Premier League: Wolves Will Test the Magpies’ Top Four Claim

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Newcastle United

Newcastle United’s meteoric rise into football’s elite continues this weekend when the high-flying Magpies head to Molineux on Saturday for a mouth-watering Premier League clash away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Eddie Howe’s side are in the Champions League for the first time this season, and the aim of the club’s ambitious owners is to establish themselves as a Premier League top four side and a power in Europe.

After a stuttering start, the Geordies are up to sixth in the league table, and the Premier League 2023 betting odds back them to fight for a top four place alongside Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Newcastle top a group that includes Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund.

These are exciting times at St James’ Park, but on Saturday they head to the Midlands to take on a dangerous Wolves side. Gary O Neil’s team come into the game on the back of a 2-1 victory away to Bournemouth which took them up to 12^th place on 11 points, while Newcastle battered Crystal Palace 4-0 to maintain their quickly improving form.  

Talking Points

Neto gives Wolves some X-Factor

Survival in the Premier League is a hard business, as Wolves boss Gary O’Neil knows all too well after he steered Bournemouth to safety last season against all odds. For reasons known only to the Cherries’ owners, he was promptly sacked and replaced by Andoni Ariola.

Bournemouth are currently languishing in the bottom three, but that is no concern to Wolves. O’Neil knows how to organise a team, but it also helps that he has a player with star quality in his ranks. 

Attacking midfielder Pedro Neto has made six assists already this season and more than his fair share of Premier League 2023 highlights for the campaign. He’s been at Molineux since 2019 and was one of the early signings in the new golden era for the club.

 Neto has made 100 appearances for Wolves and won five caps for Portugal and, at 23 years of age, there is plenty more to come.

He was sidelined for five months last season with an ankle injury that required surgery, but he has roared back with vengeance this term, already reaching his best tally of assists in a Premier League season, and his wizardry on the wing has helped top-scoring striker Hwang Hee Chan collect his five goals.

Neto’s return to full fitness is like a new signing for Wolves, and he looks set to enjoy a real breakout season.

Trippier is pure gold for Newcastle

Newcastle’s experienced wingback Kieran Trippier has matched Neto with his six assists so far this season, and both have made more than the headline-grabbing Spurs star James Maddison.

But the thing about Trippier is that he is, first and foremost, a defender. He has always been a threat going forward with a wicked cross and world-class dead ball delivery, and he became a brilliant full back under Sean Dyche at Burnley.

Since leaving Turf Moor, Trippier has been a big player for Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid, where he won a La Liga medal, as well as picking up 45 caps for England, scoring a memorable free-kick in the 2018 World Cup final against Croatia.

Much as Hwang loves to see Neto raiding down the wing, Aleksander Isak and Callum Wilson’s eyes light up whenever Trippier gets on the ball. But, unlike Neto, the England man has plenty of colleagues equally capable of getting on the assists chart.

With Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy both in great form and long-term absentee Joe Willock nearing a return, Newcastle’s front men are never short of supply.

The Magpies were simply imperious for the visit of Crystal Palace last week as both Gordon and Murphy were on target…and Trippier got his assist.   

History

The head-to-head encounters between these two sides have been keenly contested, and the Magpies have a slight edge, with six wins to five from the last 21 meetings and ten draws.

Newcastle have not won at Molineux on their last five visits, drawing 1-1 in this fixture last season.

Betting Tip

At SBOTOP odds of 3.59 to win and 3.54 to draw, the hosts are well in this game, and they come into the challenge on the back of a morale-boosting win away to the Cherries. Newcastle are at 1.79, and even though they have a Champions League date at home to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night and will have less time to prepare for this match; they have quality in depth and a constant attacking threat.

If Wolves play out of their skins, they have a chance, but I’m going for the Magpies to win by the odd goal in three.

 

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