#1 Settling in nicely
Transfers to the Premier League can often take time. Clubs often like to bed in new players, particularly when arriving from overseas for the first time, but that has absolutely not been the case for Matheus Nunes. The Portuguese arrived on Wolverhampton soil last Wednesday and has already chalked up two starts for his new club, looking as settled as ever on the pitch. The midfielder has his Premier League and Molineux debuts ticked off individually, and now to complete the set, he’ll be eyeing a first home bow in the league on Sunday. Displaying a big stride, quality and confidence on the ball and a determination to battle for possession when without the ball, Nunes looks at home in the old gold.
The recipient of some big challenges at Tottenham Hotspur, particularly early on from Ben Davies, and also against Preston North End in midweek, the 23-year-old has already shown he won’t be fazed by the challenges of English football. Looking to create, Nunes was a whisker away from netting himself when heading Ruben Neves’ cross narrowly wide during a dominant first-half, which he was heavily involved in. He also tested Hugo Lloris after the break against Spurs and wasn’t afraid to try his luck against North End either. On Tuesday his seven dribbles were three ahead of anyone else on the pitch, while he was also top for tackles attempted in an old gold shirt. He relished the battle with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and will be relishing coming up against Bruno Guimaraes this weekend.
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— Wolves (@Wolves) August 25, 2022
#2 Selection options aplenty
Against Preston in midweek, Bruno Lage made five changes to his line-up, and two returnees took their opportunities to impress by finding the back of the net. Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez missed the opening to the season through injury, but were making their first starts against North End, and both bagged in the first-half, and now Lage has decisions to make. Also in defence, Nelson Semedo came through his first start unscathed, and the head coach now has three full-backs vying to two starting slots. Leander Dendoncker too has been typically industrial when utilised in midfield and remains an option in the middle of the park for Lage.
For Newcastle, Callum Wilson has hit the ground running this season, scoring against both Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, but has been ruled out of the trip to Molineux. Eddie Howe expects the striker to be out for a “couple of weeks” with a hamstring injury, so a change will be required. Chris Wood is the natural replacement, and scored against Tranmere Rovers in midweek, so will be hoping to continue his recent good record against the old gold. Emil Krafth looks set to a spell on the sidelines, but Dan Burn, Jamaal Lascelles and Ryan Fraser are all expected to make the trip to Molineux.
#3 Safely through in the Carabao
Both Wolves and Newcastle head into Sunday’s game with hard-fought victories under their belts from midweek Carabao Cup action. The old gold flew out of the traps against Preston and led 2-0 after 29 minutes, but were forced to work hard for their victory, which led to a third round tie with Leeds United in November. That win was Wolves’ first in any competition since April, and now the aim is to end their 10-game winless run in the Premier League, which is the club’s longest league run since March 2013 in the Championship.
As for the Magpies, they’ve started the campaign unbeaten, winning one and drawing two of their opening three. They last opened a league campaign with four matches unbeaten back in 2011/12, when they went on to finish 5th in the Premier League. However, Wilson has scored two of their league goals this season, so they now need to look elsewhere for goals for the next few weeks. Wood and Lascelles netted at Tranmere, who ensured United were in a classic up tie on Wednesday night, but the Premier League side did the necessary to add another win to their tally and book a meeting with Crystal Palace in the next round.
#4 The start of a busy week
The 2022/23 season really kicks into gear this week, as Wolves face three Premier League matches in the space of seven days. AFC Bournemouth and Southampton wait in the wings after Newcastle, and Wolves will hope their performances are rewarded with more points than the opening three. Newcastle usually provide stern opposition for Wolves, however. In the 14 Premier League meetings between the two clubs, only five have been won – two for Wolves, three for Newcastle – meaning nine have finished all square.
Goals are rarely free flowing in these meetings either, with Wolves netting 16 times to Newcastle’s 19, while the Magpies’ solitary clean sheet is the only time either club has achieved a stop out in the 14 appearances. Last season, a run of five 1-1 draws was ended by a pair of home wins. At Molineux, Hee Chan Hwang scored both Wolves goal in a 2-1 win, and after missing from the penalty spot on Tuesday, he’d love nothing more than to repeat that against the Magpies on Sunday. For the hosts overall, a first three points of the season is the target, at what will be a rocking Molineux.
Back to Molineux on Sunday.
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 25, 2022
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