Wolves take to the road this weekend as Julen Lopetegui’s men make the journey across the midlands to take on Leicester City, and there are plenty of pre-match talking points to discuss.
#1 The gap is expanding
Only two weeks ago, just seven points separated the bottom nine clubs in the Premier League, but in a fortnight the gap has begun to widen significantly. Now, 13 points are what stands between Crystal Palace in 12th and Southampton at the foot of the table, while wins over Chelsea and Brentford have seen Wolves move from just one point away from the relegation zone to seven. However, no team is yet cut adrift, meaning that all three spots are still up for grabs and with Wolves facing another of those sides in the bottom nine in Leicester this weekend, it’s a proverbial six-pointer at the King Power Stadium.
Lopetegui’s side are currently sit on 34 points having accrued just 10 from their opening 16 matches before the Spaniard took on the reins. If the Premier League would have started after the World Cup last winter, Wolves would currently stand 6th in the table – which goes to show the impact Lopetegui has had on the team since his arrival. Wolves could also become the team with the best Premier League record having been bottom at Christmas, with Leicester’s own 2014/15 record of finishing 14th with 41 points (before winning the title the following season) the benchmark the old gold would have to beat.
#2 Neves back in contention
Wolves’ victories over Chelsea and Brentford were made even more impressive with the fact that captain and talisman Ruben Neves was absent for both outings after picking up his 10th booking of the season in the draw with Nottingham Forest three weeks ago. But after serving his two-match ban, Neves is back in contention for the visit to Leicester on Saturday. But it’s going to be a difficult decision for Lopetegui to make after such a remarkable pair of matches from his players.
Neves has played almost every minute under his former Porto boss since the Spaniard arrived in November, but the head coach has started the last two games with a midfield of Mario Lemina, Matheus Nunes and Joao Gomes and all three have put in displays which could see them hard to replace. Nunes found the back of the net in the win over Chelsea with a stunning strike, while Lemina and Gomes have earned rave reviews for their tenacity in the centre of the park.
🔙 in contention. pic.twitter.com/pmqvrY2UqI
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 20, 2023
#3 Foxes in need of three points
In stark contrast to Wolves’ recent form, Leicester have been struggling to buy themselves a win in the last few months. You have to go all the way back to their 4-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur in mid-February for the last time the Foxes have earned all three points in the top-flight. Since then, Leicester have faced nine opponents and picked up just one draw. Their defeats have included games against fellow relegation rivals in Southampton and Bournemouth, while Crystal Palace secured a 94th minute win in their meeting at Selhurst Park at the start of the month.
Because of this record, Leicester parted ways with their manager Brendan Rodgers, with former Wolves goalkeeper Mike Stowell and Adam Sadler taking caretaker charge before ex-Aston Villa boss Dean Smith came in before the loss to Manchester City last weekend. But after having a fortnight to spend with his players, Leicester will be seeing their visit to Molineux as a chance to turn the tables on their season and make a break up the Premier League table.
#4 Stick with a winning formula
Lopetegui hasn’t been scared to mix up his line-up this season, with the head coach regularly changing his starting 11. But between the win over Chelsea and that against Brentford, both at Molineux in recent weeks, Lopetegui made just the one switch. Playing a 4-4-2 formation which could easily shift to a 4-3-1-2, Daniel Podence started against the Blues on the left of a four-man midfield before Pablo Sarabia took the position in the win over the Bees.
But with Neves, as well as Jonny – who found himself suspended for three matches after his straight red against Leeds United, minutes after his goal of the month strike – now available for selection, it might see the head coach show his hand and make the changes. Joao Moutinho has also come off the bench in the last few matches, and is pushing for a starting berth, while the option of a back five and just a one-man attack shows the amount of options that Wolves have for the crucial run-in.
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 18, 2023
