Newcastle United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Date: 09/12/2018
K/O: 16:00
Venue: St James’ Park
Referee: Mike Dean
TV: Sky Sports Premier League
Newcastle United host a revitalised Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon, who came back from a goal down to end their six-match winless run against Chelsea midweek.
The victory for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side pushed them into 12th in the table, leapfrogging West Ham in the process and repeating midweeks heroics in the North-East could see Wolves return to the top half of the table depending on fixtures elsewhere. This would represent an excellent start for the newly promoted side, despite their incredibly poor run before the Chelsea fixture.
Sharing a point with Newcastle at the weekend would still represent a positive result though considering that five of their past seven games have ended in defeat. It’s difficult to gauge where the visitors should be expected to finish in the table upon their return to the Premier League; significant recruitment has occurred, however many of those players and the manager may still be adapting to the transition.
Fans who do make the journey to Tyneside will be hoping that the comeback win against Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea wasn’t just a one-off, but instead a return to their initial early season form which saw them as high as seventh in the table.
Hosts Newcastle were fortunate to leave Goodison Park with a point on Wednesday evening after Everton dominated possession with 76%. The Magpies may have to replicate their counter-attacking display against Santo’s side, which could mean that Christian Atsu plays an important role once more. His pace troubled Everton during the week which presented the Ghanaian with two late opportunities he was unable to take.
A result for Newcastle come Sunday would mean being more clinical in front of goal, something which they have struggled with this campaign. A win could see them distances themselves from the peril of relegation by up to seven points and three points will certainly be the target for Rafa and his side. Despite not scoring many goals this season, Newcastle’s goal difference is considerably better than those below them in the table which could be crucial come May.
Equally, as Wolves may be buoyed after their exploits against Chelsea, earning a draw would provide a platform to build upon but may leave the hosts lingering precariously close to the drop zone. In spite of the vastly superior goal difference to those around them, defeat would almost certainly put Newcastle in danger; with this squad showing before that their on-pitch exploits suffer when under copious amounts of pressure, a defeat could have a detrimental effect on the Magpies season.
Thus far this Premier League campaign St James’ Park hasn’t become a fortress for Newcastle, and they have lost six of their eight home games since the season began. However, Wolves have picked up just two wins on their travels since their return to the top flight, positively transforming home fixtures atmospheres is essential for survival and with the visitor’s record, this weekend presents an opportunity for the Magpies to do just that.
Team News
After lacking inspiration to his game in recent weeks, Ayoze Perez found himself dropped for the trip to Everton and Benitez is likely to give Jacob Murphy another chance against Wolves. If the former is not selected, Rafa could utilise Yoshinori Muto in the inside forward role. In other news for the Magpies, Matt Ritchie will almost certainly return after serving suspension during the week.
Likewise, Espirito Santo will be pleased to have Ruben Neves return to his squad after serving a suspension against Chelsea; but Morgan Gibbs-White’s outstanding display, including an extraordinary assist, may see the 18-year-old retain his place in the starting line-up.
After retaining just 30% possession against Sarri’s side, Wolves can expect to see a much higher percentage of the ball on Sunday, meaning they may not need to be as clinical as they were against the Blues, scoring from both their shots on target.
Predicted Starting XI’s
Newcastle (3-4-3): Dubravka; Schar, Fernandez, Lascelles; Yedlin, Diame, Ki, Ritchie; Kenedy, Perez; Rondon
Wolves (5-2-3): Patricio; Doherty, Saiss, Coady, Boly, Ruben Vinagre; Moutinho, Neves; Traore, Jimenez, Jota
Score Prediction: Newcastle 1 Wolves 2
This is an interesting game at St James’ Park between two sides whos form has been mixed this season. Wolves three points against Chelsea will have inspired the squad and considering their impressive early season form, a win in the North-East looks possible.
