Express & Star

Gary O'Neil praises 'incredible' Wolves stars after Chelsea win

Gary O'Neil has heaped praise on 'incredible' and 'flawless' midfield duo Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes after Wolves' win over Chelsea.

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Gary O'Neil. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire.

Lemina's header put Wolves ahead before the pair battled to a 2-1 win, with Gomes shining in the second half to hold on for the victory.

O'Neil was delighted with both players after the game, as Wolves moved to 11th in the Premier League.

"It was an incredible performance from both," O'Neil said.

"Mario, we know is capable of big, big performances. Physically he was incredible and he led the team well, making good decisions with the ball. It was a top midfield performance.

"Joao, for a lad his age to put in that sort of performance, it was a big performance. Apart from being tackled by Sterling when the whole team were in front of him, his performance was flawless."

Wolves recovered from a shaky start to the game with an improved display, and the head coach felt his side were good value for the win.

"I'm pleased with the group and the performance," O'Neil added.

"It was a tough day for us with a call from the doctor this morning around illnesses, and Dawson still wasn't feeling 100 per cent, so I had to call up some young lads last minute to make up the squad.

"Going against what Chelsea had, especially late on in the game, I thought it might have been tricky for us once we started to tire and make substitutions.

"But the lads manage to produce another fantastic performance here in front of the home fans and we deserved the win really.

"We were fairly comfortable, despite some sloppiness with the ball in the first half and some crazy decisions that gave Chelsea a couple opportunities.

"But in terms of them creating stuff when we were in shape, we limited them. I'm really pleased with a good performance."

There was also some good news on the injury front, as Craig Dawson's knock was confirmed to be a deep cut on the knee.

He is expected to be available to play against Brentford on December 27.