Premier League Preview: Wolves’ Home Ground Proves to Be a Graveyard for Strong Teams, Liverpool’s Morale High with Wins on All Fronts

At midnight on September 29th at 0:30, the sixth round of the 2024/25 Premier League season will see Wolves host Liverpool. Currently in the league standings, Wolves have 1 point from 1 draw and 4 losses, firmly at the bottom. Liverpool, with 4 wins and 1 loss accumulating 12 points, is temporarily in second place. A battle between the top and bottom of the league table may seem one-sided, but there is more than meets the eye. Wolves’ home ground has always been a graveyard for strong teams, and Liverpool has often suffered defeats here.

The Wolves, who finished 14th last season with 46 points, have struggled greatly since entering the new season. It must be said that the “disadvantages” of the schedule are evident. Of their first five opponents, only Nottingham Forest can be considered a traditionally weak team. Arsenal, Chelsea, Villa, and Newcastle are all formidable opponents. As expected, facing these four strong teams, Wolves failed to secure any victories, including conceding six goals against Chelsea. In their last match, they lost 1-3 to Villa, a scoreline that masks many facts. In reality, even though Villa was playing at home, they still looked very embarrassed. Wolves had 10 shots, 4 of which were on target. Martinez was forced to make three saves to keep the team’s chance of a comeback alive.

Liverpool, after an unexpected home defeat to Nottingham Forest, thrashed AC Milan 3-1 in the Champions League. They then returned to the league and faced their favorite opponent Bournemouth, taking away three points with a comfortable 3-0 win. In the League Cup, despite making significant rotations, they still demolished West Ham United 5-1. With three consecutive wins across all fronts, scoring 11 goals and conceding only 2, this period saw Nunez finally scoring, Gakpo netting twice, and Jota, Salah, and Diaz also finding the back of the net. The attacking line is firing on all cylinders, and the team’s excellent chemistry continues to ferment.

This season, Wolves’ biggest problem is offensive efficiency. On the pitch, even when facing strong opponents, they actually do not play passively. However, the counter-attack efficiency that they prided themselves on last season suddenly stopped working. Additionally, the team’s defense has further deteriorated, conceding 14 goals in 5 rounds, tying with Everton for the worst defensive record in the league. But Wolves have always had a slow start problem. After enduring this tough schedule, the team’s journey north might just be getting started. Liverpool has only stumbled against Forest so far, dispatching other opponents easily. Looking at the schedule, after completing this match against Wolves, they will face Bologna at home in midweek next week. Therefore, the team may not field their strongest lineup for this game, leaving room for imagination for Wolves.

According to statistics, the two teams have met 80 times across all fronts historically, with Wolves winning 22, drawing 14, and losing 44, showing a clear disadvantage. In their last five encounters, Wolves won once and lost four times. More alarmingly, this is the only victory Wolves have managed in their last 13 meetings. However, at Wolves’ home ground, the situation is different. In the last 10 matches at Wolves’ home, Wolves won 8 and lost 2, completely unafraid of Liverpool. Not only that, last season Wolves defeated Manchester City 2-1, narrowly beat Tottenham 2-1, and beat Chelsea 2-1 at home. With the home advantage, Wolves’ combat power cannot be underestimated.

According to the arrangement, the main referee for this match will be Anthony Taylor, with Darren England serving as the fourth official, and VAR referee being Michael Salisbury. Taylor has already officiated 4 Premier League matches this season, issuing a total of 21 yellow cards and awarding 1 penalty. In the third round of this season, Taylor was the main referee for Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United, during which he showed 4 yellow cards to Manchester United players, while only Van Dijk received a yellow for Liverpool.

Misfortunes never come singly, and Wolves have recently suffered from a severe viral outbreak. Many players have fallen ill and missed training. Head coach O’Neill confirmed the impact of the virus on the team at the pre-match press conference, even expressing uncertainty about whether some key players can recover in time.

Before the match, Liverpool received good news, with their starting goalkeeper Alisson returning after resting for two matches and ready to play. However, substitute goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher’s performance in these two games was equally impressive, especially in the second half against Bournemouth, where his presence was crucial for the team’s clean sheet. Chiesa has been given playing time in consecutive matches and contributed his first assist in the League Cup, further enriching the team’s options in attack. Slott acknowledged that Wolves did not play poorly, but their results did not match their performance. He also realized clearly that Liverpool’s smooth start was due to encountering limited setbacks.

Wolves have not won in the first five rounds, compounded by the viral outbreak, making their start of the new season fraught with danger. After stumbling against Forest, Liverpool has welcomed three consecutive wins across all fronts, with high morale, maintaining the winning streak is what everyone hopes for. However, if they want to capture Wolves away from home, mere talk will not suffice.

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