After a disappointing start to the season, Wolves have finally picked up pace in the Premier League in the last four matches with three wins, which has seen them elevate up to 12th in the league.
Raul Jimenez has found his form back in the nick of time and Adama Traore has been impressive since the start of the season. But Wolves do boast one of the best defences in the league with just six goals conceded, with two clean sheets in the last four matches.
Nelson Semedo especially has been in very good touch of form and has provided stability at the back and also support while going forward. Since his move from Barcelona last season, Semedo has really found his feet under new manager Bruno Lage, which has been like a rejuvenation for the 27-year-old Portuguese.
We look at his stats from the season so far.
Playing as a right wing-back in the 3-4-3 system, Semedo has really settled himself as a starter in the squad appearing in six out of seven matches this season. He has covered the whole ground on the right flank, from one corner flag to the opposite, on a daily basis, showcasing a really high work-rate. The above viz shows that Semedo has been more active in attack than in Wolves defence, spending the majority of his time on the pitch in the opposition half near the right-wing providing width to the team- the red and orange areas. The Portuguese has also drifted into the penalty area time and again from the right side to take his own chances as well.
Semedo has been really comfortable on the ball playing a huge number of passes throughout the right flank on the pitch. He has attempted a total 0f 242 passes and has been really precise in his attempt registering an accuracy of 84% to his name, averaging a total of 41 passes per 90 along with 66 touches on the ball. The majority of his passes have been forward progressive in manner, showcasing his attacking mindset. Semedo has played 75% of his passes in the attacking third near the right-wing, most of them being short passes trying to link up with the attacking players. However, he has also delivered crosses into the box at times for the forwards to attack with xT as high as 0.3560.
Semedo has attempted quite a few shots as well on the opposition goal whenever he has found in positions to take them, he has not been afraid of testing the keeper. But he has not been able to score any goals, with most of his shots attempted from the edge of the box on the right side. The Portuguese has got a shot accuracy of 40% so far.
Most of his successful duels are near the defensive third in his own half rather than up the pitch. He has engaged himself in 57 duels winning 54% of them. The 27-year-old has won most of the duels on the ground, while he has not been equally effective in the air having a success rate of 45% from aerial duels. Semedo has also blocked two opponent attempts at goal and has 16 clearances to show from.
He has not been a reckless tackler of the ball, calculating his timing on every challenge. Yet to concede a silly foul or penalty, he has intercepted the majority of the balls inside his own penalty area while other players were on the ball. He has won 56% of his tackles in the league and is yet to get booked this season.
Nelson Semedo has really been a very important part of this Wolves team, contributing in both attack and defence effectively. He has no goals or assists to show, but his involvement has been immense in every movement of the team. Semedo provides a sense of stability and extra cover for the centre-backs behind and will play a huge part in Wolves’ season if they aim for a top-half finish.
