Wolverhampton Wanderers
Despite the controversial departures, Julen Lopetegui should be pleased with his Wolves team’s performance since becoming manager. He has had two weeks to implement his strategies and although losing to Manchester City won’t define their future in the Premier League, a win in their last league game would boost the team’s confidence heading into an important month.
Wolves currently sit 17th in the Premier League table, just outside the relegation zone on goal difference. However, an Everton win earlier in the day would put Wolves back in the bottom three. With a 3-2-5 record at Molineux in the league, manager Julen Lopetegui has been tasked with improving the team’s goal-scoring record, as they have scored only 6 goals at home all season.
Wolves have won only 1 of their last 7 games in all competitions, with most losses occurring in League Cup and FA Cup matches in January. They had also lost 4 consecutive home Premier League games, but ended that streak with a 1-0 win over West Ham United last month.
Pedro Neto is expected to return later this month, providing Lopetegui with another attacking option.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Last 5 Results
❌ 22/01/23. 15:00 Manchester City – Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 : 0 (1 : 0) (2 : 0) Premier League
❌ 17/01/23. 20:45 Wolverhampton Wanderers – Liverpool 0 : 1 (0 : 1) (0 : 0) FA Cup
✅ 14/01/23. 16:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers – West Ham United 1 : 0 (0 : 0) (1 : 0) Premier League
❌ 11/01/23. 20:45 Nottingham Forest – Wolverhampton Wanderers 5 : 4 (1 : 0) (0 : 1) League Cup
➖ 07/01/23. 21:00 Liverpool – Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 : 2 (1 : 1) (1 : 1) FA Cup
Liverpool
Liverpool’s season has been impacted by injuries and their aging midfield may have been overexerted after making a deep run in all four competitions last season. Despite this, manager Jurgen Klopp will be given patience by the fans. However, the club hopes he can steer the team back into the Champions League in the near future.
Liverpool have two ways to qualify for the Champions League: either by winning the competition in June or by finishing in the top four of the Premier League. Currently, the Reds are 9th in the league table and trail the top four by 10 points, but have a game in hand. To challenge for a Champions League spot, they need to improve their away record, which is currently 2-2-5.
Liverpool have won only 1 of their 6 games in all competitions this year and were recently eliminated from the FA Cup in the fourth round. They have lost 3 of their last 4 away games, including consecutive Premier League games, but the exception was a 0-1 win at Molineux in the FA Cup third round replay.
Fabio Carvalho and Nat Phillips may be available, but the team’s injury list continues to grow with the addition of Ibrahima Konate, who is now a doubt for the Champions League Last 16 First Leg against Real Madrid. He joins several other key players including Roberto Firmino, Virgil Van Dijk, and Diogo Jota who will be out until later this month.
Liverpool Last 5 Results
❌ 29/01/23. 14:30 Brighton and Hove Albion – Liverpool 2 : 1 (1 : 1) (1 : 0) FA Cup
➖ 21/01/23. 13:30 Liverpool – Chelsea 0 : 0 (0 : 0) (0 : 0) Premier League
✅ 17/01/23. 20:45 Wolverhampton Wanderers – Liverpool 0 : 1 (0 : 1) (0 : 0) FA Cup
❌ 14/01/23. 16:00 Brighton and Hove Albion – Liverpool 3 : 0 (0 : 0) (3 : 0) Premier League
➖ 07/01/23. 21:00 Liverpool – Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 : 2 (1 : 1) (1 : 1) FA Cup
Head to Head
Liverpool won their FA Cup Third Round tie against Wolves after a replay and it marked their fourth consecutive victory at Molineux.
Premier League
22/05/22, 17:00 Liverpool – Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 : 1 (1 : 1) (2 : 0)
04/12/21, 16:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers – Liverpool 0 : 1 (0 : 0) (0 : 1)
15/03/21, 21:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers – Liverpool 0 : 1 (0 : 1) (0 : 0)
06/12/20, 20:15 Liverpool – Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 : 0 (1 : 0) (3 : 0)
23/01/20, 21:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers – Liverpool 1 : 2 (0 : 1) (1 : 1)
TWV Sport Team Thoughts
Wolves and Liverpool recently met in the FA Cup Third Round Replay, where Harvey Elliot’s quality led Liverpool to victory. However, since then, Jurgen Klopp’s team has struggled to maintain momentum and it appears unlikely that they will win again at Molineux. Although Wolves are not easy to trust due to their inability to convert opportunities, they did beat West Ham United in their last Premier League home game. Under Julen Lopetegui, Wolves have improved their performance, but a shortage of goals remains a significant obstacle for the club as they aim to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Wolves are expected to generate opportunities against Liverpool, as they did in both of the Cup matches against them last month. However, there is uncertainty about their ability to convert those chances. Given Liverpool’s recent injury and lack of goals and confidence, a single goal by Wolves might be enough to secure a draw in this game. Although Liverpool has scored only two goals in their last four matches across all competitions, Wolves have a chance to earn a win against a struggling Liverpool team. Andrew Robertson recently criticized the performance of the Liverpool players in their 2-1 loss at Brighton, which ended their FA Cup defence in the Fourth Round.
The upcoming match between Wolves and Liverpool is expected to be a closely contested affair, with the outcome largely dependent on the ability of both teams to convert their chances. The Liverpool team, although struggling for goals and confidence, is still expected to put up a strong showing, given their recent clean sheet records in the Premier League. However, with Wolves playing at home and showing improvements under the new manager, they are likely to be a tough challenge for Liverpool. The first goal of the match is likely to be crucial, and a draw might not be a bad outcome for either team.
Match Result Prediction
➖ Match to end in a draw.
Score Prediction
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 – 0 Liverpool
