West Ham

With Bournemouth’s game not kicking off until later, we know that a victory will take us out of the bottom three.

Even if it’s only temporary, that would breed confidence in players and supporters about our survival prospects.

On Boxing Day we were four points behind 17th and trailing in the game at Everton, so things have certainly picked up.

I’d argue we played better at Villa and in both cup games without recording a win and the consistency in the performances is encouraging.

But with the Liverpool Man City combo on the horizon, we really do need a maximum here.

West Ham

Is David Moyes on the edge? He’s banked a lot of equity in recent seasons so they probably need to think long and hard about a potential replacement if they are considering pulling the trigger.

From the outside it doesn’t appear that there’s been any significant change to personnel since the days they were pushing for Europe, so it’s strange they’ve suffered so badly of late.

Perhaps in trying to evolve the team with new additions, they’ve simply upset the balance? Or are key individuals just not performing?

Big money was spent on Paqueta and Scamacca but neither have really lifted the team, even if the latter has netted a few important goals.

He scored in their victory over us at the London Stadium, which spelt the end for Bruno Lage. Even though they ended up getting the win with a degree of comfort, I didn’t think they were brilliant.

Wolves

The big positive in recent weeks is that more players have come into contention meaning the squad seems significantly beefier, but now Lopetegui has to work out the best combination for an important match.

The above represents what I’d consider the boldest XI he could deploy based on recent form with the intent to attack from the start. It’s probably too bold.

Hwang and Jimenez set each other up for missed opportunities the other night, but it was a reminder that they link up well together. Cunha has looked useful in all his cameos and I wonder if he could start from the right.

Podence has been our most consistent attacking outlet and Ait-Nouri has similarly impressed enough to warrant a place somewhere in the side.

Toti is erratic but I wonder if the team benefits overall from his more physically imposing stature? Collins and Kilman are tidy but neither are killers. It might be worth persisting with a different combination.

Predictions

Well done to Woodend wolf, Wokingham Welsh Wolf, Ryan, Sutton Coldfield wolf, Sea Pigeon, DebenhamWolf, Portuguese men of Wolves, CHEESEBURGER OF DEATH, Marin Wolf, Sandwich Wolf, Prawny, Rich, DeptfordWolf, Ben Rasmin, DancesWithWolves, BigNachos, wishfart, Scruffysid and Chesterwolf who all correctly predicted the 1-1 draw against Villa.

Rich extends his lead at the top of the overall table to 4 points at the end of Gameweek 18.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

Audacious would be one word to describe Bruno’s team selection.

Stupid would be another.

The problem is a lack of goals and I can’t fathom why anybody would think the solution is picking three full backs.

Moreover, why would you move your best long range shooter, who has scored a third of your Premier League goals (1) into a position where he can no longer shoot?

West Ham did nothing to win this game, knowing they could sit deep to nullify our meagre attack and wait for counter attacking opportunities.

When those moments arrived they had players ready to take advantage.

Scamacca was terrible but did his job by punishing us from a position that Traore fluffed (twice) in the second half.

Jarrod Bowen then killed the game with the type of snap finish none of our wide players can produce.

Only when Diego Costa was finally introduced did Wolves carry any sort of legitimate threat.

His cameo was a morsel of comfort in an otherwise miserable evening. He might have headed wide with the goal gaping but the simple joy of seeing him in there to connect with a cross underlines just how far we’ve fallen.

Daniel Podence worked Fabianski in both halves and can feel good about his overall efforts. He remains the only player, other than Neves, to produce any meaningful output and deserves his place in the team.

Kilman and Neves made the best of a bad situation at the back but the midfield didn’t offer sufficient protection.

Moutinho is one I think isn’t offering enough in either direction to warrant a starting role in this new shape.

Guedes might need time to adjust but considering the grief Trincao endured last season, I know which player I prefer from what I’ve seen so far. There must be more to come from the former Valencia man.

