and has began to become more mature in this role. 6/10

Jonny Otto

Jonny is such a solid, dependable defender and proves it consistently week in week out, going about his work quietly. Made a few good attacking runs and provided more as an outlet on the left side. Dealt well with the West Ham attack and supported Saiss where necessary. 8/10

Leander Dendoncker

Fairly quiet game from Dendoncker, a player who is known for his distance covered in a game, it was no surprise that Nuno decided to start him today. The work rate, although fairly unnoticed, does not have a minimal impact for the grand scheme of things. Could also have been played through a few times but football is a game of ifs, buts and maybes. 6/10

Ruben Neves

Easily Wolves’ best midfield performer of the day. Another mature performance from a man still so young. 89% pass accuracy which also includes pinpoint forward passes, it’s just a joy to watch this man progress and become one of the best in the league. A highlight moment showcasing his defensive and attacking abilities, by tackling the counter-attacking Anderson and then setting off a precise long ball to Jota. Brilliant. 8/10

Joao Moutinho

Another elite player that makes football look so easy. For 5’7 he never struggles to impact a midfield and dictate the flow, he did that again today, arguably a more quiet game from our resident vino lover, but delivered several teasing balls into the box. We can’t wait for him to wave at us again in the Molineux. 7/10

Diogo Jota

Jota caused numerous problems for the West Ham defence with his physicality and his dribbling ability, however, the decision making was a bit off today which is in contrast to the hot form he was in before the shutdown of football. Can only put this down to the lack of football. Rest assured, he will be back firing as per normal over the next few weeks. 7/10

Raul Jimenez

Did Jimenez stop playing football for 3 months? I didn’t think so. He combined well with Jota throughout the game and was unlucky to not be rewarded with goals in the first half. As soon as Traore entered the field, Jimenez’s eyes lit up and we all know how deadly that duo has been this season. Rose well to meet a perfectly scooped ball into the box, an ever so familiar sight. Tirelessly ran and chased lost causes and also tracked back where required. A perfect striker, who also broke the record for the most goals from a Mexican player in a Premier League season. 8/10

Substitutes

Adama Traore

Weekly, I am running out of superlatives to describe this man. He was absolutely phenomenal today and props to Nuno for deciding to pack the midfield and bring on Traore later in the game. Aaron Cresswell must dread these fixtures. As soon as he came on he was an instant threat, dribbling through players as if they weren’t there and ultimately changed the game when placing the perfect cross onto Jimenez’s head. The onslaught did not stop there though, he hypnotised the West Ham players with his dancing feet and placed Doherty through who ultimately delivered a precise ball for Neto’s beauty. Adama Traore he is so wonderful. 9/10

Pedro Neto

I was intrigued to see Neto back, I was keeping tabs on his social media page during lockdown and it was evident that he wanted to improve the physical side of his game and today I believe he did look a lot stronger on the ball after a few physical match ups. A man who has been rather unlucky in front of goal this season, courtesy of VAR, got what he deserved today and oh my word, wasn’t it a beauty. The left-footed thunder volley was not being saved by 2 keepers let alone 1. Improving weekly and excited to see how he progresses. 7/10

Ruben Vinagre

Cameo performance, nothing to note down for the young defender. N/A

Morgan Gibbs-White

Show of faith from Nuno to give Gibbs-White a cameo. Not enough to note on his performance though. N/A

What do you think of our ratings? Which players stood out for you? Let us know in the comments!

Roneil Callo is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.

