Edwards could ditch Tchatchoua by offloading Wolves new signing Pedro Neto
Wolverhampton Wanderers return to action in the Premier League on Monday night after a long break after losing to Liverpool in the FA Cup ten days ago.
The Old Gold have lost just one of their last five Premier League games, winning their last two against Liverpool and Aston Villa at Molineux.
They now travel from home to face Brentford as they continue to look towards the end of the season before their promotion to the Championship is confirmed.
Rob Edwards will want to keep the spirit as high as possible to bring positive momentum into the 2026/27 campaign, even if the current season ends in a setback.
To get a result against Brentford on Monday, the former Wales international must make changes to the side that lost 3-1 to Liverpool, including dropping Jackson Tchatchoua.
Why Jackson Tchatchoua should be demoted
The Cameroonian has been a regular starter for Wolves in the Premier League this season, starting 16 of 27 games, but Edwards should be ruled out of the game.
Chatchoua started at right back in last week’s FA Cup clash with Liverpool and struggled on the night against the Premier League champions, conceding the first two goals.
He was just too late to break out and tee up Andy Robertson for the Reds’ opening goal, before he was also too late to get past the Scotland defender to find Mohamed Salah’s goal.
Despite his defensive struggles, the 24-year-old has not provided much in the way of quality at the other end of the pitch, with zero goals and one assist in his 27 Premier League appearances this season.
With that in mind, Edwards must finally drop the struggling defender from the starting line-up against Brentford, to open the door for another player to enter.
Wolves star could be their new Pedro Neto
The Wales boss could let go of new signing Pedro Neto, who scored 14 goals and provided 21 assists in 135 appearances for Wolves before his £53.1m move to Chelsea.
The most expensive wolves of all time
Looking from the rear of Wolves.
Neto was fun, and sometimes annoying, to watch because he provided quick pace, direct play, and spark at the other end of the pitch, from the right side or the left wing position.
Now, Edwards could unleash his own version of the Chelsea striker by dropping Tchatchoua to play Rodrigo Gomes down the right, as he has shown signs of real quality this season.
Despite not starting a game since February, the 22-year-old wizard has scored in his last two Premier League appearances, netting in wins over Liverpool and Aston Villa.
Gomes came off the bench in both of those games to secure the three points for Old Gold, and should now be given a chance to play from the start against Brentford.
Only Jorgen Strand Larsen (six) has scored more goals in all competitions for Wolves than Gomes (five) this season, and he left to join Crystal Palace in the winter window, meaning the Portuguese defender has the chance to finish the campaign as the club’s top goalscorer.
Like Neto, the former Braga striker is a powerful runner who can lift the team up the pitch, while carrying a threat in Wolves’ final third.
|
25/26 PL |
Rodrigo Gomes for 90 |
Position vs WBs |
|---|---|---|
|
xG |
0.26 |
Up to 28% |
|
Shots |
2.10 |
33% higher |
|
Shots on target |
0.90 |
Up to 18% |
|
Head shots |
0.30 |
Top 25% |
|
Goals |
0.45 |
Top 7% |
He ranks among the best defenders in this division this season when it comes to scoring goals in the Premier League, which is impressive given the team’s position in the table, with 16 points on the board after 30 games.
Gomes has the potential to become Wolves’ next Neto if he is given the chance to show his quality on the pitch, which is why Edwards must drop Tchatchoua to release him on the right against Brentford on Monday night.
Edwards could drop Angel Gomes by offloading the Wolves star to a new position
Rob Edwards could surprise Wolverhampton Wanderers by starting the Old Gold star in a new position against Brentford.
