Wolves will go again after their disappointment on Monday as they host a flying Brighton & Hove Albion, who appear hungry for success.
Wolves, who face Brighton & Hove Albion next, returned to the Midlands from their Monday night excursions from Old Trafford with utter disappointment they did not get something out of the game. In a match dominated by the visitors, Manchester United were put to the sword by Gary O’Neil’s high-octane and energetic side.
Touted as early relegation favourites, Wolves looked rather formidable on the pitch against a hapless Manchester United team. How they did not get a point at least out of that contest remains the question, but O’Neil has shown his team are ready for the challenges ahead.
Gary O’Neil is not very happy… 😤 pic.twitter.com/oocq12GiQE
— EPL Bible (@EPLBible) August 14, 2023
Now, Wolves have another significant challenge ahead of them, as a flying Brighton & Hove Albion come visiting Molineux. For O’Neil, it is imperative to get the first points of the season on board and kick-start the campaign, wherein they are currently deemed one of the favourites to go down.
Roberto De Zerbi insisted he had forgotten all about Moises Caicedo on the eve of their opening game against newcomers Luton Town. The Italian tactician put in a strong side with the right mix of experience and youth and got a desirable result that momentarily sent them to the top of the Premier League table.
A 4-1 thrashing of Luton in front of the Amex crowd was the start De Zerbi would have wanted to kick-start their campaign of promise. There is plenty to look forward to for the Seagulls this season, considering they will make their Europa League bow this term.
De Zerbi would want his side to get a similar result against Wolves, for some tough fixtures lay ahead in waiting. After this, they take on West Ham United, followed by big games against Newcastle United and Manchester United awaits.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Wolves came unscathed at Old Trafford, meaning Gary O’Neil’s side has no concerns with their squad ahead of the Brighton clash. The manager has no reason to change his side ahead of this clash after their level of performance against Manchester United.
🇧🇷🇵🇹🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/Ax9Ossfbm0
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 18, 2023
Despite a raft of departures in the close season, that starting eleven against Manchester United had some energy. O’Neil will hope for the same with an unchanged lineup, although he would want his forward to be more clinical in front of goal.
O’Neil will trust Matheus Nunes with the attacking eight roles, while he might experiment with shifting his attacking setup a bit. Pedro Neto could change to the left wing, while Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha could lead the line in a front two.
Max Kilman looked a bit shaky in the last game at the back, but the new Wolves captain is nailed on alongside the experienced Craig Dawson. Full-backs Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo had a field day at Old Trafford, and O’Neil will hope for continued contributions from them.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Jose Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Neto, Gomes, Lemina, Nunes; Cunha, Sarabia
Brighton & Hove Albion
Robert De Zerbi has developed this habit of keeping everyone guessing about his starting lineups. A few settled players should star, irrespective of their shape and style. Kaoru Mitoma, Lewis Dunk and Joao Pedro will undoubtedly feature from the get-go in this game, although the final lineup may come with changes from last week.
All smiles before Saturday! 😁 pic.twitter.com/AxrLcb2ATq
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 17, 2023
Jakub Moder, Adam Lallana and Adam Webster are in some doubt to feature against Wolves. James Milner might start as their right back again, with Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke in central defence. Pervis Estupinan will keep his place at left-back and hope to contribute more to the attacking side.
De Zerbi should continue with the midfield double pivot of Pascal Gross and Mahmoud Dahoud, while Mitoma and Solly March should provide width. The Brighton boss might choose to drop Danny Welbeck from the starting lineup, which could see Evan Ferguson leading the line and Pedro in an unorthodox No.10 role, but more like a second striker.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Milner, Hecke, Dunk, Estupinian; Gross, Dahoud; March, Pedro, Mitoma; Ferguson
Key Stats
- Wolves had 23 attempts at the Manchester United goal but could not get past Andre Onana.
- Brighton have won their last three matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Brighton have scored at least three goals in their last three matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in six of Brighton’s last seven games in the Premier League.
- Brighton racked up 71% possession and 27 shots against Luton.
Player to Watch
Kaoru Mitoma
The Japanese winger started where he left off, producing a masterclass against Luton Town on the opening weekend. The attacker looks very important to how Brighton play, with his skills on the ball and creative aspect extremely vital to their style.
De Zerbi would have laid down a challenge for Mitoma to improve his numbers from last season, and that seems like the outcome this season. He will have to challenge himself and hopefully bring his stats up to date with another stellar performance, this time against Wolves.
Prediction
Wolves 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion have kept evolving since De Zerbi took over. There were ample proof of that against Luton. They are one of the dark horses in this season’s Premier League and should continue to perform at a high level while they have a good enough squad.
The Seagulls are expected to take all three points against Wolves, but the home side will put in a tough challenge as they did on Monday. The only missing factor for Gary O’Neil is the clinical finishing on his side. Otherwise, they would have taken at least a point from this game.
