Two Premier League teams embroiled in a relegation battle will lock horns at the Molineux on Saturday when Wolves host a stuttering West Ham United.
Wolves and West Ham United have long been viewed as established top-half sides. But this season, they find themselves near the bottom of the table and will clash in what can only be defined as an early relegation six-pointer for both.
The Hammers travel to the Molineux at the weekend to face a Wolves side that currently sits two places below them in the Premier League table in 19th. With West Ham on a knife-edge, with a single goal distancing themselves from the bottom three, a defeat at Wolves will ensure that they tumble into the Premier League’s relegation zone.
It has been a difficult season for the East London outfit as things have not clicked following a huge summer spend, although they did at least arrest the rot away at Leeds in their last Premier League outing.
The Hammers did well to beat Brentford in the FA Cup at the weekend. And while the Scot may not be under as much immediate pressure, extending their six-game winless streak in the English top-flight will infuriate the fanbase and increase the pressure on Moyes to be sacked.
However, West Ham are not the only one struggling to live up to expectations in the Premier League this season. Their opponent on Saturday, Wolves, are in real trouble as well. The hosts will start this match just one spot off at the foot of the table, with only 14 points in 18 matches this season, but crucially only one point adrift of safety places.
Wolves have shown indicators of recovery under the stewardship of Julen Lopetegui. They performed admirably to hold Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at Anfield to force a replay at Molineux next midweek and only got knocked out in the penalty shoot-out in the EFL Cup quarterfinal against Nottingham Forest.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Taking on the Hammers at home.
— Wolves (@Wolves) January 13, 2023
Long-term absentees, the likes of Pedro Neto, Chiquinho, Boubacar Traore, and Sasa Kalajdzic all remain sidelined through injury, while Joao Moutinho, Daniel Podence, and Diego Costa are all carrying minor knocks, and should come through alright to feature here.
Having ambitious owners at the helm, Wolves look set to be busy in this January window, having already signed Matheus Cunha on loan from Atletico Madrid, while Mario Lemina is reportedly having a medical ahead of a move from OGC Nice.
The same goes for highly-rated Brazilian playmaker Joao Gomes, who will arrive from Flamengo with a deal all but agreed with Flamengo. It appears the midfield and attacking departments will be strengthened this month to give Julen Lopetegui the best possible chance of beating the drop, with a deal for PSG’s Pablo Sarabia also in the pipeline.
Jose Sa has been an ever-reliable figure in between the sticks for the Black Country outfit and has a safe pair of gloves as he remains Lopetegui’s first-choice pick in goal. In front of him, Lopetegui has implemented a high-pressing, high-risk passing out from the back style of play, which is helping them create more chances than under Bruno Lage.
Nelson Semedo and Hugo Bueno are expected to start as the full-backs, and Nathan Collins will partner with Maximilian Kilman at the heart of the defence. Matheus Nunes, who is attracting some heavy interest from Liverpool and Chelsea, will slot alongside Ruben Neves and Moutinho to form a silky Portuguese midfield trio.
Wolves’ attack will comprise of Daniel Podence and Adama Traore feeding the main striker Matheus Cunha from the wider positions. Cunha, in particular, will be a key player after impressing as a substitute against Liverpool. He also played an integral role in setting up Raul Jimenez’s goal against Forest this past mid-week. Goncalo Guedes, Jimenez, and Costa will be other options available on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Sa; Semedo, Kilman, Collins, Bueno; Nunes, Neves, Moutinho; Traore, Cunha, Podence
West Ham United
West Ham United were without the services of Gianluca Scamacca and Alphonse Areola for the FA Cup victory over Brentford last weekend. And there remain doubts over their fitness, with the pair subject to a late assessment ahead of the trip to the West Midlands.
Vladimir Coufal also missed the FA Cup tie after he sustained a knee injury against Leeds United. And as a result, he will likely miss out here as well, while Maxwel Cornet remains out with a calf injury.
There is mounting pressure on West Ham boss David Moyes. According to some reports, he might be sacked if the team drops into the relegation zone. So the game against Wolves could be his last if things go from bad to worse at Molineux.
Nayef thanks the fans for their support ❤️
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 13, 2023
Moyes is expected to continue with his 4-2-3-1 formation, with Fabianski in goal. Thilo Kehrer and Aaron Cresswell are set to lineup as the two full-backs here. Summer recruit Nayef Aguerd was deployed as a centre-back last weekend against the Bees. The Moroccan defender will start and operate alongside Craig Dawson at the centre of the West Ham defence.
Declan Rice is a sure starter in the middle of the field, partnering with Tomas Soucek, whose form has dipped drastically in recent times. The likes of Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma will add creativity and directness from wide areas, with Lucas Paqueta acting as the chief creator in the attacking midfielder role.
Michail Antonio, who has recently been linked with a move to Wolves, is set to lead the Hammers’ attack, hoping to use his pace and physicality to stretch the opposition defence and eventually get on the scoresheet.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Kehrer, Dawson, Aguerd, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma; Antonio
Key Stats
- Wolves have lost four of their past five Premier League games against West Ham, but they did beat them in the same fixture last season at Molineux.
- West Ham are winless in their last six Premier League games, and have conceded at least two goals in their last five league games.
- The hosts have largely struggled when it comes to finding the back of the net, having scored just 11 goals in the Premier League this season, fewer than any other side in the division.
- West Ham’s record on their Premier League travels is letting them down badly this season, with no side accumulating fewer league points on the road than the Hammers this season (five).
- Wolves are West Ham attacker Jarrod Bowen’s favourite Premier League opposition, having scored four goals in his last five league games against them.
Player to Watch
Matheus Cunha
With Wolves being the Premier League’s lowest scorers so far, Julen Lopetegui will be itching to throw Cunha straight into the firing line for Saturday’s meeting with West Ham. While it is a remarkable risk to commit £40 million for a player who is undoubtedly talented and has eight senior Brazil caps to his name, Wolves are getting their hands on real quality in Cunha.
His quality with his back to the goal and pace mean he could be dangerous in front of the goal and a definite upgrade on Lopetegui’s current striker options, Diego Costa or Raul Jimenez. In fact, the former is yet to score since his arrival at Molineux.
Cunha showcased his flashy skills and has already made a good impression, bagging a brilliant assist for Jimenez’s equaliser against Nottingham Forest before dispatching a cool penalty in the shootout. He will be chomping at the bit to open his Wolves’ account here.
Prediction
Wolves 1-0 West Ham United
With both Wolves and West Ham drastically underperforming and struggling for Premier League victories this season, it is hard to choose an outright winner in this match. This should be a close encounter, with both teams expected to be cautious, knowing the repercussions of defeat at the Molineux.
A West Ham loss will see them drop into the bottom three. And with that in mind, one would expect David Moyes to prioritise defensive solidity, ensuring that his side does not lose the game before thinking about maybe winning it. This may lead to a dull affair.
Wolves are finally showing signs of life under new management, and there is a feeling that things will gel sooner rather than later. Thus, The Hard Tackle are backing Wolves to edge West Ham United and earn a vital three points, which would be an absolute disaster for West Ham and their under-fire boss David Moyes.
