Wolves are clinging on to slim hopes of survival following a resurgence in form, as they take on a Newcastle United side eager to break into the top four.

Wolves have enjoyed a few good weeks of resurgence following their dreadful start to the campaign, and they will aim to continue their form against Newcastle United this weekend. It took until Gameweek 20 for the basement team to secure their first win of the season, and it came against fellow relegation battlers West Ham.

Wolves had looked primed for relegation and still are the favourites to go down to the EFL Championship, although Rob Edwards has managed to stitch together a three-game unbeaten run that also includes the win over West Ham United as well as draws to Manchester United and Everton.

They also hit six past Shrewsbury Town to get into the fourth round of the FA Cup last weekend. However, Edwards will now shift his attention back to matters in the Premier League, and he will want to extend the unbeaten run to five games in all competitions. A big task awaits Wolves at the Molineux, with Newcastle United up next for the Black Country outfit.

Eddie Howe could look back at the week that went by and wonder if his team had a gruelling time on the pitch. Things have not been comforting for Newcastle United over the course of their last three games, including the late win over Leeds United in the most recent Premier League outing that saw them climb into sixth spot, three points off fourth-placed Liverpool.

That victory was followed by a gruelling FA Cup tie with Bournemouth that went into extra time, and Eddie Howe had to rest his key stars who played 120 minutes then for the EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side came out as 2-0 winners at St. James’ Park in midweek, which makes the return leg tricky for the Magpies.

There will be concerns over fatigue in the Newcastle United camp, although Howe would want to use the momentum in the Premier League to stay in touching distance of a top-four place. They face a Wolves side that are on a good run themselves, as the Magpies boss will want no drama and a straightforward win at Molineux.

Team News & Tactics

Wolves

Rob Edwards has a lot of thinking to do before he selects his preferred starting eleven for the home clash against Newcastle United. There is a decent injury list ahead of him before he makes the choices. There are some positives with Emmanuel Agbadou returning from AFCON, while Rodrigo Gomes and Ladislav Krejci were available for the game against Shrewsbury last weekend.

The latter might be an automatic selection for the weekend; Rodrigo Gomes might be an option on the bench. Marshall Munetsi has been loaned back to France as he has joined Paris FC for the remainder of the season.

On the fitness front, there is doubt over Tawanda Chirewa’s availability after not training for the whole week owing to an illness. Meanwhile, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is out with a thigh problem and so is Toti Gomes, while Leon Chiwome will miss the remainder of the campaign with an ACL rupture.

On the selection front, attacker Jorgen Strand Larsen made a massive impact with a hat-trick against Shrewsbury, which will ensue a selection headache for Edwards. Edwards has seen Hwang Hee-chan and Tolu Arokodare strike up a decent partnership of late, and the Wolves boss might retain the duo with Strand Larsen on the bench against Newcastle United.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Jose Sa; Mosquera, Krejci, Santiago Bueno; Tchatchoua, Mane, Andre, Joao Gomes, Hugo Bueno; Hwang, Arokodare

Newcastle United

The away side’s injury problems have compounded over the last few games, as Fabian Schar suffered a serious ankle injury and has since undergone surgery to correct the problem. It could see the Swiss defender spend a significant spell on the sidelines, and Eddie Howe must make some key changes.

On the defensive front, he is also without Dan Burn, Valentino Livramento and Emil Krafth, which could see Howe operate with a thin defensive unit for the time being. Once again, the pressure will be on some of the players overworked in recent games, including Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman.

Kieran Trippier could be an option to replace Lewis Miley, who has played a lot of games in the unfamiliar right-back role, while Lewis Hall is expected to take up the left-back slot. Howe should have his main midfield setup handy for this clash, and the Newcastle United manager will want to play with Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and skipper Bruno Guimaraes.

Meanwhile, Jacob Murphy pulled his hamstring against Manchester City. Harvey Barnes should deputise on the right wing ahead of Anthony Elanga. Anthony Gordon should occupy the left-wing spot, while Yoane Wissa might be preferred to the misfiring Nick Woltemade for the time being.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Barnes, Wissa, Gordon

Key Stats

• Wolves have failed to win 24 of their last 25 matches in the Premier League.
• Wolves are unbeaten in their last four games across all competitions.
• Newcastle United have won their last four matches against Wolves in all competitions.
• Newcastle United have scored at least two goals in eight of their last ten matches in the Premier League.
• Despite only Arsenal (90) and Everton (127) having fewer high turnovers against them than Wolves (128) in the Premier League this season, Wolves have conceded more goals from these situations than any other side (6).

Player to Watch

Bruno Guimaraes

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Newcastle United have seen a resurgence in form of late that has seen them climb to sixth and some three points adrift of a top-four place. The big reason for that is the tactical tweak in Bruno Guimaraes’s game, with the Brazilian midfielder scoring in the last three Premier League games for the Magpies.

He is also a big presence in the middle, both defensively and in progressing the ball forward. Once again, Eddie Howe will pin his team’s hopes on the midfield setup, and he will want Guimaraes to be at his best again alongside regular midfield partners Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.

Precition

Wolves 1-3 Newcastle United

Wolves are in a resurgent vein of form, especially following the 6-1 rout of Shrewsbury Town, although the reality check will always be the Premier League. While Rob Edwards’s men are unbeaten in three league outings heading into the weekend, the prospect of defeating or even gaining a point against Newcastle United must be difficult.

The Magpies are in a good vein of form themselves, and Eddie Howe will galvanise this team to get a big result under their belt. The idea of breaking into the top four brings its own pressure, and Howe will not tolerate dropped points against the relegation favourites. With the form some of their players are in, a Newcastle United victory looks straightforward.