MY ACCOUNT
– Wolves’ last four league games have been level at half-time
– Four of the last five head-to-head Premier League meetings have been 0-0 at the break
– Recommended Bet: Draw at half-time
Wolves will be hungry for more points when they host in-form Manchester United in the early New Year’s Eve Premier League fixture.
Julen Lopetegui’s men were feeding off scraps for most of their Boxing Day encounter at Goodison Park but left Everton fans with a sour taste in their mouths after Rayan Ait-Nouri’s stoppage-time winner.
The Spanish boss’ debut win lifted Wolves off the bottom of the table, and they will now be desperate to get their teeth into fifth-placed United.
The Red Devils left little meat on the bone on Tuesday when they recorded their biggest Premier League win under Erik Ten Hag in beating Nottingham Forest 3-0.
Team news
Lopetegui will consider changing the team that won on Merseyside, with Wolves looking much stronger after the second-half introductions of Adama Traore, Matheus Nunes and Ait-Nouri, who all played roles in the move for the winning goal.
Nunes could replace Joe Hodge in midfield, with Traore’s inclusion on the right likely to mean a switch of roles for Daniel Podence if the Portuguese attacker can shake off some soreness in his left leg.
Ait-Nouri may be included at the expense of Hugo Bueno, who was given a tough time by Everton’s Anthony Gordon, while Nathan Collins could be dropped after a mistake-ridden display against Everton.
New signing Matheus Cunha cannot be registered until next week and is therefore expected to make his debut against Aston Villa on January 4.
For United, Lisandro Martinez is expected to return to the fold after his post-World Cup break back in Buenos Aires.
The Argentinean ace is likely to slot back in alongside Raphael Varane in central defence, with Luke Shaw returning to left-back duty instead of Tyrell Malacia.
Diogo Dalot is still recovering from a hamstring strain and may miss out, while Victor Lindelof has been suffering from a virus.
Ten Hag will likely field an unchanged attacking quartet of Bruno Fernandes, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
The stats
Marcus Rashford has now scored more goals (5) and assists (3) in the Premier League this season than he managed the whole of last season.
United have scored twice the number of counter-attack goals (6) as any other Premier League team this season.
The Red Devils have played more through balls (38) than any other top-flight club.
Podence’s three Premier League goals represent 30% of Wolves’ tally for the entire top-flight campaign. He has also had more shots on target (10) and made more key passes (24) than any other player at the club.
Prediction
Wolves have not been scoring enough goals for some time, and, despite the euphoria of their win over Everton, they remain an unconvincing unit going forward.
Diego Costa still looks like a shadow of his former self as he seeks his first goal in a Wolves shirt, and it will take all of Lopetegui’s tactical acumen to get results while he awaits January reinforcements.
The Spaniard’s plan against Everton was to keep it tight for an hour and change the momentum of the game with his second-half substitutions.
He will want to guard against United’s counter-attacking threat by defending in a deep block, and that could lead to a similar approach.
Three of Wolves’ last four home league games have been all square at the interval, and they can be backed at 21/20 with LiveScore Bet to be level after 45 minutes of Saturday’s game.
