If we get 4 points from the final three games, we’ll have a chance of finishing in the top half.
That’s a big ask with Liverpool and in-form Palace on the horizon after this almost certain defeat.
We can still finish as low as 14th but with a six point buffer to Palace, you’d hope we might just see them off. Even if they beat us they’ve got Villa and Man Utd to navigate.
Fulham, three points back, have more winnable games against Brentford and Luton but both of those are away and their last home game is against City.
Brighton, two points back with a game in hand will have to improve on their recent form to get anything from Villa, Newcastle, Chelsea and Man Utd.
Bournemouth are two points ahead and in great form but Arsenal, Brentford and Chelsea isn’t an easy run-in. West Ham remain just about catchable with Chelsea, Luton and City left to play.
Man City
Wolves home, Fulham away, Spurs away, West Ham home – win all four and win the title. I think they’ll do it.
The difference between City and the others is they lock in and improve in the crunch moments. I’ve seen nothing to suggest that won’t be the case again.
I thought they might have a game on their hands against Forest last weekend on that tight City Ground pitch, but they found their way through with a degree of comfort in the end.
Ederson might be out for the season, which is a blow when small margins can make the difference at this stage, but they’re so dominant with the ball I’d be surprised if that was the case.
With De Bruyne up to speed, Foden playing the best football of his career and Haaland back amongst the goals, they have the full artillery primed and ready.
They’re undefeated at The Etihad this season but have drawn 5 matches. Another draw in their final two would certainly feel like a defeat.
Wolves
Tommy Doyle has signed permanently from City this morning, which is one of the more straightforward decisions for such a nominal fee. That 50% sell on clause might bite us though. He’s still ruled out tomorrow against his parent club.
The above graphic actually isn’t correct. I’d expect Boubacar Traore to retain his place in the midfield as we look to close those spaces that City do their most devastating work.
I hope Santi Bueno is back as we need all the bonafide defenders we can get here.
Cunha and Hwang will be willing chasers when we can get a break of the ball and there have been noises that Pedro Neto could be closing on a return. Gary will confirm or deny this later.
Predictions
Well done to West Parkian, St.Kitts Wolves, Dek, Wokywolf, Wokingham Welsh Wolf, Rich, Prawny, Cheeseburger of Death, Steppenwolfe and Happy Claptrap who all correctly predicted the 2-1 win over Luton.
I struggle to see us having the defensive resilience to cope with what’s coming here, so I must predict defeat. I’m looking beyond the result at how the team is setup and how the players apply themselves to the challenge. There haven’t been many no-shows this season, but even if we play well, it’s a big ask. I’ll give us a goal. 3-1 City.
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.
Up The Wolves!
The Tommy Doyle purchase is great business but the buy back clause is dissapointing. Such is life!
If the game happens to be close would it not be great to see Pedro Nero come on late! It would panic them no end! Too soon I believe.
Assume Wolves will sit back with great shape and make City come at us, certainly in the first half. Won’t be a classic for the neutral but once the score remains level it will be enjoyable for us Wolves fans. Hope we take them deep into the game and really have their supporters sweating!
Expect us to raise our game as we often do against the big guns and give them a run for the money! After all, we beat them before and why not again? Why not do the double against them? Not many teams ever get that opportunity!
We are their bogey team, and as much as I dislike Arsenal, a win here would go a long way to an enjoyable off season, with a bright summer glow!
After all that optimism, alas I cannot predict a win for us so will predict a draw!!
I guess we didn’t bother asking for a 50 percent profit of future sell on clause for Nunes because who else in the world would pay that much for a striker, ( and I don’t mean the type that scores goals)
And I guess we didn’t add a buy back clause for him because after 15 minutes, everyone was still laughing?
Give me Doyle all day long and twice on Sunday over that other twot
Utw
😉
We have already beaten city so why not again if not a draw will do.
Any dropping points by City will be a defeat for them.
As long as we can hold them at bay for at least 30 minutes, l can hope to see them getting frustrated. Then we can strike.
A point tomorrow would be a fantastic. Come on lads; show your fangs.
If we signed Doyle, why is he still considered a Citizen? Does the signing not become official until the off-season?
He doesn’t become official till the transfer window officially opens in July I think it is July.
Contracts all end/renew on July 1
City at home, on the telly, at full strength and gunning for the title. The toughest of all asks. We do have a decent record against them,and we are getting back towards a fit squad again. With our pace up front, if we can keep them out we may get chances on the counter. I think we can at least give them a game.
Im off up the Etihad tomorrow going with Tatters Travel from the Hogs Head at 11am !
i’m ever hopeful that we can pull off a result but either way i’m looking forward to a great day out……
COYW
Bollocks to Man City
FWAW
Excellent news about Tommy Doyle, who is already a better player than Matheus Nunes for a tenth of the price. I’m sure he will become a key player for us as he offers something different in his range of passing and creativity, which balances Traore, Gomez and Lemina’s ball winning skills.
