Newcastle United will host Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James’ Park on Wednesday, looking to continue their impressive run of form.
Newcastle United are on a five-match winning run in the Premier League, and they are fifth in the table ahead of the game vs Wolves at St. James’ Park on Wednesday evening. The Magpies will look to move into the top four and push for Champions League qualification.
Eddie Howe’s men are full of confidence and momentum right now, and they will be the favourites to grind out a good result here. Meanwhile, Wolves crashed to a defeat against Nottingham Forest in their last Premier League game, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly.
The Black Country outfit have picked up three wins and a draw from their last five matches in all competitions, and they have shown an improvement in form. It will be interesting to see if they can produce a strong performance and pull off an upset away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Newcastle United will be without Nick Pope due to a knee injury and Emil Krafth due to a shoulder injury. Jamaal Lascelles is out with a long-term knee injury, Harvey Barnes has a thigh injury, and Callum Wilson will miss out due to a hamstring complaint.
Newcastle United will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Wolves, with Martin Dubravka in goal. Valentino Livramento and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Lloyd Kelly will form the central defence alongside Fabian Schar.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will start alongside Sandro Tonali and Joelintion in the middle. Tonali will look to win the ball back for his side and break up opposition attacks, while Guimaraes and Joelinton will add creativity and drive to the side. Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle United vs Wolves, with Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dubravka; Livramento, Schar, Kelly, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Wolves
Wolves will be without Yerson Mosquera, Boubacar Traore, Enso Medina, and Sasa Kalajdzic due to knee injuries. Toti Gomes has a thigh injury. Wolves are likely to shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation vs Newcastle United, with Sam Johnstone in goal.
Matt Doherty and Nelson Semedo will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Newcastle on the break. Santiago Bueno and Craig Dawson will start at the heart of the defence.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Rayan Ait-Nouri will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. They will look to protect the full-backs as well.
In the midfield, Joao Gomes will start alongside Mario Lemina. They will look to add creativity and defensive cover to the side. Goncalo Guedes will start as the attacking midfielder here, with Jorgen Strand Larsen leading the line for Wolves vs Newcastle United.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Johnstone; Doherty, Bueno, Dawson, Semedo; Bellegarde, Joao Gomes, Lemina, Ait Nouri; Guedes; Strand Larsen
Key Stats
- Newcastle United have been winning at both half-time and full-time in their last five matches in the Premier League.
- Newcastle United have won their last five matches in the Premier League.
- Newcastle United have scored at least two goals in their last seven matches in the Premier League.
- Newcastle United are unbeaten in their last six meetings vs Wolves.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Newcastle United striker is our key player to watch out for. The Swede has been in unstoppable form in recent weeks and he could cause all sorts of problems for the Wolves defence.
The Swedish International has two assists to his name in his last nine outings for Newcastle. He will look to pile further misery on Wolves and expose their defensive vulnerability. Apart from his goalscoring ability, Isak will look to create opportunities for his teammates. Newcastle United will need him to step up if they want to grind out a comfortable victory here.
Prediction
Newcastle United 2-0 Wolves
Newcastle United have been outstanding in recent weeks, and they are full of confidence and momentum. They will certainly fancy their chances of grinding out a comfortable victory here. Wolves have been vulnerable at the back and they will struggle to contain the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.
Newcastle United will be the favourites heading into this game, and they are likely to come away with a comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Eddie Howe and his charges.
