Wolves turned in another top-drawer performance against Arsenal last weekend showing that, once again, they are not afraid to mix it with the big boys.
Every week, neutrals’ admiration for Nuno Espirito Santo finds reason to grow. The Wolves manager has already shown resilience in the face of adversity after his tactical approach to games was questioned when Wolves lost three Premier League matches in a row.
Nuno’s Wolves team has taken on all comers, no matter how big or small, since their reintroduction to the top flight of English football in August.
One area of concern might just be the lack of an established defensive midfielder, with Nuno placing all of his trust in the Portuguese partnership of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves in the middle of the park.
From the start, this was a statement of intent from Nuno: We are not going to worry about you; you can worry about us.
Neves has been a revelation since his arrival from FC Porto in 2017, starting 42 Championship games last season and scoring six goals from midfield. The young play-maker also had an 84 per cent pass success rate for the whole season.
He has started all 12 of Wolves’ Premier League games this season, scoring two goals and maintaining an impressive pass success rate of 83 per cent while surrounded by a much higher standard of opponent.
Neves, only 21, is now being aided in his development by the experienced Moutinho, who Nuno picked up at a snip from AS Monaco.
What may be an issue for Nuno is that neither player is a defensive-minded midfielder who will sit back to hold things steady when the team is up against it.
This is why Wolves’ rumoured interest in Amadou Diawara of Napoli would make sense for Nuno. Despite his beliefs and principles regarding how the game should be played, the manager has to recognise that some added depth is needed in central midfield.
If Wolves do not add another established central midfielder to their ranks in January, the second half of the season could be a real slog for some very tired legs as they enter the spring months.
The fact Diawara is a defensive midfielder would also add another dimension to the already-impressive Wolves engine-room. Someone whose focus is snuffing out the creative spark of their opponents could well be vital as Wolves try to force their way into contention for the Europa League.
That may sound far-fetched, but it is not above this Wolves team.
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