Saved By Larsen: Wolves Let Down By 4/10 Star Who Lost 71% Of His Duels

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Vitor Pereira failed to make it three wins from three since taking charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers, despite a fairly evenly matched game against Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur side.

Wolves took the lead after just seven minutes, with Hwang Hee-chan finding the back of the net, before goals from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson put Spurs 2-1 up going into half-time. But a late equaliser from Jorgen Strand Larsen rescued a point for his side, making it seven from a possible nine in their last three games.

Wolves held more possession than Tottenham, with 52%, took 11 shots (just two fewer than Spurs) and generated 0.51 xG, whilst Tottenham only generated 0.99 xG themselves. There were plenty of good performances for Wolves, but one man in particular saved them in the dying embers of the game.

Jorgen Strand Larsen’s performance in numbers

Wolves made the signing of Strand Larsen this summer, joining from Celta Vigo on an initial loan deal (costing £2.5m). However, if certain clauses are triggered, this deal will automatically become a permanent deal, costing a further £23m.

Since joining the club, the 24-year-old has made 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals, providing three assists and totalling 1,551 minutes played.

Larsen came on at half-time against Tottenham, scoring his goal in the 87th minute with his only shot of the game. He only needed nine touches, making four of his six passes, and, of course, most importantly, scoring the goal to earn his side a point.

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In fact, one player in particular will be thanking Larsen for his impact off the bench, as a poor performance from a certain individual nearly cost Wolves points on the board.

Andre’s performance in numbers vs Spurs

Another one of Wolves’ summer signings, Andre, who was signed from Fluminense for a fee of around £21m, was the one who let down his side against Tottenham, giving away a penalty, and being hooked off at around the 69th minute mark.

The 23-year-old has made 15 appearances so far this season since joining the club, contributing to two clean sheets and totalling 982 minutes played.

Andre vs Tottenham performance
Stat	Andre
Minutes	69
Touches	32
Accurate Passes	26/27
Key Passes	1
Ground Duels Won	2/6
Aerial Duels Won	0/1
Tackles	1
Dribbled Past	1
Penalties Committed	1
Stats taken from Sofascore

Andre was given a 4/10 match rating by Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden, which was the lowest score given to any Wolves player.

Not only did the Brazilian give away a penalty, but he also only won two of his six ground duels, and lost his only aerial duel in the game, losing 71% of his total duels against Tottenham.

His passing stats do, however, show he was neat and tidy on the ball, but due to the absence of Mario Lemina in midfield, Andre was needed for duel-winning purposes, alongside his on-ball quality, which is why those lost duels and poor defensive decisions stood out.

Wolves continue their three-game unbeaten streak since Gary O’Neil was sacked and replaced by Pereira, and the Portuguese coach could make some changes for their next game, if he believes one of his other midfield options deserves a chance after Andre’s performance, with Tommy Doyle one of those waiting in the wings.