EPL: Wolves hunt for Newcastle

Wolves vs. Newcastle
Venue: Molineux
Kick off: 3PM

Wolverhampton Wanderers will endeavour to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they welcome Newcastle United to Molineux for today’s clash.

Bruno Lage’s side marched to a 1-0 victory over Southampton in gameweek six, whereas the Magpies could only draw 1-1 away to Watford.

Aside from the home crowd at St Mary’s, football fans across the globe reacted with delight when Raul Jimenez got off the mark for the new season against Southampton, with the Mexican striker scoring the game’s only goal to hand Wolves a precious three points.

After latching onto a long ball from Jose Sa – another key player in Wolves’ crucial success on the day – Jimenez beat Jan Bednarek and Mohammed Salisu all ends up to score in front of the Wolves faithful for the first time since his sickening skull fracture almost a year ago.

Lage’s side were in desperate need of a confidence-boosting win following previous losses to Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and EFL Cup respectively, but it has nevertheless been a challenging start to the Portuguese’s reign as his side sit 14th in the table with six points.

Both of Wolves’ wins this season have come away from home, though, with Lage’s men playing four and losing four in all competitions at Molineux this term, while they have suffered three home league defeats on the bounce without scoring a single goal.

Only basement side Norwich City (2) have scored fewer goals than Wolves (3) in their opening six matches, but with a revitalised Jimenez finally off the mark for the new campaign, Lage will be praying for his talisman to kick on and end the hosts’ torrid fortunes in front of goal at Molineux.

A goal worthy of winning any match was scored by an unlikely Newcastle source at Vicarage Road last weekend, as Sean Longstaff’s peach of a strike proved too powerful for Ben Foster to keep out as the Magpies took a 1-0 lead into half time against Watford.

However, the hosts’ wing king Ismaila Sarr was inexplicably allowed to drift into acres of space at the back stick from a corner, and the 23-year-old had the simple task of heading home to prevent Newcastle from claiming their first win of the season.

Steve Bruce’s men are one of five teams yet to win in the 2021-22 season – an all-too familiar story for the St James’ Park faithful – and the Magpies currently occupy 17th position in the table having managed to claim three points from their last four fixtures.

While Wolves have had their troubles in front of goal this term, Newcastle’s tally of seven strikes at least represents the best record of all the winless sides, but 14 shipped at the other end is the joint-second highest in the division alongside Leeds United and above Norwich.

Newcastle and Wolves have developed an affinity for stalemates in seasons gone by, with the last five meetings between the pair all ending 1-1, but Wolves claimed a 2-1 win at St James’ Park back in December 2018 under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Wolves possible XI: Sa, Kilman, Coady, Saiss, Semedo, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Marcal, Traore, Jimenez, Hwang.

Newcastle United possible XI: Darlow, Manquillo, Fernandez, Clark, Ritchie, Almiron, Longstaff, Willock, Hayden, Joelinton, Saint-Maximin.