Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo confessed it’s very hard to stop Southampton’s Ward-Prowse from scoring setpieces.
Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers will face each other twice in one week and it looks like Nuno Espirito Santo is already dreading it. The Portuguese manager will have to find a way to stop a player who has built himself quite a reputation.
James Ward-Prowse is known around England’s top tier as the midfielder to call if you need a free-kick taken. The 26-year-old has scored four goals from setpieces this season, making him the leader in this league statistic. Therefore, it is only natural that opponents will rack their brains trying to figure out how to answer one important question.
“How do you stop it? A good wall, and then prevent the ball from going inside your goal – and pray! He is a specialist,” Nuno said in his press conference.
“He is a very good kicker of the ball and has shown his quality. It can happen, a foul is a foul, and you have to just prepare yourself, organize your wall properly, and then do your job.”
Southampton and Wolves both could use a win this Sunday.
Apart from this Thursday’s FA Cup clash, both teams are also in need of a win in the Premier League. The Saints are in the middle of a very negative run in England’s top tier. Therefore, they will be looking for the three points after being thrashed by Manchester United a week ago.
On the other hand, Wolves just emerged from an eight-match run without a win as they managed to beat Arsenal in a very controversial match. If Nuno Espirito Santo’s side secures the three points this Sunday, they will surpass Southampton on the table.
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