Wolverhampton Wanderers will welcome Newcastle United to the Molineux in the Premier League on Saturday.
Newcastle United will look to bounce back from a disappointing midweek Champions League defeat when they travel to the Molineux to face an in-from Wolverhampton Wanderers in Saturday’s Premier League encounter.
After the high of qualifying for the Champions League, it felt like there might be a hangover at St. James’ Park when Eddie Howe’s side lost three of their opening four Premier League games. However, the Toon’s faltering start to the Premier League campaign seems like a distant memory.
Coping with the rigours of both continental and domestic football had the potential to be a daunting task for Newcastle. But the Magpies went up a notch instead, embarking on a fantastic eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
That superb run came to an end on Wednesday night as an expectant St. James’ Park crowd saw their side fire a blank against Borussia Dortmund, falling to an underwhelming 1-0 loss that threw their European qualification into danger.
Eddie Howe’s side will now be determined to get back on track straight away on domestic duty as they look to continue their resurgence with a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
After a summer of turmoil that saw manager Julen Lopetegui resign due to a lack of support in the transfer market, Wolves looked destined for another relegation scrap after suffering four defeats in their first five league games under new boss Gary O’Neil. But the performances were not as poor as those results hinted.
The results have also markedly improved since, with the Black Country outfit taking seven points from their past three matches, a run that includes a fine home win over champions Manchester City, while another victory over Newcastle could move them into the top half of the table.
The Magpies were unbeaten in their two Premier League meetings last season, registering a frustrating 1-1 draw away from home and securing a vital 2-1 comeback win at St. James’ Park in the reverse fixture.
Team News and Tactics
Wolverhampton Wanderers
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 26, 2023
Gary O’Neil has not been afraid to play an enterprising brand of attacking football, particularly at home, and he will hope his side will be rewarded once again on Saturday. He has a relatively clean bill of health ahead of the visit of Newcastle United this Saturday, with only two players dealing with injury issues.
Young right-back Hugo Bueno will certainly be missing for the Old Gold with a knee injury sustained in late September. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who missed last weekend’s trip to Vitality Stadium due to a muscle injury, could return to the fold against Newcastle United.
In a huge boost for Wolves, they will now be able to call upon two players who could make a return from their respective suspensions. Mario Lemina has served his one-game ban after being sent off for two yellow cards against Aston Villa, while Nelson Semedo will also return after picking up five bookings.
Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha has generally been used as the main central striker by O’Neil, and he is getting good service from in-form wingers Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto. Hwang, in particular, has been the hosts’ main source of goals so far this season, netting six times across all competitions.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Semedo, Traore, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Neto, Cunha, Hwang
Newcastle United
Not only did Newcastle United suffer a defeat on Wednesday evening, but Eddie Howe lost two more key players on Wednesday night in what has been a growing injury list on Tyneside. The primary concern is Alexander Isak, who was replaced after only 15 minutes against Dortmund due to a recurrence of a groin injury that will keep him out this weekend.
Jacob Murphy, meanwhile, had to come off only five minutes after his introduction with a suspected shoulder dislocation and is facing a long spell on the sidelines. Elliot Anderson is also sidelined with a back injury that is set to keep him out for several weeks.
Harvey Barnes remains sidelined with a long-term injury, and there are no signs of centre-back Sven Botman’s return from injury, while Sandro Tonali has been banned for 10 months for illegal betting.
🚨 BREAKING: Sandro Tonali has been banned for 10 month due to gambling addition scandal plus also 8 months of participation in gambling rehab plan.
Tonali, suspended for 10 months from football activities — back August 2024.
🚫 Season over with #NUFC and also NO Euro2024. pic.twitter.com/nlrM7eMecW
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 26, 2023
With a number of first-team stars missing, the Newcastle United boss will be unable to rotate his side much this weekend. Nick Pope will continue to operate between the sticks for the visitors after a fine display in midweek.
Guarding the English shot-stopper at the heart of the Magpies’ backline will be the defensive duo of Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles, flanked by Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn. Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, and Sean Longstaff will form the three-man midfield, looking to dominate the midfield battle.
Anthony Gordon took time to make an impact at Newcastle after his move from Everton. But the young winger has caught the eye with his electric performances this season and will look to supply Callum Wilson with quality service, while right-winger Miguel Almiron will dovetail with dangerous Trippier to carve out prime scoring opportunities.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Lascelles, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Gordon
Key Stats
- Newcastle United have scored at least two goals in their last four Premier League matches.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers are unbeaten in their last five Premier League home meetings against Newcastle United (W1 D4).
- Six of the last eight meetings between these two sides have produced fewer than 2.5 goals.
- The visitors have the best-attacking record in the Premier League this season, scoring 24 goals in nine games.
Player to Watch
Pedro Neto
Both sides have some very exciting attacking stars, and we could have easily picked any of them for our “Player to watch for” section. But Pedro Neto has been a real star in the making for Wolves this term, already on six Premier League assists, matching his previous best creative season in the competition (2020/21) after just nine games.
This season has revived Neto’s career after he had only two league goal involvements in the entire 2022/23 season. A silky dribbler with plenty of pace to burn, the sky is truly the limit for the Portuguese star. But the most difficult hurdle he confronts now is delivering that on a consistent basis. Should he keep up his strong start, it could prove tricky for the Wolves to keep hold of him.
Prediction
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Newcastle United
Newcastle took a bit of time to get going after their last Champions League game against PSG and fell behind to West Ham before salvaging a 2-2 draw thanks to their impressive second-half performance.
Molineux is a difficult venue to visit off the back of a tough midweek game, and champions Manchester City have already slipped away from home against Gary O’Neil’s men.
The hosts will start with plenty of energy and could get on the scoresheet, but Newcastle are on a roll in the league, and that looks likely to continue here as they should have enough firepower in attack to secure a come-from-behind victory.
