There wasn’t much to extract from that Norwich game.
They banked up defensively, waited for us to make mistakes in our own half and got a set-piece goal. The shape of the side and the personnel at Bruno Lage’s disposal made it tough to fashion a fightback.
Yes, it was obvious we missed Traore, but of the players we still have, I think Trincao and Hwang would have made a big difference. They’re good at receiving passes in between the lines and moving teams around.
With Dendoncker playing as the third and most advanced midfielder we were too static in possession and ponderous in the final third.
I saw a few people saying ‘it was good enough to beat Brentford’ but Brentford away and Norwich at home are two different propositions.
Arsenal will also present a different set of challenges, but that may suit our defence-minded eleven.
Arsenal
I was thinking about transfers and how, despite all the money they spent in the summer, the players I fear most in this Arsenal team came out of their academy.
Whenever they’ve really looked a good side it’s been Saka and Smith-Rowe that have caught the eye and the pair have already netted 16 goals between them this season.
Ramsdale and White have improved them but at a cost of £80 million. By comparison, Sa and Kilman came in for £6.5 million, underlining the madness of the market.
Mikel Arteta’s men were making excellent progress at the end of last year, but January was a disaster as they exited both domestic cup competitions and failed to win either of their league games.
With Aubameyang leaving and no replacement coming in, I get the sense Arsenal fans, much like our own fans, think their club missed an opportunity to press forward over the second half of the season.
Time will tell whether their inactivity in January costs them, but there’s still every chance of a top-four finish with West Ham, Man Utd and Spurs all looking spotty at best.
The away end
Some views lifted from the pre-match thread on a popular Arsenal forum.
Difficult game they very solid in the back but we seriously need to kick on another winning run because this is the only goal remaining this season. The team pick itself no need to even post it lol hopefully they stay all healthy for remaining 17 games of the season.
With Partey/Xhaka back in the side I think we’ll win this one by a couple of goals. Wolves are a solid side but goals haven’t come easy for them this season so I think our defence will have a comfortable enough time of it.
If we try and beat them, they will beat us. If we defend from the starting whistle we might get a 0-0. The Wolves defence is the second meanest in the division and we scored one goal last month. Can you see why I’m not confident we’ll be breaking any scoring records here?
Feels like a must-win game in regards to the top 4 race due to the dropped points vs Burnley. Need to start off February with a W after the dogshite we served up in January. Wolves are a solid, if not spectacular team; most of their games are tight encounters, where the victor edges it by a single goal. Don’t think it’ll be much different when we face them. Cliche as it is, we’ll have to take our chance(s) when it comes, because signs point to it being a cagey affair.
I am concerned with us breaking down a tight block, and I hope Arteta and team are busy preparing workable solutions for this eventuality. We need an emphasis on quicker player through midfield. What I saw from Partey against City is what I would expect more of, to prevent the Wolves defensive shape to reset in time. Whoever takes the lead first in this game will probably win it I feel.
Wolves
If we had Raul, Saiss and Trincao all back in the side tomorrow, I’d feel good about our prospects. That’s no slight on the players they’re replacing – it’s more about the shape of the team and the know-how in a big Premier League fixture.
Toti Gomes might feel the hardest done by in that scenario, but he’s proven himself an excellent option and a useful member of the squad.
We might get away with the three-man midfield against a more attacking outfit, but I’d just prefer to see us getting after them a bit more in possession.
I don’t know whether Trincao will have had sufficient time to recover from Covid and his availability is probably the deciding factor in how Bruno sets up the side.
Last time out
Wolves won both matches last season, but of course, the game at The Emirates will be remembered for Raul’s horrendous head injury. After that, it was a bit of Podence magic that made the difference with a lovely flick and finish for the winner.
Arsenal were a goal up and comprehensively on top at Molineux later in the season, but Wolves turned it around after David Luiz saw red for fouling Willian Jose. The resulting penalty from Ruben Neves and Moutinho’s second-half screamer gave us all the points, while the Gunners finished with nine men after Leno handballed.
Wolves
Well done to theDOOGooder, PeteRobbo, Shrewdsimon, Portuguese men of Wolves, Lord Twix, Silverwolf, Liz, London wolves loyal, DebenhamWolf, Wokywolf, Marney, Dallas Bob, Cannock Wolf, AveburyWolf, basherbaz, kiwiwolf, Franski, West Parkian, Wokingham Welsh Wolf and Telford Wolf for all getting a maximum for correctly guessing the 2-1 scoreline against Brentford.
Cannock Wolf leads the way at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 21.
