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Winless Wolves take on a spirited Southampton side in post-transfer window clash
Wolves to win 1-0
Tournament: Premier League 2022-2023 | Venue: Wolverhampton, West Midlands, Molineux Stadium
Bet NowWolves, like their fellow bottom three companions Aston Villa and Leicester, are an established Premier League looking in trouble right now.
They are not scoring anywhere near enough goals to turn some decent play into positive results. We know that they have lacked significant firepower for several seasons, but the opening five games of this season have been particularly light.
Wolves would have seen their midweek clash against troubled Bournemouth as a way to hit back into form, but instead played out a goalless draw with the managerless club.
Southampton, on the other hand, appear to have discovered some form after a tricky start to the season. With two wins from their last three games, they have moved into a top half position.
Even their defeat during that period, against Manchester United, was a close encounter.
New signings Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Duje Caleta-Car could play their way into the manager’s thoughts this weekend.
Reasons to be cheerful:
New signings could give this team a boost
Won their last three matches against Saints
Reasons to be fearful:
No team has scored fewer goals than Wolves’ two
Being in the bottom three will damage player confidence
Wolves could bring their new striker, Sasa Kalajdzic, straight into their starting line-up here.
The former Stuttgart player, standing at 6ft 7in or over two metres, will add a presence to Wolves’ front line, although they will need to create the chances for him in the first place.
Another new signing, loanee Boubacar Traore, could slot into a midfield spot in Bruno Lage feels like shaking things up in the middle of the pitch.
Wolves have a good record against Hasenhuttl’s Southampton side, winning in each of the last three meetings with the club.
Can they finally win their first game of the season here and move out of the bottom three in doing so?
Star Man – Raul Jimenez
Southampton are the Mexican’s favourite club to play against, having scored five goals against them in five appearances. With Wolves desperately short of goals, can he fire them to glory here?
Reasons to be cheerful
Two wins from last three games represents improvements
New signings should strengthen the team
Reasons to be fearful
Romeo Lavia will be a big miss through injury
Have not kept an away clean sheet in their last 16 attempts
Many worried about Southampton before the season started, and wondered whether manager Ralph Hasenhuttl would be one of the first to lose his job.
Two games in, after a draw and a defeat, the pressure on his shoulders continued to grow.
After five games, however, things begin to look a little rosier for the Saints, with two wins under their belt. Victories over Leicester and Chelsea have propelled them up the table and spirits appear lifted.
Losing Romeo Lavia to injury is a big blow to their hopes, however. The talented midfielder will miss the next six weeks and it’ll be interesting to see how they cope without his presence.
The Saints’ away record is poor, both against Wolves and in general, so can they turn things around here?
Star Man – Che Adams
The striker is always full of running, which will help his side stretch this Wolves defence. He was brilliant against Chelsea without getting on the scoresheet. His energy can cause the opposition some problems here.
Will be a close-fought game
A low-scoring game
First goal could settle it
Southampton have had the better start to the season, though neither side are prolific goalscorers right now.
They prefer to keep things tight at the back, with mixed success, before hitting their opponents on the counterattack.
You feel that the team that scores first could go on to win the game. Wolves are the most desperate for the win here and their new signings could push the team on to victory.
Wolves to win 1-0
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