Wolves will look to end their five-match winless run in the Premier League when they host Bournemouth on Wednesday.
11th-placed Wolves have only accumulated two points in their last five league games, and they will be eager to bounce back against 13th-placed Bournemouth, who have lost two out of their last three Premier League games.
Despite their recent struggles, Wolves are 18 points clear of the drop zone as they have accumulated 43 points in their 33 outings thanks to 12 wins and seven draws. But, the Black Country outfit will still look to return to winning ways when they host the Cherries.
In their last five league games, they have lost three and played out a draw on two occasions. The home team are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 loss at the hands of Arsenal. They were never really in the game against the Gunners and will have to put up a much better fight here to stand any chance.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth are just one point behind Wolves. The visitors have accumulated 42 points in their 33 outings. They have won 11 matches and played out a draw on nine occasions. Even their recent form has been a bit worrying.
Since securing back-to-back wins against Everton and Crystal Palace, the Cherries have lost two and drawn one. They are heading into this one on the back of a defeat at the hands of Aston Villa. While they did create significant chances, Unai Emery’s team were much better on the night.
With both teams desperate to return to winning ways, it promises to be an exciting clash. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
The home team will be without the services of Craig Dawson, Pedro Neto, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Matheus Cunha. Meanwhile, Nelson Semedo is closing in on a return but might not feature in this one. But, Pablo Sarabia, Mario Lemina, and Rayan Ait-Nouri should be ready to start in this fixture.
Gary O’Neil could go ahead with a 3-5-2 formation, where Jose Sa will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Santiago Bueno, Toti Gomes, and Max Kilman. They will look for a clean sheet and will have the support of Matt Doherty and Rayan Ait-Nouri, who will feature as the wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Mario Lemina should feature alongside Joao Gomes and Tommy Doyle. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Meanwhile, in attack, Pablo Sarabia should pair up with Hwang Hee-chan.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sa; Santiago Bueno, Kilman, Toti; Doherty, Lemina, Gomes, Doyle, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia, Hwang
Bournemouth
The visitors will be without the services of Ryan Fredericks and Tyler Adams. Meanwhile, Luis Sinisterra has been ruled out of the remainder of the season, while Marcus Tavernier has not returned from injury yet.
Andoni Iraola will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where captain Neto will feature in goal. Max Aarons and Lloyd Kelly will be the full-backs, while Illia Zabarnyi and Marcos Senesi will feature in the heart of the defence.
The back four will look to keep a clean sheet, and they will have the support of the two central midfielders in front of them. Ryan Christie and Lewis Cook will form the double pivot for the visitors.
Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez will provide the width to their attack, while Justin Kluivert will feature as the attacking midfielder. Meanwhile, the highly sought-after Dominic Solanke will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neto; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kelly; Christie, Cook; Semenyo, Kluivert, Kerkez; Solanke
Key Stats
- Out of the 18 matches played between Wolves and Bournemouth, both teams have won seven each.
- Wolves have only lost one out of their last seven matches against the Cherries in the league.
- Bournemouth have never won consecutive league games against Wolves away from home but they have won three out of their last six away league games.
- Wolves won the reverse fixture 2-1 and have the chance of completing a double over Bournemouth.
- The home team have only two out of their 11 league games that have been played on Wednesday.
Player to Watch
Dominic Solanke
Solanke has been in sensational form since the start of the season. The 26-year-old has featured in 33 league games so far and has contributed towards 21 goals. He has found the back of the net on 18 occasions and has three assists to his name. Bournemouth will hope he comes good once again on Wednesday and helps them claim three important points.
Prediction
Wolves 2-2 Bournemouth
Both teams have not been in the best of form of late. The home team have not won any of their last five games in the league, while the visitors have not emerged victorious in any of their last three outings.
With both Wolves and Bournemouth not at their best, this match could end up being a highly contested fixture. There is not much to separate the two teams and there is a high possibility that they end up playing out a draw here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw between the two teams.