Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Adama Traore is having his best Premier League season to date. The powerful forward has scored four league goals and added four assists, making him a potential transfer target for a top-four club next summer. That is if Wolves do not crack the top four and qualify for the Champions League themselves.
Traore may not have helped Wolves gain a point at Anfield on Sunday, but he did show flashes of dangerous play against the Reds defence. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo made an error when he put Traore on the right side of Wolverhampton’s attack.
The decision to put Traore up against Liverpool’s better defensive full-back was one of the few mistakes Santo has made all season long. Had Traore run at Trent Alexander-Arnold, he could have had more chances to cross the ball and get into the 18-yard box.
Traore’s numbers didn’t stand out against Liverpool. He did only play 32 minutes and some of that time was without his normal strike-partner Raul Jimenez being on the pitch.
In addition, Santo removed Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves to rest the two key players late in the game. Santo’s team has played the most matches on any Premier League side due to the Europa League. Wolverhampton Wanderers have already played 34 times in all competitions. They have a small squad and an illness to Patrick Cutrone took away one of Santo’s forwards for the match.
The manager played without an out and out striker versus Liverpool and still nearly pulled off a draw. Jota started up top with Pedro Neto before the introductions of Traore and Jimenez. Santo used the duo for the final half-hour after giving Jota and Neves the first two-third of the fixture.
Traore won’t face as good a defence when Wolverhampton play Watford on New Year’s Day. Wolves defeated Watford when they played previously at Molineaux and with the Hornets occupying the relegation zone, Traore and company should pick up points once more.
Traore to get back on track
Traore has been a beast this season and can further break out in the second half of the term. He has bagged 81 Fantasy Premier League points and costs a bargain £5.5 million. Sure, his points have come in bunches, but Traore is a flair player that can be worth drafting into your side for gameweek 21.
The Wolves forward is one point off of his FPL best total of 52 points. That figure was notched in 2016-17. That season saw Traore play in the top division with Middlesbrough. Traore scored zero goals in 27 Premier League appearances for Middlesbrough that season.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have three very winnable games in the next three gameweeks. They will then face off with Liverpool, Manchester United, and Leicester City over the course of three straight league matches. Even those matches are winnable for the Midlands club.
The forward averaged 2.3 FPL points versus Wolves’ next three opponents Watford, Newcastle United, and Southampton. With the foward in-form, he should do better in this matches as Wolverhampton Wanderers’ fixtures come fast and furious with the Europa League last 32 on the horizon.