As for Man City, I find on principle that I can’t bring myself to predict a loss so am going for a 1-1 draw this time. Having seen them be a bit rubbish against Forest last weekend they look like they can be vulnerable, and – unlike Forest – they are playing a team in Wolves that doesn’t really need to attack them, so we can sit back and counter, which is what we do best. Whatever happens I hope we put up a good display like we did v Arsenal.
If only we could start Pedro…
Citeh remain vulnerable to fast direct running
Nil – nil at half time and they will be sweating
But there is this big Norwegian bloke
Ah well
I can see it now.
60th minute. City bring on Haaland.
Wolves bring on Fraser.
Attack
Attack
Attack
Citeh will already have the three points bagged when our second goal goes in before halftime and the heads start to scratch- the bums start to twitch- and the cameras stop clicking on the tourist touch line.
Second half will be tight but we hang on to the three points.
Couldn’t think of a better place to be tomorrow early evening than in with the old gold n black army and if things don’t go to plan, there’s always ripping the shahite outa the striking , bench warming nunez
Utmw
Craig Dawson had Haaland in his pocket when we beat them at home.
Unfortunately, Dawson will not be on the pitch tomorrow.
I’d love us to get something out of the game but I’m not putting my house on it.
Great news about Tommy Doyle.
A complete bargain, buy back clause or no buy back clause.
It’s pretty much always a tough game against Man city and apart from when Willy Boly got sent off after about 15 mins at the Etihad a few years back then I’d definitely say we are their Big Bogey Team. Beating them twice a few years back , in the Asia cup, and then at Molineux this season .. we’re more than capable of giving them a game .. and tomorrow should be no exception.
Every pundit and his dog have sat up and taken notice of us this year and are very cognisant of how organised and quick on the counter we can be.. a La Spurs away.
Gary Galacto will be in the stands tomorrow.. which is a laugh .. simply for disagreeing with the stupid ref versus West Ham… but I’m sure Shaun Derry will man the fort amiably…
Traore to definitely start for his tiger in the tank style along with Lemina and Joao Gomes.
Play 5:3:2 with either Semedo of Doherty marauding down the right flank and Ait Nouri down the left .
I’m confident we can give one of the UAE Government teams a good run … all depends on VAR and the man in the Black …
Oh merd.. the VAR is Stuart Atwell .. oh well ..
.. just hope Craig Pawson sticks with his infield decisions..
Always difficult to predict when you don’t know who is going to be available – well, its difficult enough anyway.
I would defo go for three in the middle, with wing backs, irrespective of whether we play a back 3 or 4.
I can only see a bit of a tonking coming our way – apologies for being negative but also trying to be realistic.
I really don’t know how this one is going to pan out…
City are going to really want this one, but it depends how badly we want to stop them.
Cunha might cause them a problem, so between him, Hwang and Sarabia we might get one in the net.
COYW
It’s a shame that the season finale is, well, a bit of a dead rubber.
Three games.
In truth, there isn’t much riding on them.
We’re going to finish mid table.
The highest place we can realistically dream of is 9th, the lowest 14th.
Of course we all want to finish with a flourish. A performance to remember. 50 pts or more. A top half finish.
But what it boils down to is this.
We are safe.
We have avoided FFP penalties.
We have a coach and a sporting director we can all get behind.
We have some excellent players.
We have stable ownership.
And we have positive expectations for next season.
We have faith, hope and optimism.
With 3 games to go, any more memorable performances and points is a bonus.
UTW
Expect us to do a typical “wolves” but VARcity who knows wether we get what we deserve
With no GON, and no Dawson to keep Haaland in check this time around, this will be tough one.
Afraid I cannot see anything but defeat here, but lts get points from Palace and the Scousers are losing forn.
Greetings,
Should be a bostin game, and we’ve had some good results against Citeh. Could this be another? We may be playing ‘hunt the ball’ for 70 minutes, can we score? Channy gets a hat trick.
1 lv & COYW
I thought we would get battered last time we played City and we all know what happened. On that basis I’ll again predict a defeat, but look forward to Wolves derailing the City train. UTW
Won’t get near them as var is back with a vengeance and they need to improve their goal difference
Stuart atwell on var as well…
They say the way to stop Citeh is to stop Haaland…….Erm….and Foden. Oh and er…….. My solution is simple. We get that bloke from Wolverhampton off The Repair Shop to simply build a huge fire grate in front of the Wolves goal. Remove all gaps. It could have a mechanical leg to the left and right of the fire grate. If the ball comes anywhere near to our goal the mechanical leg simply hoofs the ball away towards the Citeh goal. Pep won’t be enthused by our tactics but we simply point to an old law tucked away in the rules from 1877 which the FA have failed to remove. It says ” In the event of a plague of locusts descending towards the pitch, a team will be allowed to build a fire grate in front of their goal line with the intention of warding off the locusts via some smoke from the fire grate. The fire grate will be permitted to last for as long as the locusts are buzzing around”. I have it on good authority that Next Door Neighbour’s Cat is currently on reconnaissance duty ensuring a plague of 105 minute lasting locusts are currently on route to The Etihad. Due to arrive precisely 17.30 Saturday. The presence of the locusts will ensure a creditable 0-0 draw for WWFC. The furious PEP said ‘Why didn’t somebody like Mike Sumerbee warn me of this locust rule? Fuckin furious I am”. GON said ‘ I am eternally grateful to Next Door Neighbour’s Cat for his massive work around this ruling. After all the bollocks we have had this season. It’s great. Even the half wits at VAR couldn’t do anything about it. Marvellous point for us’. CITEH 0 WWFC 0.
