Wolves showed that their 2018-19 heroics were no flash in the pan, securing a second consecutive seventh-place finish in the Premier League.
With their stock continuing to rise, can they go one better in 2020-21 and break the top six?
How did they perform in 2019-20?
Wolves’ 2019-20 campaign ended up being a mammoth one — 383 days to be precise — bookended by a Europa League journey which spanned longer than a calendar year.
Domestically, it was another feather in the cap of highly rated manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who remained philosophical about a start which consisted of seven draws in their opening 11 Premier League fixtures.
From November onwards, only the eventual top four racked up more points than the men from Molineux, leading them to miss out on European qualification only via goal difference.
The lighter schedule may prove a blessing in disguise given the compacted season that lies ahead.
Who are the new faces?
Porto striker Fabio Silva has arrived for a club record fee of £35million, giving some much-needed depth to an attacking set-up heavily reliant on Raul Jimenez.
The 18-year-old Portuguese striker is considered one of his nation’s best prospects and it should be interesting to watch him develop under the tutelage of one of the world’s brightest coaches.
Experienced full-back Marcal arrives from Lyon to provide competition after Jonny Castro’s knee ligament injury, while more moves cannot be ruled out despite the manager’s willingness to operate with a tight-knit squad.
What is the manager saying?
“I’m obsessed about improving the way we play, how we play. We want to improve our football. We need to be better in every moment, grow as a team, grow as a group.
“What we did before is there, we did things well, but we have a new challenge. Everyone starts with zero points.
“It’s been hard, especially after the international break with the players coming from national teams. The squad has not had too many days working together.
“But, like I always say, we have to face the challenge and prepare ourselves to start the competition. Hopefully we are going to do well.”
What do the fans expect?
Given the speed of Wolves’ rise from the Championship into one of the Premier League’s better outfits, expectation is now rather high.
The playing squad at Molineux have proven themselves able to compete with the best around — never more so than in securing an impressive double over Manchester City last term.
Nuno is a certainty to be on the radar of Europe’s biggest sides in the future, but while he remains in charge the sky is the limit.
Most fans will hold out hope of competing for a Europa League spot once again — and that does not seem too unrealistic.
When is their first game?
Wolves will kick off their 2020-21 season with a trip to Sheffield United on Monday. The game kicks off at 6pm kick-off and will be live on Sky Sports.
On paper, this should be a fantastic match-up between two sides who pushed many of the Premier League elite right to the wire last term.
Wolves lost the fixture 1-0 in stoppage-time last term, so will be keen to put that occasion behind them.
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