Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a wonderful 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, and it meant they had recorded a Premier League double over the club in the process.
The Old Gold have lost just twice in 2024 so far and Gary O’Neil will be hoping to maintain this type of form as they play Sheffield United this afternoon.
The Blades are currently sitting bottom of the table on 13 points, conceding a staggering 65 goals across their 25 matches, and it gives Wolves a perfect opportunity to record another win.
With over a week between matches, does the manager make a tweak to the starting XI? Or will he leave it unchanged for the clash today?
Wolves team news vs Sheffield United
The good news for the former Bournemouth boss is he has an unchanged squad to choose from as there are no new injury worries among the team.
Matheus Cunha is still absent, however, and he is unlikely to be back available until after the next international break, which occurs at the end of March.
O’Neil must be happy with the state of play regarding his options, and he could drop Mario Lemina to the bench against the Blades and unleash Tommy Doyle, who could unlock the Blades’ defence.
Tommy Doyle’s season in numbers
Wolves signed the Manchester City gem on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy last summer, and he has proven to be an exciting option for O’Neil to have among his squad.
The 22-year-old was hailed as a “superb midfielder” by talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2022, and he has gained plenty of senior experience in recent seasons, most notably helping today's opponents get promoted back to the top flight last season.
Despite starting just five Premier League matches this season, Doyle has an average pass success rate of 86% and this could be key in unlocking the Blades’ defence today.
Across the top five European leagues in the previous 365 days, Doyle currently ranks in the top 11% for attempted passes per 90 (68.82) and this is yet further evidence that he could be a handful in the heart of the midfield for Wolves.
The youngster has also lost possession just 5.6 times per game, won 56% of his total duels per game and has been dribbled past only 0.2 times per match, indicating that he possesses the required physical strength to succeed in the top flight and this defensive nature could allow the likes of Joao Gomes to push forward more often.
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Despite Sheffield United defeating the Molineux side in the reverse fixture earlier this season, a lot has changed since and O’Neil’s men have gained plenty of morale-boosting wins in recent weeks.
Unleashing Doyle could give him an opportunity to impress from the first whistle and, considering their opponents are weak at the back, it will allow the club to go seeking quite a few goals.
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If the 5 foot 7 starlet does shine, it could cement his place in the starting XI for future matches, no doubt about it.
