Wolves – Bournemouth : Preview & Prediction
After an impressive win over Southampton last weekend, which also certified the sacking of Saints manager Nathan Jones, Wolves remain in great form and could move up to 12th place should they win thanks to a huge upturn in form under manager Julen Lopetegui (G4, E1, P2). That upturn in form means Wolves have a chance to make a small piece of history as the first Premier League (PL) side to finish inside the top half after being last at Christmas.
Relegation remains a concern for now, with Wolves just five points above 18th, but considering they will once again have the support of Molineux for this clash, they could start a calendar year with three consecutive PL wins for the first time after an impressive 3-0 victory over Liverpool here earlier this month. An unbeaten head-to-head record against this occasion’s visitors Bournemouth (G3, E2) at PL level, which includes winning both home clashes without conceding, offers plenty of encouragement for Wolves to do just that.
A defeat to Bournemouth could well hand Lopetegui his second ‘managerial murder’ in quick succession, with Cherries boss Gary O’Neil being one of the favorites to be sacked despite securing a surprise draw against Champions League qualification-chasing Newcastle in the previous week. In particular, he praised his side’s set-pieces as August signing Marcos Senesi opened his personal account with the club.
However, their away problems remain, with six consecutive defeats away from home in the PL prior to this match, and their defensive problems are one of the reasons why they are in the bottom three before the start of this matchday. This woeful run has notably kept them as one of only three sides yet to record a clean sheet in the league on hostile territory in England’s top four divisions.
Players to watch: João Gomes completed the comeback against Southampton on his PL debut, taking less than 20 minutes to make an impact off the bench. Dango Ouattara then assisted for Bournemouth against Newcastle later the same day, although he is yet to score for Bournemouth, having scored three of his last four goals at club level (for Lorient) before the break.
Key stat: Bournemouth have scored just one of their 20 league goals from outside the box so far this campaign.
Wolves – Bournemouth : Betting Tips
Wolves – Win Odds: 2.25
