Wolves v Liverpool – Preview, Predictions, and Best Bets

Wolves host Liverpool at Molineux in the early kickoff on Saturday. The hosts have lost some big players in the transfer window and face a Reds side without Virgil Van Dijk in defence. The visitors are unbeaten in 15 league fixtures and have won nine of their last 11 versus Wolves in all competitions.

Wolves Form

Wolves played well in the opening match as they had 18 second-half shots in an undeserved 1-0 defeat at Man Utd. A late VAR error denied them a penalty and a possible point on the road. A 4-1 home thrashing by Brighton followed after they conceded three goals in 10 minutes after half-time despite an even match on the Expected Goals front.

A late goal from substitute, Sasa Kalajdzic brought a much-needed 1-0 win away at Everton in a match where they only produced 0.82 xG up until that winner. A 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Blackpool lifted confidence before losing 3-2 at Crystal Palace. A 96th-minute consolation goal in that defeat proved too little as they had created a paltry 0.79 xG before that Matheus Cunha finish.

Wolves Team News

The only injured player for Gary O’Neill to do without is Joe Hodge. He has a clean bill of health otherwise. Tommy Doyle could make his debut after joining from Man City in the deal that saw Matheus Nunes depart Wolves.

Attacking midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was signed on deadline day from Strasbourg and he is pushing for minutes. Some changes to the XI are possible with neither Pablo Sarabia nor Fabio Silva looking convincing last time out. Sasa Kalajdzic may be close to starting as the number nine after putting his injury woes behind him.

Wolves Motivation

Recent fixtures have seen Wolves create very little going forward. Their best bet for a result in this match is to score first and hold onto a 1-0 lead.

O’Neill’s side tries to play an open and expressive game but the lack of a proven striker is a concern. If they fall behind, Liverpool could pick them off and win comfortably.

Liverpool Form

The Reds have ten points from four matches this season (DWWW), extending their undefeated league run to 15 matches. A 1-1 opening-day draw at Chelsea saw them enjoy just 35% possession but they looked more like themselves by beating Bournemouth 3-1 at home. Liverpool had 3.08 xG in that victory.

A fine 2-1 win at Newcastle followed despite playing with ten men for more than an hour. They kept it tight and then saw substitute Darwin Nunez score twice to seal a famous win. Last weekend, Klopp’s side were outstanding in a 3-0 home win over Aston Villa. With 64% possession and 2.47 xG, it was an impressively dominant victory.

Liverpool Team News

The Reds are without Virgil Van Dijk due to suspension. Ibrahima Konate is nearing a return from injury whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold is another question mark. If both of the latter duo were ruled out, then Joe Gomez and youngster Jarell Quansah could deputise in the back four again.

Thiago Alcantara is close to being back in contention in midfield whilst Liverpool signed Ryan Gravenberch for £34m to boost midfield options. After the international break, Klopp may consider handing Diogo Jota a start at his former stomping ground.

Liverpool Motivation

Liverpool will be targeting a win in this match. With concerns in their defence, the Reds will attack and look to score a few goals.

A draw would not be seen as a good result. If the scores are level, Klopp could throw on two extra attackers to try to chase a victory.

Key Stats

Wolves have 1 win in their last 7 PL matches (5 losses)

Wolves have won 7 of their last 11 home league matches

Wolves have scored 1 or less goals in 16 of their last 21 home EPL fixtures

Liverpool are 15 EPL matches unbeaten (10 wins, 5 draws)

LFC have won 4 of their last 6 away Premier League matches (18 goals scored)

Liverpool have won 9 of their last 11 matches vs Wolves in all competitions

Verdict

The hosts are not creating much and they don’t score many goals. Liverpool may have question marks at the back but if they score first, they’re well capable of winning with a clean sheet.

Best Bet: Liverpool win to zero at 2.80
Alternative Bet: Liverpool win and Salah to score anytime at 2.62
Correct Score Tip: Wolves 0-2 Liverpool at 8.25

James O'Connor

James is a football analyst who writes about the tactics of the PSL and English Premier League. He holds the UEFA A coaching licence and has previously worked for several clubs in analysis roles.Twitter: https://twitter.com/footy_analysis