Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo says Raul Jimenez brings far more to the team than his goals. The striker scored Wolves’ equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal on Saturday and has now weighed in with four goals in 11 Premier League appearances this season.
The former Benfica man has been particularly prolific in the Europa League with seven goals in nine games, taking his total tally for the season to 11 – just six shy of his haul from last term.
Nuno has been delighted with Jimenez’s scoring form but he stressed the £32million club-record signing is an all-round forward, rather than simply a goalscorer. “We know Raul. Since last season, his game goes beyond the goals that he scores,” Nuno told the Express & Star. “But he has already scored 11 goals this season. For him, it’s a personal challenge – he wants to improve, knowing that if he is improving, he will score more.”
The stats back up Nuno’s claims that Jimenez offers much more than just goals. The Mexican forward has provided two assists in the league this season and has a pass success rate of 71.9% – which is a solid figure for a player who spends most of their time in the attacking third.
Jimenez is also strong in the air, winning 1.9 aerial challenges per game.
However, ultimately the 28-year-old forward will be judged on his goals at the end of the season and he has hit form at the right time with three goals in his last four games across all competitions.
Wolves entertain Slovan Bratislava in the Europa League on Thursday and Jimenez is likely to feature even if Nuno does opt to make a few changes, ahead of a tricky Midlands derby clash with an improving Aston Villa outfit on Sunday.
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