Wolves' attacking options grow but more needed

Rodrigo Gomes' goals against Stoke highlighted the growing range of attacking options available to César Peixoto.

He was the obvious hero of Wolves' 4-1 win over Stoke, scoring twice in three minutes to turn an early setback into a platform for victory.

Raúl Jiménez's penalty added a third before Jordan James completed the scoring on his home debut.

Fer López was also involved in the moves that led to the goals, underlining the broader point for Peixoto that Wolves are beginning to find goals and decisive moments from several players, rather than relying on one experienced striker.

Jiménez's leadership, movement and penalty-taking can help Wolves in their push for promotion. However, their hopes of returning to the Premier League will depend on the players around him chipping in.

Across their opening three Championship games, Wolves have scored nine goals. Six players have contributed: Gomes and Fer López have two each, Jiménez has two, both penalties, while James, Adam Armstrong and Marshall Munetsi have one apiece.

That spread matters. Wolves cannot build a promotion campaign around Jiménez alone, even if his experience is a valuable asset. The Championship is too demanding, and too long, for one forward to carry the attack every week.

The early signs are encouraging. Wolves have taken seven points from three matches and remain unbeaten. Against Stoke, they responded to Sam Gallagher's second-minute opener by scoring twice before half-time.

They also created enough to deserve the result. Wolves finished with 18 shots, eight on target and 53% possession. Their expected-goals total was 2.64, compared with Stoke's 0.88.

The figures show that Wolves are already finding goals from across the team, but they also explain why Peixoto remains keen to strengthen before the transfer window closes.

Gomes and James made important contributions against Stoke, yet another attacking option would give Wolves greater depth and more flexibility during the promotion race.

There are still reasons for caution. Wolves conceded early again, and the scoreline should not hide the periods when Stoke found space. Peixoto must improve their control and make sure this attacking variety survives injuries, tiredness and tougher opponents.

Jiménez may remain central to Wolves' promotion hopes, but he is no longer carrying the full attacking responsibility. Gomes, López, James, Armstrong and Mane have all shown they can contribute, giving Peixoto a wider range of options.

Even so, the manager still wants to strengthen before the transfer window closes, which could add further depth to Wolves' promotion push.

The Stoke win was encouraging not because one experienced player delivered, but because several players did.

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