Wolves travel to the Vitality Stadium for the first of two trips there in the next eight days, and first we preview the Premier League clash with Bournemouth this weekend.
1 | Roll Call
Emmanuel Agbadou has been ruled out of the trip to Bournemouth, with Vitor Pereira confirming he’ll miss “some games” after being withdrawn early at Liverpool last Sunday. However, there was better news on Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has been out of action since January but is back available for selection. Hee Chan Hwang and Rodrigo Gomes both missed the trip to Anfield, and remain absent, while Sam Johnstone is back available, having also sat out of the Liverpool game.
Andoni Iraola says he’ll have Julio Soler involved in some capacity, with the January addition yet to feature in the Premier League. James Hill has returned to training, so will be monitored ahead of Saturday. Striker Evanilson, who won three penalties at Molineux in November, isn’t far away, but Saturday will come too soon. Enes Unal, Marcos Senesi, Adam Smith and Julian Araujo are out absent through injury.
2 | The Stat Pack
Goals
- Matheus Cunha | 13
- Justin Kluivert | 12
Assists
- Rayan Ait-Nouri | 5
- Justin Kluivert | 6
Biggest win
- Fulham 1-4 Wolves | November 2024
- Bournemouth 5-0 Nottingham Forest | January 2025
Yellow cards
- Nelson Semedo | 7
- Ryan Christie | 9
Clean sheets
- Jose Sa | 4
- Kepa Arrizabalaga | 5
A superb strike by Matheus Cunha 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/OeQYB43v19
— Wolves (@Wolves) February 16, 2025
3 | Journey to Saturday
Wolves head into Saturday on the back of a Premier League loss to Liverpool, but it was a second-half performance Pereira took a lot from. His side improved after the break and after Cunha pulled a goal back, the Old Gold put the league leaders under serious pressure during the closing stages. Previously, Wolves had won back-to-back matches, beating Aston Villa in the league at Molineux and Blackburn Rovers in the Emirates FA Cup at Ewood Park. The Old Gold haven’t won on the road in the Premier League since Pereira’s first match at Leicester City however, so will be hoping for a return from the first of two trips to Bournemouth in the next eight days.
The Cherries go into the contest with a pair of away victories to their name in recent weeks. Last time out Iraola’s side beat bottom side Southampton 3-1 away from home, with Dango Ouattara, Ryan Christie and Marcus Tavernier all on target. The previous week Everton were beaten in the FA Cup at Goodison Park. On home soil in recent weeks Bournemouth raised eyebrows with a five-goal thumping of Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest but couldn’t follow it up with a positive result the following week when league leaders Liverpool visited. This term Bournemouth have claimed one more point away from home than at the Vitality Stadium, winning six, drawing three and losing three on their own patch.
4 | Moutinho magic on the coast
Wolves’ best goal at the Vitality Stadium in recent years? Few will disagree that Joao Moutinho has that accolade for his exploits in 2019. Hours before a new contract for the midfield magician was announced, Moutinho curled a stunning free-kick over the wall, above Aaron Ramsdale and below the crossbar, nestling into the top corner to put Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ahead. Wolves were in their groove for much of 2019/20, and Moutinho was involved in the second goal too, with his quickly taken free-kick sending Adama Traore scampering down the right, and he slipped across for Raul Jimenez to net. The Cherries, who finished the game with ten men, pulled a goal back, but Wolves got their win in Dorset.
Bournemouth | Ramsdale, Francis, A Cook, Ake, Smith, L Cook (Gosling 76), Rico, Wilson (Danjuma 45), Fraser, Billing (Lerma 45), Wilson.
Wolves | Patricio, Doherty, Dendoncker, Coady, Saiss, Jonny, Neves, Moutinho, Traore, Jota (Vinagre 89), Jimenez.
