Wolves 0-0 Leicester Match Review

Wolves picked up a rare clean sheet as they drew 0-0 with Leicester at Molineux, but they will feel like they should have picked up three points. 

Substitute Fabio Silva had the best chance for Wolves in the second half, but Jamie Vardy could have also won the game for the Foxes with a stoppage time header. 

The result ensures that Jamie Vardy’s penalty at the King Power Stadium in November remains the only goal in the last four meetings between Wolves and Leicester.

 

Wolves 0-0 Leicester reaction

Nuno was forced into two changes to his starting 11, as Willy Boly and Daniel Podence picked up injuries in training after the win over Arsenal in midweek. Podence is expected to be out for five to six weeks, while Nuno said that Boly will be out for ‘some time’. 

This saw Leander Dendoncker replace Boly, while Jonny completed his miraculous recovery from the ACL injury he suffered in August to start his first game of the season. 

After suffering defeat against Crystal Palace in a back three and beating Arsenal in a four, Nuno surprisingly reverted to the 3-4-3 formation, with Dendoncker operating on the right of the back three rather than in midfield like many expected. 

Leicester were unchanged after beating Fulham in midweek, but Jamie Vardy returned to the bench after missing three games following surgery on a hernia. 

The game began in cagey fashion, but Wolves managed to carve out some half-decent opportunities. The first corner of the match fell to Neves who volleyed just over at the back post, while some brilliant work from Neto on the left-hand side led to the Portuguese winger picking out Traore in the box, but his effort was brilliantly diverted wide by James Justin. 

Leicester then grew into the game and went close as Maddison and Iheanacho’s efforts were blocked at close range by Coady and Jonny, but the sides went into the interval goalless. 

After Jonny was substituted at half-time, Wolves lost their dominance down Leicester’s right, and instead shifted the focus to Traore and Semedo attacking James Justin. This created the first chance of the half when Traore teed up Neves, but his shot flew over Schmeichel’s crossbar. 

10 minutes later, Traore set up another chance as he beat Justin with ease before finding Neto at the back post, but he couldn’t make clean contact. Neto then turned provider for Moutinho, who won the game for Wolves on Tuesday with a stunning strike, but he hit a poor effort way over the bar from 20 yards out. 

Wolves then created the game’s best chance. Ruben Neves found Fabio Silva with an excellent through ball that split three Leicester defenders, but the teenager was denied by Schmeichel. Despite the save, he really had to score. 

In stoppage time it was Leicester’s turn to try and steal all three points. Marc Albrighton’s cross was met by Jamie Vardy ahead of the static Dendoncker, but his glancing header fell just wide of Patricio’s far post. 

Both teams will be content with a point, but both had chances to win it late on. 

 

Key moments

15- Traore denied by Justin

 

Brilliant work by Pedro Neto tees up Adama Traore who is free in the box, but James Justin’s flying block denies him his first league goal of the season. 

 

34- Flying bodies deny Leicester opener

The ball falls to Maddison in the area after good work from Barnes and Iheanacho, but Coady and Jonny block his efforts. 

 

77- Schmeichel saves from Silva one on one

Fabio Silva should net the winner for Wolves as he’s found by Neves, but Kasper Schmeichel deflects his effort round the near post. 

 

90+2- Vardy heads wide

Substitute Jamie Vardy is on the move to meet Albrighton’s cross, but his header goes just wide. 

 

Man of the Match- Ruben Neves

Almost all of Wolves’ starters impressed in a good all-round performance, but none more so than Ruben Neves. The 23-year-old is going from strength to strength in every game he plays recently and was unlucky not to pick up a brilliant game-winning assist for his wonderful through ball to Silva.

 

Things to improve

 

Finding a balance

 

Most of the time, people can work out the score of a Wolves game before it even starts. A 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation makes Wolves’ goal threat increase but exposes them significantly at the back, while a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 makes Wolves solid at the back but toothless up front. 

If Wolves are to return to the results and performances they achieved in the past three seasons, they need to strike a balance between the outputs of both formations, or else they will be constantly flicking between the two game after game. 

 

Get Jose involved

Willian Jose started his third consecutive Wolves game, but was barely involved before he was withdrawn just after the hour mark. 

For the first time in two months, Wolves have a clinical, proven goalscorer leading their attack, but have only given him one clear-cut opportunity in his three starts, where he forced David Luiz into a mistake that won Nuno’s side the game. 

If Wolves give Jose the ball, he’s likely to put a chance away. That needs to happen more if they’re to improve on their poor attacking run. 

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