Magpies Aim to Break Wolves’ Resolve at Molineux

Wolverhampton Wanderers host Newcastle United at Molineux on Sunday as both sides look to maintain momentum in a mid-season Premier League fixture that carries more urgency than glamour.

After a difficult start that saw them languishing at the bottom of the table, there was speculation as to whether Wolves are to break Derby County’s lowest point tally record in the Premier League this season as they got off to an extremely slow start to say the least. However, Wolves have shown signs of life and resurgence in recent weeks. A sequence of results, including draws at Manchester United and Everton and a first league win of the season against West Ham, has given the Old Gold a slight lift. Their confidence was further boosted by a resounding 6–1 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup on the weekend, where Jorgen Strand Larsen scored a hat-trick and offered a reminder of his attacking quality.

Victory on Sunday could see Wolves climb to within a few points of 19th-placed Burnley, meaning there remains tangible incentive in this game for the hosts. 

For Wolverhampton Wanderers, 18 year old Mateus Mane has been the talk of the town for his recent performances uplifting Wolves levels and giving the fans something to look forward to. He looks set to start against Newcastle and has mentioned how much confidence his manager Rob Edwards has instilled in him and how he believes this is his opportunity to show people why he is destined to be a premier league player. An opportunity he has not taken for granted, coming up with important goals in recent away draw to Everton in the 90th minute to rescue a point, whilst also chipping in with a goal against West Ham in Wolves first home win of the season as they beat the Irons 3-0 at the beginning of this month. 

Newcastle, meanwhile, arrive at Molineux looking to keep their pressure on the top six. The Magpies are currently sixth in the table after a three-game winning run in the Premier League. With recent victories helping Eddie Howe’s side close the gap to the Champions League places. A midweek defeat in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg to Manchester City ended a long unbeaten run at St James’ Park, but domestically Newcastle’s form remains solid. As Newcastle are holders of the EFL Cup, this will be seen as a blow and they will want to bounce back at the first given opportunity this Sunday.

Their away record this season has been mixed, with only two league wins on the road so far, but they come into this weekend’s game with confidence from recent league performances and will be looking to bounce back from the loss in midweek to title challengers Manchester City.

Team news is notable. Newcastle will be without defensive regular Fabian Schär after surgery, and Jacob Murphy also misses out through injury, while a number of other squad members are sidelined. Tino Livramento and Dan Burn are also still unavailable.

Wolves have received some encouraging fitness updates, with Rodrigo Gomes and Ladislav Krejci both available following recent absences. Jean Richner Bellegarde is a doubt as he is still recovering from a Hamstring Injury, Wolves will share the same concern for defender Toti Gomes also recovering from a Hamstring issue. Strand Larsen’s cup-leading form presents a selection dilemma up front, but Hwang Hee-chan and Tolu Arokodare look set to lead the line together.

This fixture has featured a series of close contests in recent seasons. Newcastle have won the last four league meetings and started this campaign with a 1–0 victory at St James’ Park, but Wolves have tightened up defensively and look much more competitive than earlier in the season.

On balance, Newcastle’s consistency and league position make them favourites to take three points, but Wolves’ recent improvement and home support mean this could be a tighter contest than the form guide suggests.

Prediction: Wolves 1–2 Newcastle United