Wolverhampton Wanderers head back to Molineux tonight in the Premier League full to the brim with confidence after a huge win towards the foot of the division versus AFC Bournemouth.
Aided by an early Cherries dismissal, it was Matheus Cunha yet again who delivered the goods for Vitor Pereira’s Old Gold in a 1-0 away day success, meaning his side are now four points clear of the drop-zone.
More wins on the board in matches to come would surely see the West Midlands outfit pull away from any impending relegation danger, but the top-flight side will know they will have to keep ex-Molineux star Raul Jimenez quiet in order to try and pick up back-to-back victories when Fulham come to town.
Raul Jimenez's top form at Fulham
The Mexican centre-forward is still viewed as a modern great to large sections of the Wolves fanbase, even with the end of his time at the club resulting in the Cottagers snapping him up.
Indeed, the often deadly 33-year-old would fire home an impressive 57 goals for the Old Gold from 166 appearances, with this red-hot streak in front of goal not relenting in his next location in West London.
This season so far, Jimenez has bagged a respectable 11 strikes in all competitions, with nine of those – including a fine effort finding the back of the net against Arsenal – coming in top-flight action.
Therefore, Wolves will be wary that their former attacker could come back to haunt them when making the trip to familiar territory, although he has yet to score against his old employers from two games against them.
Unwanted records such as these are made to be broken, however, but Pereira will hope his team can keep the Fulham number seven quiet with the inclusion of a rejuvenated centre-back.
The "incredible" Wolves star who can keep Jimenez quiet
Across Wolves’ last four matches, three clean sheets have been kept, with only two strikes leaked away at Arne Slot’s table-topping Liverpool in the game that wasn’t a victory.
The standout man at the back during those shut-outs was the revitalised figure of Toti Gomes, who will be keen to keep Jimenez at bay throughout the mid-week tussle to help his side push further away from the relegation mire.
Minutes
90
90
90
Goals conceded
0
0
0
Touches
53
71
82
Accurate passes
32/40 (80%)
55/59 (93%)
54/65 (83%)
Successful dribbles
1/1
4/4
1/1
Clearances
4
2
4
Blocked shots
0
0
1
Interceptions
2
2
4
Tackles
2
3
4
Duels won
6/9
8/9
6/6
Looking at the table above, it’s clear that the “incredible” defender – as he was labelled by previous manager Gary O’Neil – has more than played his part in Wolves shoring up at the back in recent matches, with only two duels lost from his last 24 attempted across the three aforementioned victories.
Wolves will also feel confident they can limit Jimenez throughout the 90 minutes based on his lacklustre showing against Crystal Palace last time out, with the imposing centre-forward failing to hit a single effort on target at the Eagles net during the 2-0 defeat.
With the constantly improving 26-year-old also in the heart of defence, Pereira’s side stands a great chance at picking up a positive final result, as the games continue to come thick and fast in the top flight.
Fosun made a bigger mistake than Kilman by selling £23m Wolves star
Wolves made a mistake in 2023 by selling a player who is shining in the Premier League.
ByRoss Kilvington