It’s been a heady few months for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Joao Gomes. The two-goal hero at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in February, he bossed England for Brazil at Wembley last month. But as South American football journalist Tim Vickery explains, it hasn’t been an easy ride to the top for the 23-year-old.

While he is preparing for his next crunching tackle, Wolves midfielder Gomes is almost certainly casting an eye back across the Atlantic to see how his old club Flamengo are getting on in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s Champions League.

Gomes came through the ranks with Flamengo, from his home city of Rio de Janeiro, and made his senior debut in a Libertadores game in October 2020. Two years later the competition gave him what, so far, is his crowning glory. He was part of the Flamengo side that won the trophy, with his exploits in the Libertadores bringing him to the attention of Wolves.

The club from the Black Country were scouring South America in search of a midfielder. They cast their eye on River Plate’s Enzo Fernandez, but lost out to Benfica. In the case of Gomes, they could count on an advantage. It was his aim to play in the Premier League.

There was interest from Lyon, a club with strong Brazilian connections and far better known in his homeland. But he had his heart set on England and completed the move at the start of last year.

Trading the South American summer for the English winter brought its own problems.

“The cold!” he exclaimed in an interview with Globo Esporte. “I had difficulty breathing, you feel it in your lungs.”

Language was also a barrier. “My English is still not good,” he admits. “But if the other person makes an effort, then in football terms we can communicate, and it’s been like that at Wolverhampton.”

But the biggest and most important problem was the need to adapt to a different type of football. In Brazil he was the midfield strongman. He lost some of that advantage in England, and, as he confesses, “Other players would come and steal the ball from me as if I was a child.”

Wood has scored in each of the last four Gameweeks ahead of his home encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Further analysis of the Kiwi’s displays show he has emerged as a crucial figure for new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. He has produced nine goals and an assist in 10 appearances under the Portuguese, averaging 7.2 points per match.

According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), Nott’m Forest have one of the kindest run-ins of any side. Four of their remaining six matches score just two, including their contest against Wolves on Saturday.

Mudryk has blanked only once in his last league five appearances at Stamford Bridge, combining two goals with two assists to collect 26 points.

He has been involved in 44 per cent of Chelsea’s goals in home matches when selected, with three of his four goals this season and four of his five assists coming in those encounters.

Everton’s poor defensive record on the road gives every indication the Ukrainian can extend his run of home returns. The Toffees have managed only a single clean sheet across their last eight away matches.

Paqueta’s converted penalty against Wolves last weekend means he has scored two of his four goals this season – as well as supplying an assist – in the Hammers’ last five matches.

The underlying statistics also highlight the Brazilian’s all-round influence on David Moyes’ side.

Paqueta’s 14 shots in the Hammers’ last six matches is double the seven of their top scorer Jarrod Bowen (£7.9m). Furthermore, his nine key passes also place among West Ham’s top two players.

Arsenal are back in action on Sunday, hosting Aston Villa in the Premier League, before the second leg against Bayern, also on Wednesday 17 April.

Toney faces the Blades on the back of a single assist across his last eight appearances.

But the underlying numbers highlight the striker’s huge influence on his side’s attack. Toney’s totals of 14 shots and 11 shots in the box across his last four outings are both more than any team-mate.

Sheff Utd’s weakness at defending free-kicks and corners looks particularly promising for Toney. They have conceded a league-high 20 headed shots over their last four matches, while they rank second-worst for allowing shots from set-pieces.

Brentford, meanwhile, have had 144 shots from such situations this season, the second-best record in the league.

Pascal Gross (Brighton) £6.3m
The Brighton & Hove Albion playmaker’s dead-ball delivery looks set to pose major problems for Burnley this weekend.

Gross’ hosts rank among the bottom three sides for conceding shots from set-pieces and headed shots this season.

The underlying statistics highlight the midfielder’s huge influence on the Seagulls’ attack on their travels.

In away matches, Gross’ 24 shots is a team-leading total, while his 40 key passes are at least 26 more than any other Brighton player.

But Guardiola allayed fears of a serious injury when speaking after the match, describing the issue as a “knock”.

City will be hoping for a repeat of last season’s semi-final when they beat Real 4-0 at home in the second leg after drawing the first leg, which finished 1-1 on that occasion.

Substitutes salvage a draw for Arsenal
Mikel Arteta made two changes from the side that beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 last weekend, with Jakub Kiwior and Gabriel Martinelli starting in place of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus.

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane was named in the Bayern Munich side, with Eric Dier, who is on loan from Spurs, also in the starting XI.

Arsenal went in front after 12 minutes through Bukayo Saka, who ran on to Ben White’s well-placed pass before bending a first-time shot into the bottom-left corner.

But the home side’s lead only lasted six minutes, with former Arsenal player Serge Gnabry slotting past David Raya.

Bayern were then awarded a penalty following a foul by William Saliba on former Man City winger Leroy Sane, and Kane sent Raya the wrong way to score, becoming the outright leading goalscorer against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium since it opened in 2006.

Arteta sent on Jesus and Trossard midway through the second half in search of an equaliser, and the pair duly combined to make it 2-2, with the Brazilian skilfully making space in the penalty area before laying the ball off to Trossard, who tucked the ball low beyond Manuel Neuer.