Seeking to bounce back from their first Champions League defeat of the new term, Newcastle United trek to Molineux to meet Wolverhampton Wanderers in Saturday's Premier League contest.
While the Magpies went down 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund in midweek, Gary O'Neil got one over his old side Bournemouth last weekend, overseeing a 2-1 win at his former home.
Match preview
© Reuters
After leading Bournemouth to Premier League survival in the 2022-23 season, many felt that O'Neil's sacking from the Vitality Stadium was unjust, and the Cherries' decision to replace the Englishman with Andoni Iraola is yet to be vindicated.
O'Neil gladly piled more misery on a winless Bournemouth last weekend, as after going 1-0 down by virtue of a neat Dominic Solanke flick, Wolves levelled early in the second half through Matheus Cunha's crisp effort before Sasa Kalajdzic's 88th-minute winner sparked elation in the away end.
A foolish red card to Lewis Cook did not help matters for Bournemouth - a penny for Bill Foley's thoughts as the man whose departure he sanctioned came up trumps on the South Coast - and O'Neil's crop now head into Saturday's clash unbeaten in three successive matches.
With seven points from a possible nine to show from contests with Manchester City, Aston Villa and Bournemouth, Wolves are happily in mid-table obscurity in 12th place, a comfortable seven points clear of the relegation zone and only one adrift of 10th-placed Chelsea.
Following their goalscoring woes of 2022-23, action at both ends is virtually guaranteed in Wolves' fixtures now, as O'Neil's side have scored and conceded in each of their last seven contests and have now netted in 12 successive competitive matches in front of their own fans.
© Reuters
Having witnessed the humiliating beating Paris Saint-Germain were subjected to on the St James' Park soil, one could have forgiven Borussia Dortmund for entering Wednesday's Champions League affair with a sense of trepidation, but Edin Terzic's tactical masterclass ultimately won out.
At the end of a first-half marred by injuries to Alexander Isak and Emre Can, Felix Nmecha's deft side-footed finish from Nico Schlotterbeck's cutback propelled Dortmund into a slender lead, one which they would not relinquish for the entirety of the second period.
After some injury-time heroics from BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, Eddie Howe's men were subjected to their first top-level European loss for over 20 years - one which also ended the Magpies' eight-game unbeaten run and five-game winning streak at home across all competitions.
Prior to Wednesday's agonising result, Newcastle barely had to break a sweat to crush Crystal Palace 4-0, an annihilation which sees Howe's men enter gameweek 10 sat sixth in the rankings with an unrivalled +15 goal difference, having netted a league-high 24 goals thus far.
However, only one of Newcastle's last six Premier League away matches has ended in victory - although it was their 8-0 destruction of Sheffield United last month - and they have navigated their last three clashes against Wolves without suffering defeat, most recently scraping a 2-1 St James' Park win back in March.
Team News
© Reuters
Wolves managed to triumph at the Vitality without the services of two suspended regulars in Mario Lemina and Nelson Semedo, both of whom will return to the squad on Saturday to give O'Neil the best kind of selection dilemma.
Semedo will expect to come straight back into the XI for Matt Doherty, while Lemina may very well displace Joao Gomes, who only lasted 45 minutes of their win over Bournemouth last weekend before being withdrawn during the break for tactical reasons.
Only Hugo Bueno (hamstring) and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (muscle) are in the Molineux treatment room at present, and despite coming off the bench to good effect down south, Kalajdzic will likely continue his super sub duties as Cunha joins Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan in the final third.
Meanwhile, injury was added to insult on two occasions for Newcastle on Tuesday, as Isak was withdrawn inside the opening 15 minutes with a groin complaint, before substitute Jacob Murphy had to come off only five minutes after his introduction with a suspected shoulder dislocation.
Neither man should make the matchday squad at Molineux, where Harvey Barnes (foot) and Sven Botman (knee) will also be unavailable, but Joe Willock was at least able to enjoy a 20-minute run-out against Dortmund following his recent fitness woes.
A recall for Callum Wilson is in order as Isak re-enters the treatment room, while Sandro Tonali's 10-month ban for illegal betting has now been confirmed, and the Italy international will begin his painful absence from the sport this weekend.
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Semedo, Traore, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Neto, Cunha, Hwang
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Schar, Lascelles, Burn; Joelinton, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Almiron, Wilson, Gordon
We say: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Newcastle United
Another Champions League hangover and growing injury list will hamper Newcastle's chances of an immediate response at Molineux, where Wolves have little trouble making the net ripple no matter who they are pitted against.
A decimated Magpies attack should trouble the hosts' permeable rearguard too, but we can still envisage a fresh-legged Wolves holding out for a point against their fatigued visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