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.
Five tough Premier League fixtures coming this month and we must avoid a string of defeats that cancel out the progress made in January. We’ve been pretty good at home and I reckon this fixture and the Leicester game in a few weeks could be pivotal.
Arsenal are quite good but still inconsistent. I think Mikel Arteta is making a lot of the right moves and generally improving the club but they’re far from the finished article. When they’re on top form though, they’re a real handful.
I’m hoping we can strangle the game, keep the likes of Saka and Martinelli on the periphery and test their defensive resolve. A low scoring affair seems likely and I’ll go for a solid point.
I agree Thomas. Tight one but Arsenal are off the pace at the moment and we still cant score that often (though its getting better).
I was very happy to see Adama’s probable last appearance for us at Brentford. Pity the goal got chalked off. Sad to see him go but the commercials are good. And so pleased it wasn’t to Spurs.
A long break, FA Cup aside, perhaps came at the wrong time after our scintillating start to the year. Bruno’s January award was so well deserved.
I feel this is a hard one to predict. The optimist in me says we have one of the best defensive set ups in the league. With Sa, Coady, Kilman and the returning Saiss, we can be confident of keeping a clean sheet, and that’s half the battle. If the incredible evergreen Moutinho and his partner Neves can pick up from where they left off a couple of weeks ago and dominate the midfield we have the increasingly consistent and excellent Semedo and Ait-Nouri driving forward on the wings and supporting the defence when needed.
That leaves our forward line. How we need the rested Jimenez to rediscover his best form. Podence was superb in January, and after a poor showing on Saturday he is due a return to his recent form. Trincao starting to show how adept he is at operating between the lines.
If all of the above comes together I believe we can look forward to a positive and convincing win.
UTW
Wolves 1-2 Arsenal.
Really tough game and a really important one . I’ve a gut feeling that it’s going to go badly and I’d gladly take a point until we have a couple more creative players back
An anomaly
Lots of goals
All scored by unusual suspects
Semedo, kilman, dendonker
Move aside Arteta , Bruno is coming through.
Que the ‘neves to arsenal’ headlines 10 minutes after the whistle has gone ( top six my arse)
Come on you wolves
Yes at last we will be playing sides who want to beat us which means we will beat them .
I am not a betting man but I always remember the bloke who sat in front of me in the Steve bull many years ago Mr creosote we called him for some reason .. anyway he had a bet on Frankie dettori winning all his races on that magical day and won a lot of money and I wouldn’t bet against wolves winning all these tough games ahead either .
We always play well against the better sides …you watch
I remember now why we called him Mr creosote .
Because he was fat and kept farting.
Oh I thought it was because he was always on the fence with the result.
ho ho ho
Mr creosote Monty python
Yes but what has Mr creosote ever done for us?
Perhaps he is just a naughty boy.
Did he like his ass phalt?
Despite the likely low goals return, it should be a good match and I share the Away End prediction that the first side to score will win it.
Winnable
.
A very winnable game Arsenal are inconsistent just like us so they have a of day and three points to the Wolves 2-0
Tough game to open a run of tough games, but we generally perform well against the top teams even if we don’t always get the result.
They have some recognised first teamers back in contention so will be looking to take the points but that doesn’t mean they will take them.
It looks like being an entertaining encounter as a win will take us above them in the league and start this difficult run on a high.
Hope you’re right mate. Not sure why Marcal has replaced young Rayan – maybe a slight knock as he’s on the bench . COMBs!
There are no easy matches, as the cup loss to Norwich reminded us. A win would be a shot in the arm after that disappointment. We aren’t blessed with strength in depth and we are weakened by the departure of super-sub Traore. We have overachieved recently and we can’t bank on this continuing. The return of Neto and Jonny will be like new signings, when they achieve match sharpness…
With some trepidation I forecast a nervy win, which will confirm that we are capable of continuing this run of punching above our weight. 2-1.
No Norwich or Burnley to contend with parking the bus. Should suit us as these type of games often do. Can see Arsenal notching a goal and I can see us nicking one as well. So unless Bob Wilson comes back between the sticks ( 5-1 all those years ago) I’m going for a draw.
I was there!!
So was I.
Didn’t see you though.
Mind you, I was in the posh part of Molineux, directly in front of smiler McGarry.
I believe you were in the cheap seats.
(I know there were no seats in The North Bank.)
They were all nicked.
I was there too. It was snowing and we were 1-0 down at half time before Waggy (goal of the month) blew them away. No such goals fest tomorrow but why not win when they are certainly no great shakes.