With Neves now suspended and Neto hobbling off it really couldn’t have been much worse.

The calls for Bruno’s head are valid and after this kamikaze team selection my sympathies have rapidly dried up, but I’d give him the next two.

Whether or not Fosun are that generous remains to be seen.

This has been one of those times when the international break has been handy for Wolves.

It should have afforded Bruno the time to get Diego Costa ready for his debut and to mull over what he’s going to do about the absence of Nathan Collins.

I’m not sure how close Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez are to a return, but if at least one of them is available that will be another welcome boost.

Maybe it’s still too early in the season to place great emphasis on one game, but both teams badly need a result so there’s something riding on this match.

West Ham

I haven’t seen a lot of the Hammers this season but from the outside, there doesn’t seem an obvious reason for their sluggish start.

They’ve still got all the players that helped them finish 7th last time and 6th the year before that with significant money spent to bolster the squad over the summer.

As we know ourselves though, when you reach that ceiling just below the heavyweights, you can sometimes inadvertently slip back when trying to break through.

I imagine David Moyes is trying to finesse some of the new talent into the team without losing the winning formula that has established them as a force in recent times – no easy feat.

Losing to Everton just before the break will have been a big blow to morale and although they have had one of the tougher starts on paper with games against City, Chelsea and Spurs already in the rearview mirror, they would have expected a healthier return against the likes of Everton, Forest and Brighton.

Wolves

Bruno has to shake things up because the balance of the side isn’t right and that probably means gambling on a few players yet to feature.

Assuming he’s not going to persevere with Ruben as a centre-back, either Toti or Yerson Mosquera are going to come into the team. It was the latter who was ready to come on against Man City before Bruno changed his mind so he might well be in pole position.

I would bring Traore into the midfield at the expense of Moutinho. His physicality and pressing may lessen the burden on Ruben and get more out of Nunes.

Neves is one yellow card away from a suspension so Moutinho will be back in soon enough if he does drop down tomorrow.

Costa upfront from the start is a no-brainer if he’s anything close to fit. We can’t go another game without a striker. The front three need to attack the box better and leave the full-backs to give width.

Predictions

Well done to Wokywolf, Rich, Matt Cook and PeteRobbo for collecting three points by correctly predicting the precise level of misery we’d endure against City.

Rich remains at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 7.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

I was right to fear the worst when I saw the line-up.

Wolves were lethargic, disjointed, and barely laid a glove on West Ham. A lot of momentum has been lost in the last three days.

Bruno is of course privy to who need needs a rest and who doesn’t, but trying to stay in the game until the hour mark, to then unload your bench, felt like a risky and negative approach.

Wolves played at a snail’s pace which encouraged the West Ham press, resulting in us knocking it long and fending off endless waves of attack.

It was so frustrating to watch West Ham turn us and play through our midfield at will, while we struggled to get out of our own defensive third with painfully slow passing and movement.

Wolves never looked like scoring even when West Ham sat back after going ahead. It’s hardly a surprise when we were playing like strangers.

Marcal looked limited, Hoever was naïve both defensively and going forward, Trincao was completely anonymous, and while Silva has improved, he’s still lacking in strength, knowhow and confidence. Let’s hope today’s showing put to bed the ridiculous social media clamour for Silva to start instead of Raul.

And Donk’s days in the Wolves engine room must surely be numbered too. How is Neves meant to go about his business of dictating a game when his midfield partner continually gives the ball away or just passes it backwards? It’s plain to see that Wolves are lacking a physical yet technical midfielder to let Neves go about his work.

A top six place is still achievable but if Bruno sticks with trying to replicate the latter Nuno era – sitting back, offering little creativity and showing no sign of carving out clearcut chances or goals – then our hopes will soon be extinguished.

Boy, that was a tough one to take on Thursday.

I don’t think I’ve felt that bad after a defeat since that grim Black Country Derby over a year ago.

