Former Premier League defender and Sky Sports pundit Danny Mills has been left raving over Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio as he delivers his team of the week verdict.
The Portuguese shot stopper has been a ever present between the sticks for the newly promoted side this season and was a crucial part of their win over West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday, pulling off a number of important saves before Adama Traore netted an injury time winner in the 1-0 victory.
Mills decided that the 6’2″ giant’s (source: Transfermarkt) performance for Wolves was the top goalkeeping display of the weekend, naming him as one of his best XI.
He said of the 30-year-old on Sky Sports’ website: “Patricio is a top-class goalkeeper, and a free transfer.”
Opinion
There were some impressive displays between the sticks for Premier League sides this weekend but Patricio is definitely worthy of being named as a contender for the top performer in his role. He was dominant in terms of both shot stopping and commanding his area against West Ham, and his save from Marko Arnautovic’s shot, made with his face at close range, demonstrated the sort of bravery that has seen him become one of the world’s best goalkeepers. If he can keep these sorts of performances up for the entire season, then Wolves have a one-man points winner at their disposal – and all of that quality for a free transfer. It was an inspired bit of business at Molineux and the rewards are already coming their way. Nuno and his team will be hoping that it continues for some time, but also know they cannot rely solely on him to seal results. Perhaps the defence could be a bit tighter, and with the international break upon top flight sides, it is something for the manager to work on.