I wasn’t because I am so young that I wasn’t born then.
I was only 14. But I was there in the North Bank . . . . . I think.
I was there too ..: in a tee shirt and got our car locked in the Mander Centre car park… in all that blooming snow… sodding froze I was…
Still the score line more than made up for it.,,
Talking to CfH the other night bought back those happy days memories when the Mighty Wanderers drubbed the previous years ‘double’ winners at a snowbound Molineux one cold and dark November afternoon.
Despite being behind 0-1 at half time the memory of Bob Wilson’s face picking the ball 5 times from his net in that magical Sat afternoon.
And tomorrow history will repeat itself..
Those Gooners are going to be sick of history repeating itself…
Jimenez (2), Saiss, Neves and Podence on the scoresheet…
And me too – remember it well, a blinding snowstorm and Waggy scoring a screamer.
Can’t see a 5-1 repeat, but fingers crossed we can get a result and look for a top 6 place.
I hate Arsenal more than any other team – their smug attitude and boring football… but I can’t see us getting more than a point with our misfiring attack…
A return of seven points over the next 5 games would be a decent return, looking at the clubs we play. This run of games will determine where we are in respect to the other teams and if Europe is achievable, or dare I say it, CL football.
I do believe it will be a cagey affair, but so long as we continue to keep it tight at the back, anything is possible!
So far, one of the two results from our competitors have gone our way with Man U dropping points yesterday, but unfortunately West Ham scored a lucky goal!. A lot will depend on the other team’s results at the end of this 5 game stretch, so with a few points won by us, and likely a few dropped by our competitors, I am confident that we will still be in the thick of things in early March!
Trincao, saise and Jonny back!
Hhc may be ready too!
Feeling more confident by the day.
Things could be so much worse, imagine being in the bottom 6 and spending 40 million on deli ally !!!!!!
Utw
More like delay ali.
They’re in a not dissimilar situation to ourselves. Not just table wise but a decent first team with few obvious back ups. They too can be inconsistent which adds up to a game that is really hard to call.
As it could go either way I’m sitting on the fence.
Well this is a very popular forecast this week, but those on here who point out that Arsenal have a similar record to ourselves have a point I think. They score more goals than we do, (who doesn’t?), while we concede fewer than them.
I wish we had kept Adama as an impact sub. I’d feel more confident of a win then. But as it is I’m going for:
Back to real business for this one
Arsenal are a really young and really poor side. If we don’t take 3 points from this game then there is a lot of questions to be asked.
The whole arsenal Team relies on Saka, Rowe – and neither would get in the wolves squad….
Saka would.
We’ve had the evil eye over Arsenal in recent seasons, and so it will be tomorrow.
Y’all were either at the 5-1 drubbing back in ’72, or have heard about it, and it will be the same score tomorrow, and luckily for them, the same in two weeks time at their patch.
Lots of easy peasy points coming along this month, 9 from North London and a few from the East Midlands.
We ay skeered of no one no how, and in the immortal Clive Dunne words, They don’t like it up ’em!
A lovely run of positive results coming up, with European qualification at the end.
Norwich who???
A very tough game. I think it will be tight and the footballing gods in VAR will decide arsenal are the side they want in the champions league.
Yes Chester totally agree! The order of the big six is being threatened by Wolves and the powers that be that are running VAR will do everything to keep the established order!
They may allow West Ham as an interim member of the big six because of being from London, but not Wolves! I
Tell the big six to look over their shoulders, because we are coming to gatecrash the party!!
Depends which Arsenal turn up and whether Wolves put the Norwich debacle behind them.
A few things, returning players for example, going Wolves way, and with a shrewd tactician in charge we may sneak this.
And I just watched a Mr Hwang win the speed skating so maybe our Hwang inspire Wolves to a win.
Difficult one to predict I think. Their form has been terrible recently while we’ve had a whale of a time. But they are very dangerous on their day, and the manner of our defeat to Norwich last time out makes me worry that our January glut of goals might just have been a bit of a late present from the Christmas fairy.
I wouldn’t be surprised by any result.
Then again – I don’t believe in fairies, and we’ve got the second meanest defence in the League. It’s going to be another W !!
When I lived in Penn, we had a very long garden, and there was a fairy who lived at the far end, named Nuff.
Fair enough?
Bruno will have kicked their arses back into touch.
https://footballpink.net/yo-yo-clubs-wolverhampton-wanderers/
An interesting trawl through our history.
