Wolves – Newcastle : Preview & Prediction
After enjoying wins last weekend, Wolverhampton and Newcastle United boast two of the longest active unbeaten streaks in the Premier League (PL). Aided by the dismissal of Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook, Wolves grabbed a late goal on the south coast to claim their third win in eight PL games (E1, P4) starting as “underdogs.” It was another thrilling Wolves clash that rewarded the spectators for their patience, with 22 of their 26 total PL goals (scored or conceded) having been recorded during the second half this season.
Manager Gary O’Neil is becoming a savvy PL strategist, earning plaudits after appearing on British television during the week to share training ground footage of the strategies he prepared in their recent 2-1 wins over Bournemouth and Manchester City. Interspersed between those two wins was a 1-1 draw with a high-flying Aston Villa in their last home clash in the PL, suggesting they are capable of taking points off any opponent at Molineux.
Newcastle finished the previous week four points off the top four after a resounding 4-0 win over Crystal Palace which extended their PL record as pre-match “favorites” this season to G5, E1, P1. More importantly, they are now five league games unbeaten (G4, E1) and have had their best start to a PL season since 2011/12, which is hard to believe given that they are already trying to catch up in the top four.
A 1-0 UEFA Champions League defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund in midweek certainly wasn’t ideal preparation for a visit to Molineux, with Eddie Howe telling the press that “the most disappointing thing on the night” were injuries to Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy, who look set to be long-term absentees. That will amplify Howe’s notion that Newcastle possess “a short squad” ahead of what will be the third of seven competitive games in a span of 22 days.
Players to watch: Hwang Hee-Chan remains the only Wolves player to score a PL goal at Molineux this season, and he did so in all four of their home games. Isak’s absence will place more responsibility on Callum Wilson, who has converted after the break in five separate Premier League clashes this season (G4, E1).
Key stat: Seven of the last nine PL meetings between these two sides have ended with fewer than 2.5 goals in total, including six 1-1 draws.
Wolves – Newcastle : Betting Tips
Newcastle – Win Odds: 1.55
