Wolves will host Crystal Palace at the Molineux on Saturday, desperate to secure their first win of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Wolves are 19th in the Premier League table, and they have lost five of their last six league games ahead of the visit of Crystal Palace at the Molineux. The Black Country outfit need to start picking up points if they want to secure safety in the top flight.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace ended their disappointing run of form with a morale-boosting victory over Tottenham last weekend. The Eagles will now be eager to build on that performance and grind out all three points against Wolves.
Crystal Palace have picked up five wins from the last six meetings against Wolves, and they will certainly fancy their chances against are a struggling Wolves side. The home team has conceded 25 goals in nine league games this season, and their mediocre defensive unit is likely to let them down here again.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Wolves will be without Yerson Mosquera, Boubacar Traore, Enso Medina, and Sasa Kalajdzic due to knee injuries. Meanwhile, Hwang Hee-chan has an ankle injury. The home side are likely to shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Sam Johnstone in goal.
Nelson Semedo and Toti Gomes are likely to be deployed as the full-backs. They will keep things tight at the back and help out during counter-attacking situations. Santiago Bueno will start alongside Craig Dawson at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Rayan Ait-Nouri will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side. Joao Gomes will start alongside Mario Lemina in the central midfield areas.
The two central midfielders will look to help out defensively and control the tempo of the game. Matheus Cunha will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will lead the line for Wolves against Crystal Palace.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Johnstone; Semedo, Bueno, Dawson, Toti Gomes; Bellegarde, Joao Gomes, Lemina, Ait Nouri; Cunha; Larsen
Crystal Palace
The Eagles will be without Mathus Oliveira due to a groin injury, Chadi Riad due to a knee injury, Chris Richards due to a thigh injury, Cheick Doucoure due to an ankle issue, Matheus Franca due to a groin injury, Jefferson Lerma due to a thigh injury, and Rob Holding has been banished from the first-team squad.
In addition, Eberechi Eze picked up a hamstring injury this week and will be unavailable until after the international break. Crystal Palace will shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, with Dean Henderson in goal. In the back three, Trevoh Chalobah will start alongside Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi.
Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will start as the wing-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada will add creativity and control to the side in the middle of the park. Ismaila Sarr will add creativity and goals to the side from the number ten role. Finally, Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line for the Eagles alongside Eddie Nketiah.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Henderson; Chalobah, Guehi, Lacroix; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr; Mateta, Nketiah
Key Stats
- Wolves have conceded at least two goals in their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Crystal Palace have won seven of their last eight matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Wolves have lost seven of their last nine matches in the Premier League.
- 20 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between Wolves and Crystal Palace.
- Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze are joint-fourth in Palace’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorers with 27 goals. The top three are Wilfried Zaha (68), Christian Benteke (35) and Luka Milivojevic (28).
Player to Watch
Jean-Philippe Mateta
The Crystal Palace striker is our key player to watch out for. He will look to take advantage of Wolves’ defensive vulnerabilities and create all sorts of problems for them at the back. The 27-year-old has already scored five goals for Crystal Palace this season, and he will look to add to his goal tally here.
Mateta has scored 16 goals in 22 Premier League appearances under Oliver Glasner. However, only two strikes have been scored in away games, including one at Molineux. The Frenchman needs to add to his tally for Crystal Palace to clinch a second successive win this weekend.
Prediction
Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace
Wolves are in dreadful form right now, and they will struggle against the Eagles. The Black Country outfit have been quite poor defensively, and they have conceded freely this season. Crystal Palace certainly have the attacking quality to take advantage of their defensive vulnerabilities, and they are likely to pile further misery on the home team.
The win over Tottenham will have given Crystal Palace a huge moral boost, and they will look to put together a run of good results now. A comfortable away win is on the cards for the London club. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Oliver Glasner and his charges.