Rob Edwards takes charge of his first game for Wolves, and the Molineux crowd will hope for a new manager bounce against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Wolves have never gone without a win in their opening 12 games of a league season since the 1983/84 campaign, and new boss Rob Edwards has the chance to avoid creating another unwanted record when his charges take on Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The former Luton Town boss takes charge at Molineux, and he will manage his first game in charge following his move from Middlesbrough, where he swapped a promotion race for a relegation battle.
Wolves did their best to get their preferred choice in place, and now Edwards will take charge of his first match in charge at home. The fans are focused on results at this stage rather than performances, as Wolves are rooted to the bottom of the table without a win after eleven games this season.
Their two draws comprise all the points accumulated this season, and Wolves are eight points adrift of safety. There are plenty of games left to play in the season, and the topsy-turvy nature of the Premier League brings plenty of hope for the Midlands side to fight for their survival, although Edwards must maneuver the trickiness of this upcoming fixture against Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace came out as winners in their last meeting with Wolves back in May, which was a part of their incredible unbeaten run spanning 19 games across all competitions. Since their defeat to Everton, which ended that undefeated streak, Crystal Palace went four games without a win, ending with an away defeat at the hands of Arsenal.
Since then, Oliver Glasner has managed to stitch together a four-game unbeaten run across all competitions that included a 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield in the Carabao Cup. Before the international break, Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion played out a goalless draw in the M23 derby, which left the Eagles in tenth place in the standings.
The competitive nature of the Premier League makes the tenth-place position look different, as Palace are only two points off the top four. A win over Wolves could let Crystal Palace climb up the table, and should some of the teams between them and fourth-placed Sunderland drop points, they could be higher up the standings.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Rob Edwards must make do without the injured trio of Matt Doherty, Leon Chiwome, and Rodrigo Gomes for his first game in charge of Wolves. He will have returning defender Emmanuel Agbadu after he served a one-game suspension the last time out.
Edwards has extensively used a back three at his previous clubs, Luton Town and Middlesbrough, as the current options at Wolves do favour that setup. Santiago Bueno, Ladislav Krejci, and Toti Gomes are likely to be preferred there. The upcoming games will be seen as experimental by the new boss, as someone like Agbadu will also be pushing for a place in that back three.
Marshall Munetsi will also be vying for a place in the midfield at the expense of one of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde or Andre, with the latter likely to keep his place. Jackson Tchatchoua and Hugo Bueno will likely take the wing-back roles in the lineup. Jorgen Strand Larsen is widely expected to lead the line alongside Jhon Arias.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Johnstone; Santiago Bueno, Krejci, Toti; Tchatchoua, Joao Gomes, Andre, Munetsi, Hugo Bueno; Arais, Strand Larsen
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner has his fair share of fitness troubles, with Cheick Doucoure and Caleb Kporha are the sure-shot absentees for this clash. There are further doubts with skipper Marc Guehi, who missed the game against Brighton & Hove Albion with a foot injury and missed the England games as a result.
The centre-back will be assessed before kick-off to determine his participation alongside Eddie Nketiah, Chari Riad, and Rio Cardines. Should Guehi not make the lineup, then Glasner will use Jaydee Canvot once again in his place alongside Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards in a back three.
The other positions may not see any changes, with Daichi Kamada and the in-demand Adam Wharton holding on to their midfield roles, with Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell in the wing-back positions. Ismaila Sarr and Yeremy Pino will support Jean-Philippe Mateta in the attacking setup up front for Crystal Palace against Wolves.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta
Key Stats
- Wolves have lost nine of their last 11 matches in the Premier League.
- Wolves have not failed to win their opening 12 games of a league season since the 1983/84 season.
- Crystal Palace have won eight of their last ten matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last four games across all competitions.
- Wolves have conceded exactly three goals in their last three Premier League games, losing 3-2 against Burnley and 3-0 against both Fulham and Chelsea. They last let in three or more goals in four consecutive league games back in September 1985 in the third tier.
Player to Watch
Jean-Philippe Mateta
One of the red-hot strikers in the Premier League even justified his call-up to the France squad over the last two international breaks. Two goals in two starts for the national side will have Mateta all fired up to keep performing at the highest levels for his club, and last time out, he did make his return to Crystal Palace with a goal against West Ham United.
Glasner will hope Mateta’s recent performance against Azerbaijan will have him fired up to continue his goalscoring form when Crystal Palace take on Wolves. The money will be on the French striker to keep firing on all cylinders, as the away side will want to climb up the table and probably continue on their ambition to break into the top four.
Prediction
Wolves 0-3 Crystal Palace
Wolves are already in a terrible run of form, and being the only team in the Premier League without a win comes with its own pressure. The change of managers does not guarantee immediate results, and that might be something Edwards might have to experience firsthand on Saturday.
Crystal Palace are in a good run of form despite their goalless draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, but they are a team that can take full advantage of leaky defences, certainly like the one Wolves have. Expect the Eagles to add a comprehensive victory to their bag and climb up the table. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Oliver Glasner and his charges.