St Mary's

Wolves vs Southampton Player Ratings

by with No Comment Player Ratings
Rui Patricio Denied Danny Ings on a couple occasions but couldn’t fault him for the combined mishaps between Jesus Vallejo and Conor Coady which led to the opener. The keeper also made an excellent save to prevent James Ward-Prowse from bending his free-kick into the top corner, four minutes from time. Patricio showed a clear improvement in his overall distribution out from the back, making 22 passes and completing four accurate long balls. 7/10   Ryan Bennett The experienced centre-half picked up a minor injury which saw him come off for Jesus Vallejo on the 17th minute but didn’t put a foot wrong in his duration on the pitch. 7/10   Conor Coady The skipper didn’t put on the greatest show in the middle of the back three, contrasting with his superb performance vs Man City a fortnight ago. Coady made sixty passes with a respectable 86% pass accuracy, but a rightful booking on 45th minute meant that the Englishman was treading on thin ice for the remainder of the game. His error in mis-timing the bounce led to Danny Ings’ goal six minutes after the interval, a mistake which wasn’t all his fault. 6/10   Willy Boly The Ivory Coast international has proved yet again why he’s so integral to this Wolves side, having won three aerial duels and making six recoveries, as well as achieving four accurate long balls, one of which found Raul Jimenez but was ruled out for handball. Boly’s overall composure and distribution is second to none, showing week-in-week-out how vital he is to the Wolves back three. 8/10   Jonny Otto The Spaniard showed integrity and determination when running down the left wing, something which he’s developed since arriving last year from Athletico Madrid. Jonny showed defensively and offensively why he’s such an annoyance to face, nullifying Valery as indicated by his seven recoveries. 8/10   Joao Moutinho The Portuguese maestro ran the show in the middle of the park, showing no signs of tiredness despite playing in both midweek European Qualifiers. 81 touches and a pass accuracy of 85% indicated how influential he was, dictating the tempo and his defensive awareness was up to usual standards yet again, making four recoveries on the afternoon. 8/10   Ruben Neves Wolves talisman hasn’t been himself in recent weeks, adopting a deeper role in the midfield to what he’s played in the past seasons. A low pass accuracy of 72% to what he’s usually achieving, as well as only making one successful recovery and tackle during the first half. 6/10   Leander Dendoncker The Belgian, likewise with Neves, hasn’t put on a display worthy of a mention in recent weeks, but he lifted his performance in the second half which contributed to his five recoveries and two aerial duels won. Dendoncker hasn’t lost his grit or energy, but he certainly hopes to have a greater impact from the midfield in the coming games. 7/10   Adama Traore Following his brace last time out, Adama showed signs of confidence in his play in the final third, but most notably, he couldn’t produce when necessary as he slashed his attempt wide of the post on the 80th minute. The Spaniard completed four key dribbles and was fouled three times throughout the 90 minutes, as well as making six recoveries from right wing-back. 7/10   Patrick Cutrone The Italian international struggled to break through the back three of Bednarek, Yoshida and Vestergaard during his time on the pitch, attempting only one shot which failed to hit the target. Cutrone’s 22 touches and lack of involvement in the game warranted his substitution for Diogo Jota just after the equaliser. 5/10   Raul Jimenez Wolves’ NO.9 could have bagged himself a potential hattrick, but due to the operation of VAR in the modern era, a handball decision and an offside call were both chalked off within the first half. His week’s rest recharged his batteries as he looked raring to go since the first whistle, chasing loose balls and linking up play as he usually does. The Mexican sensation dispatched his penalty with coolness and composure, with that being his first shot all afternoon. 8/10   Substitutions    Jesus Vallejo (for Ryan Bennett 18th minute) Making his second appearance in the Premier League, the loanee from Real Madrid looked out of his depth yet again, likewise with his poor display vs Chelsea a few weeks back. Was caught out on numerous occasions and found himself chasing the ball in-behind, as well as making a lackadaisical pass to Danny Ings which was fortunately saved by Patricio. However, a lethargic and underpowered clearance into the middle of the park led to Southampton’s opener on the 53rd minute. 4/10   Matt Doherty (for Ruben Neves 46th minute) The Irishman featured in only one game for his national side during the break, but his drive and determination earnt Wolves a penalty on the 61st minute, beating three players until Hojbjerg fouled him inside the 18-yard box. Winning two aerial duels and making two interceptions, his defensive display was what we all expect from the dynamic wing-back. 7/10   Diogo Jota (for Patrick Cutrone 62nd minute) Coming back from his injury, Diogo showed the drive and dribbling ability he’s used to displaying, cutting in from the left and deceiving defenders by comfortably using either foot in the final third. The forward didn’t have much of an impact on the game, but his four attempted dribbles indicates that he’ll eventually find his feet in this Wolves side. 7/10