Wolves suffered a 5-1 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, a game that saw a streak of brilliance from one of Gary O’Neil’s stars.
It was a difficult result for Wolves to digest on Saturday, as the Old Gold lost 5-1 to Manchester City at the Etihad.
The fixture was never going to be easy for Gary O’Neil’s side to overcome however, things weren’t made easier by a controversial penalty being awarded to the hosts just 10 minutes into the game.
Many were perplexed at the decision of Craig Pawson to award the penalty, with the call branded ‘ridiculous’ by BBC pundit Ian Wright, an opinion shared by many.
Still, Wolves were far from the level required to take something from the game against the treble winners, who remain unbeaten at home this season although, there was one thing for the visitors to cheer about.
Hwang Hee-chan impressed against Manchester City
Early into the second half, Hwang Hee-chan netted his 12th goal of the Premier League season to give the Old Gold some kind of lifeline in the fixture, making the scoreline 3-1.
The Korean’s goal was well-worked as Jean-Ricner Bellegarde fired in a dangerous cross to see the Wolves striker clinically wipe out City’s hopes of a clean sheet.
While Hwang wasn’t as involved in the game as he would’ve liked as City dominated, the involvement that the 28-year-old did have showed his quality, prompting Micah Richards to analyse his impact after the game on Sky Sports.
“Along with Neto, he’s a real quality player. He’s got 12 Premier League goals this season, they have missed him in key areas, he’s so clinical, they’ve missed the pace of Neto on the wing as well.
“I just think he brings something different to this team where he can run in behind, he’s very calm, good in possession and he gets goals. Had they have had him fit for the whole season, I’m sure they would have done even better.”
Wolves have missed Hwang this season
Before leaving for the Asia Cup, Hwang had netted 10 Premier League goals before the end of 2023, putting him on course to have a high-scoring season under O’Neil.
Unfortunately, the forward returned from the tournament with South Korea fatigued, seeing his form dip and then forced to sit out five games due to a hamstring injury.
The striker was integral to Wolves’ form at the start of the campaign and in losing him, the Old Gold lost some of their presence in the front line, with no other player able to replicate his strength and clinical streak when leading the attack.
It’s been a season full of ‘what ifs’ for Wolves, but one that should be celebrated considering the challenge that O’Neil has excelled at in his first taste of managing the club.
Hwang is one of the many players that have benefitted from the Englishman’s arrival, with there plenty of opportunity for the Korean to showcase his development at Molineux in the remainder of this season and next term.