Playing city is never easy is it, especially towards the tail end of the season. Would love us to throw a spanner in the works but it’s not gonna happen is it.
Yes, Tommy Doyle deal is an excellent trade for Wolves. Presumable the 50% of profits back to Citeh because of the bargain price. No arguments with that.
As for the game, it is always tough to predict Wolves against a top team. They seem to shine and do the unexpected. However, Citeh know that anything other than 3 points is likely to confirm The Arse as champions elect. So, I am predicting a 2-0 win for them.
Patched up backline without Dawson and Santi, recovering forwards not yet fully fit, minimal incentive as mid-table, versus the best team in the land who must win and probably won’t let up chasing goal difference…. Not really very promising!
We can hold on to our history of great performances against the “big 6”, but if we concede first, it could be a long 100 minutes.
Easy win…
With our inability to keep clean sheets I can only see one result tomorrow at least we will have some threat on the counter. Three to go then it’s over to Fosun to back O’Neil
Not great
This will be a challenge. Anything could happen.we will miss Dawson’s marshalling of Harland but hopefully the improving fitness of our returnees will help keep the scoreline respectable. Would
I would love us to throw a spanner in city’s title hopes but think it is too big an ask.
Just watching the aussie women’s final Melbourne city ( yes affiliated) v Sydney ,
Hardly a foul or stoppages Sydney winning 1-0 people expecting 2 mins extra time,
9 minutes ,corrupt tentacles across the world
I can’t see us getting anything from this game, but a good performance would be worth the price of entry…
I hope our defenders are really on their game and I know they will have been “prepped” properly.
Good luck lads, enjoy the game…
1-3 to City…
I see Attwell is on VAR, so no favours there.
Can’t see us getting anything out of this – maybe a breakaway goal?
We are massive underdogs and written off by all bar the daftest Wolves fans, as we were in 1974( 50 years ago, it seems like yesterday)and yet the Wolves team of the day triumphed.
GON will have his men motivated and I’m going for an unlikely win.
25 to 1 we are, to win this. Got to be worth a quid of anyone’s money.
We have been as successful as most against this most well-funded of teams. Our victory over them at the Mol really kickstarted our season and another here would round things off nicely. There seems to be a certain, very pleasing, symmetry to it too.
I have a little sneaky feeling about this and you certainly can’t write off our chances against any of the money teams.
Free hit, let’s see what happens. The key is staying in the game as long as possible, frustrating them and trying to get some joy on the counter. They’re unlikely to slip up chasing the title though.
Iraola not such a big fan of VAR today then, it seems.
So here’s a nice easy one for us!!
With Arsenal breathing down their neck and more it’s hard to expect that Citeh will slip up against us.
One thing that will be relevant is how many of our best attacking players might be able to play some part in this fixture. I hope for a tremendous result for ourselves, but I’m expecting the predictable alternative.
On paper it looks hopeless, and the bookies are offering bizarrely generous odds. They’re expecting a massacre I think. It’s not what the bookies think though, it’s the money actually being bet by the punters. For example, I’ve got 50/1 (yes 50/1) for a Wolves win with BTTS. And 22/1 for a straight win. Ridiculous. No way are our chances as bad as those odds suggest! I even got 14/1 for a bloody score draw, and if that comes in I will have a handsome profit overall. Should we sneak a score draw or a win tonight I will be one happy and richer bunny. Now, ahem, for the Prediction League, I’m going for a 2-0 loss and hoping that I’m completely wrong, as usual!
Fascinating clip on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUeHH3z92F4
66 years ago. We were England’s most progressive football club and eager to learn from aspects of Brazil’s World Cup-winning side. And, plans unveiled for a new high tech 75,000 seater cantilevered stadium.
Those were the days my friend.
Tough game with Rodri back in. UTW
Skin of my teeth!
Draw
And here’s me thinking that refs are being more tolerant to giving soft decisions..
How damn wrong I was ..
I bet another situation will be overlooked if it was us ..
Soft head butt comes to mind ..
It’s just disgraceful..
Ref gives first pen. No VAR. Doesn’t give 2nd one. VAR. Corruption in full flow. I don’t know why the players just don’t walk off the fuckin pitch. Still waiting for our own contentious decision since 2019. Fuck all.
Exactly the same at Fulham earlier in the season. Attwell on VAR for both.