Wolves must keep their anonymous dud on the bench.
Wolverhampton Wanderers were back in action on Saturday afternoon, hosting Liverpool in their sixth Premier League match of the 2023/24 season.
Gary O’Neil’s side were seeking to build on their previous success against Merseyside opposition, which saw the Midlands club record their first win of the season against Everton late in their third meeting.
Last time out, Wolves had been defeated 3-2 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, with goals from Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha not enough to take a result back to Molineux.
Hwang once again found the net against Liverpool, although they were undone by some late goals, eventually succumbing 3-1.
What is the latest Wolves team news?
Against Palace, O’Neil’s side dominated the possession with 57% of the ball, however once again fell short in the final third, with the hosts taking centre stage in providing the goal threat.
As per Sofascore, the Eagles registered 2.11 expected goals (xG) to Wolves’ 1.18, registering a mammoth 11 shots on targets to the visitors four during the 90 minutes played.
Cunha opened his scoring tally for the 2023/24 campaign, joined by super-sub Hwang, who has been a reliable source of threat for the Midlands side, meaning his start on Saturday against Liverpool was well deserved.
Arrival on the deadline day Tommy Doyle was forced to miss his first start against Liverpool due to a slight knee injury, but he did make his debut from the bench in that game.
It won’t be long until he earns regular minutes, but one guy who must be kept on the bench at all costs is Pablo Sarabia.
Should Pablo Sarabia make his debut?
Sarabia went from hero to zero in the week leading up to the match at Selhurst Park, as he put in a superb performance in the Carabao Cup, earning the nickname “architect” from journalist Nathan Judah, only to go absent against the Eagles.
The winger received an 8.2 Sofascore match rating against Blackpool in the FA Cup, followed by a 6.6 rating versus Palace, for which he was dubbed “anonymous” by journalist Alex Richards.
Despite Wolves’ dominance in possession, Sarabia made 33 touches in 60 minutes, losing possession ten times and failed to offer enough danger to damage Roy Hodgson’s team.
On the hour mark, O’Neil substituted Hwang for the £90,000-per-week Spaniard, who demonstrated exactly what the 31-year-old was lacking in his game on the day by scoring and completing 100% of his attempted dribbles.
Sarabia was benched and Hwang started against Liverpool, indicating that the manager was eager to emulate the performance.
That was scarcely surprising following the defeat at Selhurst Park, with the aforementioned Richards also commenting on Sarabia’s “problems” adapting to the “speed and physicality” of the Premier League, revealing yet another flaw in his game.
Wolves will be trying to finally get going after four losses in their first five games. Hwang and company will undoubtedly assist them in this endeavor. Sarabia, on the other hand, will not. After a lively performance by the South Korean, the Spaniard should remain among the substitutes.
