Gary O’Neil will be left to rue Wolverhampton Wanderers’ consistency problems after their 3-2 defeat to Fulham in the Premier League.
Having secured wins over Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur already this term, a meeting with the Cottagers looked like the perfect chance to continue their good form, but they failed to impress.
There were several players who didn’t play well at all, with Nelson Semedo being the main culprit for the Old Gold.
Nelson Semedo’s game vs Fulham in numbers
The Portuguese right-back was utilised slightly further forward against Fulham by O’Neil, operating on the right of a five-man midfield.
The experiment didn’t quite have the results the 40-year-old was anticipating, however, as Semedo completed just 61% of his passes along with winning only one of his five total duels contested and losing possession a staggering 19 times during the encounter.
The defender has featured in all but one of Wolves’ 13 Premier League matches this season, yet following the dismal performance on Monday evening, O’Neil may have to go back to the drawing board.
Overall, it was a display which deserved to secure at least a point on the board, but it wasn’t just Semedo who failed to impress…
Mario Lemina’s game vs Fulham in numbers
The midfielder has played in 12 of the 13 top-flight matches this season for the Molineux outfit, scoring twice in the process, and his experience at the heart of the midfield has been vital.
Against Fulham, however, he wasn’t quite at the races. The 30-year-old took just 49 touches during the encounter and when he had it, he completed just 76% of his attempted passes (29 out of 38) proving to be lackadaisical with the ball.
He did make one key pass and take two shots during the tie, indicating that he tried to make things happen in an attacking sense, but his performance on the ball from a defensive viewpoint wasn’t great.
The midfielder contested a total of ten duels, yet won just three and he also lost possession 15 times during the tie, meaning Lemina lost possession once for every 3.2 touches of the ball, a shocking statistic.
The Wolves man was given a rating of just 5/10 for his display by TNT Sports and this just about sums up his performance in a game in which Wolves had an excellent chance of winning.
The Old Gold will now take on Arsenal at the Emirates and, given the fact they have taken points from City, Spurs and Newcastle United this season, they could spring another surprise in London on the weekend.
Latest Arsenal transfer news: Euro winner closing in; striker nears N5 exit
With a month remaining in the transfer window, Arsenal are busy lining up their transfer targets.
ByHal Fish
If they are to secure anything from the game, however, O’Neil must be ready to make a few changes along the way and Semedo should be the first person to drop out of the team.
Lemina may well be given another chance due to his previous solid displays in the top flight, yet he was careless in possession and when he did have the ball, didn’t seem to do much right either.