After the Norwich game there were lots of lazy journalistic cliches flying about, “Toothless Wolves”, “Wolves lack bite” etc. The sad thing is they have a ring of truth so until we start hitting the net regularly it’s hard to argue.
Arsenal have nothing to be scared of but this has got one goal or no goals written all over it.
A drab and dull 1 – 0 to Arse..
Nothing to do with this match but I’ve always thought that Kurt Zouma looks like a clumsy oaf on the football pitch.
Videos of his latest training session could explain a lot.
What a VERY nice man he seems to be.
As far as tomorrow is concerned, I’m quietly confident of getting a positive result.
If we don’t I shall probably end up kicking the cat.
Only joking, we don’t have a cat.
It never came back after I threw it over the neighbour’s house.
Cheesey’s next door neighbour has one.
We are going to win this one as I am travelling down and going straight home too, so it won’t be nice getting home around 1 am if we lose.
So:
Expecting this to be a bit of a struggle
Just a gut feeling … as by rights we should boss the game .
Whatever
Back to clean sheets and a goal fir Raul
Tricky couple of games coming up what with the Gunners tomorrow night and Sperms on Sunday . Would settle for 4 points right now !
Need to start well against Arsenal straight out of the blocks . Hit them with pace . Lets hope Danny Boy has a better game this time round
It will be tight but I am going for a Wolves win
COYW
I think Arsenal are probably one team I don’t dislike , good style of play and have a few gooner mates
we get to see them twice this month and hopefully I get to rub their noses in it with two Wolves wins
feeling positive that the injuries are easing and we can have a good few weeks
You were obviously not in the clock end in the 1980’s. Continuously asking you the time, to try and detect your fake savern accent, despite that big monstrosity hanging overhead. Absolutely hate the bastards!
Classic game tomorrow, gooners going home empty handed.
We’ll be a different team from the one that didn’t show up against Norwich.
I feel a classy performance coming on with a few goals to show for it. Clean sheet? Might not be that lucky. VAR strikes!!!
spare ticket for tomorrows game against the gunners in the Steve bull next to yours truly cost £25
All enquiries in the first instance via email to
Roger.lewis@directlegal.co.uk
Give Clive a call Doddgster. He likes an away day.
Throw in the airfare, hotel, rental car and divorce lawyer, and I’m there!!
Divorce Lawyers are two a penny where you live Clive. Hope all good with you Clivey Boy.
Hope Trincao is fit enough to play and that we up our game after Saturday. Also hope the crowd supports the team. Just been listening to the Coady 300 interview and he was emphasising how much the crowd push the team on. It was a shame they were so quiet on Saturday when the team needed encouragement.
Not feeling very confident but hoping for a win.
Tight match. The boys have a point to prove post Nooorwich.
Back on it for me.
Oh for a win tomorrow!! Not only leaping over THe Arse and Spurs in the table, but bragging rights (at least for a fe weeks) with my bro in Malta. I just hope we won’t go in with only two up front. If Trincao and Hwang not available, I wouldn’t mind seeing Campbell being given a chance in the wing.
Going for a draw, but so hoping for a win.
Would love nothing more than for us to get one over Arsenal (too many mates who are gooners), but think we will really miss Adama until Neto and Hwang are fully up to speed. Hope Podence and Trincao have joy on the wings and I’m proved totally wrong tomorrow, but not feeling it yet.
This arrived in my inbox quite late on so haven’t read any other comments – yet.
My turn for a ticket so I’m hoping for a win just like the last time I saw us beat Arsenal at Molineux.
That rather dire Cup game should have got rid of any holiday-lag and the MotM “curse”.
The Norwich debacle has me quickly forgetting that we had started to be more productive and capable of scoring goals.
A potential upside – the return of an attacking threat. Not Trincao. Saiss!
The pessimist in me sees the goal struggle continue
Ronnie O’ Sullivan’s in town so let’s put on a good show for The Rocket, aka ‘Bemused of Chigwell’.
We should turn on the style and Jimi, in full ‘Day of the Dead’ mode, takes over where Traore left off, with an ‘I’m fully recovered, thanks for asking’ hatrick.
Glad to see David Luiz is washing dishes and cleaning boots in a mosquito infested swamp, Brazil. For 5 years.
Bastard.
How come Burnley got a striker from Wolfsberg? They made £13 mill in January. Still holding us all up at the bottom. Don’t pull the chain just yet tho.
1 lv & COYW.
Don’t forget the score!
Sorry folks, unlike many above I wasn’t there for the 5-1 v Arsenal under discussion.
