The Premier League’s bottom two are set for a crunch clash at Molineux. Wolves will look to secure their first win this season against Southampton.
Gary O’Neil is on thin ice at the moment, as he desperately needs a result to regain some hope of survival after a disastrous start to the season. Three points from a possible thirty after ten games on the board read for a terrible return, and last weekend was another instance that showed the massive problems in that Wolves team as they get set to host Southampton this weekend.
Crystal Palace turned up against Wolves under pressure last weekend, and it took until the 60th minute for Trevoh Chalobah to score the opener. In what was a 17-minute frantic period, Wolves responded through Jorgen Strand Larsen and Joao Gomes to take the lead, only for Marc Guehi to get the equaliser.
In hindsight, Wolves were somewhat lucky to walk way with the point as a late Jean-Philippe Mateta goal was ruled out for a foul, which did seem a little tricky. Either way, Wolves remain only one of two teams in the league without a win yet, and O’Neil will undoubtedly feel the chance is big against Southampton to start a good run that will set them on a revival course.
Meanwhile, Southampton revelled last weekend after securing their first win of the campaign, which will have relieved the pressure off Russell Martin’s shoulders. There have been some impressive displays lately, starting with the narrow loss to Manchester City and the cup win over Stoke City.
Southampton carried that momentum into the clash with Everton at home, as a late Adam Armstrong strike proved enough to secure all three points. Beto believed he got one back soon after, but VAR intervened to disallow the goal as the Saints continued to march towards their first win of what has been a difficult campaign.
Martin will aim to continue on this momentum shift when they visit Molineux. This could be a potential relegation six-pointer for both sides, and these are games the Southampton manager will do anything to win, and so will O’Neil. While this can be considered a low-profile game considering the other fixtures on the cards, this game has all the hallmarks of being entertaining.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Injury problems are still an issue for Gary O’Neil ahead of this crunch clash with Southampton. As many as five players are certainly out of the contest, with a further two in considerable doubt. Of those, only Sam Johnstone and Bastien Meupiyou are touch and go for this clash.
Jose Sa’s current form will keep the former out of the starting eleven, while the latter is anyway considered for the bench at this moment. O’Neil still has a good enough group to choose from, as he will also be able to start Mario Lemina from the start in the engine room.
The Gabon international only started from the bench against Crystal Palace owing to a calf problem, and now he might have recovered from the issue to start.
Beyond that, there might not be many changes coming in as Lemina could replace Andre and partner Joao Gomes there, while Goncalo Guedes and Matheus Cunha are expected to play an advanced role. Jorgen Strand Larsen will be expected to lead the line for Wolves against Southampton.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Jose Sa; Bueno, Dawson, T.Gomes; Semedo, Lemina, J.Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Cunha, Guedes; Strand Larsen
Southampton
Southampton, compared to Wolves, do not have many problems to contend with, although Gavin Bazunu, Ross Stewart, and Will Smallbone are all absent from the setup. There are some doubts about Adam Lallana and Ryan Fraser, although the duo have returned to full training.
Hence, both could make the bench come Saturday, and Russell Martin will be wary of making too many changes to a side that secured its first win and clean sheet for the season. Flynn Downes and Mateus Fernandes are the leading men in central midfield.
The Saints will somewhat mirror Wolves’ setup, Kyle Walker-Peters and Ryan Manning will be managing the wing-back roles. At the back, a three-man defensive unit consisting of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens will protect Aaron Ramsdale’s goal.
Up front, exciting winger Tyler Digling will marshall from the right to support Cameron Archer centrally, with goalscorer Adam Armstrong plying his trade on the left.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens; Walker-Peters, Downes, Fernandes, Manning; Dibling, Archer, Armstrong
Key Stats
- Wolves are without a win this season in the Premier League. They have conceded at least two goals in their last seven matches in the top flight.
- Wolves have won their last five matches against Southampton in all competitions.
- Wolves have gone 22 consecutive top-flight fixtures without a clean sheet, conceding multiple goals in each of the past seven.
- Southampton are one of only two teams in the league to have taken zero points away from home this season. The last time they avoided defeat in a Premier League away game was a 3-3 draw at Arsenal in April last year.
- Gary O’Neil’s side won all three of their home league games against newly-promoted opposition last season, all by a single-goal margin.
Player to Watch
Jorgen Strand Larsen
Wolves have a horrendous defensive record this season, and Gary O’Neil would like to see drastic improvements. However, they are missing a great match-winner, and Jorgen Strand Larsen is the closest they have in the squad to make a difference.
The Norwegian attacker has a decent record this season and is proving worth the effort to take him on loan for the season. In any case, he needs to inspire his side to get a first win of the season, and a tremendous performance against fellow relegation battlers Southampton will be a huge boost for Wolves’ chances this season.
Prediction
Wolves 2-1 Southampton
Southampton will come into this clash against Wolves riding high on their recent momentum, which has seen them win two consecutive games in all competitions. Their victory over Everton last weekend will have a telling effect on their confidence, although their away form needs a massive upturn.
Given that Wolves are seen as one of the unlikeliest teams, they have indeed performed well in phases, as O’Neil will demand a complete display against the Saints. With home comfort on their hands, Wolves will see this as a chance to record their first victory of the season, and coming into this clash, they are indeed the slight favourites to do that.