But we had our say in the game and although I don’t begrudge Arsenal the victory on the balance of play, we could easily have won. It wasn’t a bad performance.

There have been plenty of games where our defence have made the difference in a tight contest and this was just a night where it was Arsenal’s inventiveness around the penalty area that gave them the edge.

What we don’t want is this painful setback to derail us completely so bouncing back in another tough fixture is important if we’re to maintain a push for the top six.

West Ham

The Hammers have only won once in their last five Premier League matches, but are still in the race for the top four, underlining just how well the season had been going for David Moyes’ side.

But the games have been piling up across multiple competitions and it’s no big surprise results have taken a hit with a fairly thin squad of players.

They could have done without Kurt Zouma booting his cat and the national outcry that’s almost certainly taken the team’s focus away from football. For what it’s worth, I think he should have been suspended instead of just fined. They didn’t handle the situation very well.

An understrength Newcastle took a point from the Olympic Stadium last weekend and were perhaps unlucky not to win after a disappointing West Ham showing.

In Jarrod Bowen they have the league’s form player and although the goals have dried up for Michael Antonio lately, he remains a considerable threat.

Wolves

The injury to Nelson Semedo could be more costly than the defeat with the wingback being a standout player this season.

Jonny was neat and tidy after coming on at The Emirates but he’s a very different player to Semedo and will alter the dynamic of the team.

Further forward I see it as a positive that both Hwang and Neto are not only playing again but having an impact. With Podence also looking sharp, we have good options again across that front line.

Bruno hasn’t been shy about rotating Dendoncker in and out of the side and I foresee him getting a start here after dropping out at Arsenal.

Last time out

It was arguably the performance of the season that saw us overcome West Ham at Molineux. I was impressed how we played our way into the game, gradually began to dominate the ball and scored an excellent winning goal.

We got battered 4-0 in this fixture last season in what was the first real warning about the difficulties that lay ahead in the campaign that followed with West Ham heading in the opposite direction.

The odds

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Predictions

Well done to Wokywolf who was the only one – apart for me – to predict a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Brompton Wolf joins Cannock Wolf at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 25.

As always, if you’d like to join in, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

Polite request – when commenting in the preview article after the game has finished, can you not place score predictions in the boxes, please? It confuses the system. Many thanks.

I said before the game we’d find out where the ceiling was for this team as the fixtures begin to get tougher.

Well, the ceiling just got higher.

This was without doubt the most complete performance of the season against the best team we’ve played, according to the league table.

But they were second best today as Wolves out thought and outmaneuvered them to deservedly take the spoils.

Every player was excellent and made their contribution to the win, but there were a few worthy of particular praise.

Neves was at his majestic best, running the midfield and almost showing off with some of his passes.

Make the most of his partnership with Moutinho because I suspect when they do eventually leave it’ll be a while before we see a duo with the same poise and intelligence in the middle of the pitch.

Kilman was the pick of the back three but all of them played their part in keeping Antonio on the periphery of the game and winning most of the aerial balls in both boxes.

As we tried and failed to play out from the back in the opening exchanges it would have been easy to start hoofing it long, so credit to Sa and the boys in defence for sticking with it and eventually breaking their press to put Wolves in control.

We held a vice like grip of the game from that point on right up to Raul’s exquisite finish for the only goal of the game.

What a goal it was with Neves, Semedo and the increasingly influential Podence all involved to create what was still barely a half chance for our main man.

After the premier of his BBC documentary it was poetic to see that side foot rocket nestle in the net and the Mexican soaking in his adoring crowd. Boy, how we missed him.

We had to retreat and defend to see out the game but I thought we did better at breaking up their pressure and Traore’s slaloming runs certainly helped in that respect.

But the fact we were able to dig in and repel their considerable threat from crosses was another big tick in the box for Bruno’s Wolves.

We’re sixth in the table, we’re above Man Utd and most satisfyingly of all there’s no sign of that ceiling just yet.

Long may it continue.