I was there there in August 1959 when we managed 6-1 (Broadbent 2, Deeley 2, Murray, Lill) against an Arsenal team which included Tommy Docherty and John Barnwell. I have a very clear memory of TD ending up sitting on the floor as PB glided past him.
I was also at Highbury in April 1961 for Arsenal 1 Wolves 5 (Stobart 2, Broadbent, Murray, Mason) The Arsenal goal was scored by former Wolf Jackie Henderson.
Hoping for more of the same this time round – hoping, but not holding my breath! Will settle for two goals and restoration of the mean defence.
COYW
Start of a few critical games that will determine our final league position
Carinthians Brazilian top cllub interested in Bruno what did I say…..clubs have noticed what a great jog he’s doing.
Jeff back Bruno or lose him simples.
Why would he take a backward step?
I don’t think for one secound Bruno is interested but it proves my point that if a top club in Brazil are interested in him then you can bet there will be some in Europe monitoring him in the event they need a manger……and then Bruno might be tempted.
Bruno has asked for renforcement and the board haven’t back him if that continues then he might just say bye bye when a club in Europe comes calling.
Just hope they turn up for this one after last weeks no show.
Wolves to nick it 2 – 1
If we have hopes of top 4 we just have to win. Simples
I’m definitely in the glass half-full group but I’m not expecting top 4 except in my wildest dreams. Top 6 is more realistic but still extremely challenging. We would have to go on overachieving for the rest of the season even for top 6. If I was marking Bruno’s end of term report after finishing 7th, I would give him 90 marks out of 100. In relative terms we are slightly weaker than the Wolves team that finished 7th, as we have not replaced Jota with like-for-like, Boly is a shadow, and Doc and Traore have left. On the positive side, we have a better keeper, and Coady, Saiss and Kilman have come on in leaps and bounds. 2/3 critical signings in the summer could make us a force to be reckoned with next season.
Beg to differ, but I don’t feel we are over achieving, more like we are beginning to fufill our undoubted potential.
I don’t think we are overachieving, talent-wise. Where I think we are overachieving is in overcoming the disadvantage of our threadbare squad. Nuno was doing this for the best part of two seasons in the PL. We have a very fine squad, we just need more numbers in it.
Our players are not over achieving, they’re achieving. Because they’re good. And they have a good manager. And they’ll get better. And there are other players in the squad who can step up soon, either back from injury or still waiting their chance.
They’re sure to put on a good show tonight, and could well win.
I’ve just received my new Wolves beanie, so I’m feeling lucky in spite of that blip with the Canaries.
It’s a cautious win for me. I’m glad Saiss is back.
Sneaky win
With Spurs losing last night this has become a huge three days in our quest for European football. If we could get three or even four points from these two games it will leave us in a good position. Of course, we’ve got no right really to be even challenging these teams with the budgets they have but some bloke once said dreaming is for free.
Expecting a cracking game under the lights. Just hope we take the game to them where we can and don’t surrender all the possession to them like we did against Chelsea. Seen some comments about us missing Traore (and I was a big fan of his) but he’s gone now and we have to get on with it. He was in and out of the team anyway so shouldn’t be seen as a huge loss to us, despite his attributes.
Would love it to be one of those nights where we snatch it 2-1 (actually I’d rather it be a comfortable 4-0 but that’s probably asking too much) so heart ruling head on this prediction.
Well, the excitement is certainly building.
Can Bruno continue to do magical things with this threadbare squad?
or will 5 games in 17 days prove to be too much?
It’s the hope that kills you. Nothing to learn from the Norwich cup game. We are now into the serious stuff and it’s all to play for.
Never so close, yet still so far. I’m going with my heart and a win tonight, with an expectation of massive disappointment in the morning!!!
Wolves win.
I’m not saying that Trincao is a worldly but he has got to be a better option than Dendoncker if he has recovered from COVID. Saturday was a disaster for Donk and his lack of movement disrupted the whole balance of the team. It will be a bonus if Saiss and Hwang are back and I wouldn’t mind seeing Jonny on the bench. A tough game in prospect and a draw wouldn’t be a bad result.
If Bob Wilson, Charlie George and the like aren’t playing, we will win. But then we’d win if they were playing.
Is Don Howe still coach for them?
Now the tests begin. Should give us an idea of where we are and what we need, if anything, in relation to the top 6. Wolves pass this first test with flying colors!
I think its got a nil nil written all over it
Neither side can afford to lose this one.
Probably cautious approach.
Saiss with header from a corner…
arse are cheating and time wasting bastards, half of their defence should have been red carded.
God if I had to watch arse every week I would give up football.