West Ham United V Wolverhampton Wanderers

Sunday, 10^th January – 15:00 GMT (Sky Sports 1)

West Ham United

League Position: 17th

Recent Form: LLDWL 

Ther Hammers don’t have too long to digest their FA Cup exit as they welcome Mick McCarthy’s Wolves to Upton Park in what appears to be an early six-pointer between two sides destined to be there or thereabouts come May. West Ham fans will believe that they have far more talent on show than their opponents, but will this equate into a winning formula?

Ginafranco Zola was in an optmistic mood at the beginning of the week and claimed there were plenty of positives to take away from their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal. We, however, felt it wasn’t the best performance we’ve seen from West Ham this season, far from it, but there were glimpses that particular areas are improving, more notably in defence. To concede just the two goals, late ones at that, against the country’s most prolific goalscorers takes some doing, although it must be said that Arsenal were without a whole host of attacking players; Fabregas, Van Persie & Arshavin to name but a few.

It’s good to see the West Ham defence rallying around as that is where West Ham have been at their weakest this season, but to concede two goals still shows signs that big improvements are needed, and to concede them both late on clearly shows that West Ham have a distinct lack of concentration at the back. They were, though, a lot brighter on the front foot as they were getting forward with ease, with some slick interchanging allowing them to carve through what should have been a tight and compact Arsenal defence.

However, although they came across no problems getting forward, West Ham’s final play in the final third was abysmal and how they managed to find the goal once was beyond me. They posses players that can take on a defender, Diamanti & Jimenez for example, but both lose their marbles when they enter the opposing penalty area. They weren’t the only culprits, though, and their shy display in front of goal is a big concern as West Ham look lost up front without their star man, Carlton Cole, driving them forward, although the England centre-forward could make his return to the fold against Wolves this Saturday.

If Carlton Cole does play, which we can’t honestly see happening, then West Ham will be a good bet. He provides them with a more reliable outlet. He is a player which can amply hold up the ball but can also finish, which is more than can be said for their remaining strikers. West Ham did manage a victory in their last home outing, though, in a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth so perhaps, considering they are facing another poor opponent, the home factor will get them through another big fixture.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 15th

Recent Form: WLWLL

Wolves were another Premiership side who scraped through their opening FA Cup fixture, beating League One outfit, Tranmere Rovers, by a single goal; 1-0. However, the result is all that matters and Mick McCarthy will be hoping the squad can push on now and hit the new year running with a couple of victories as their two upcoming fixtures are certainly winnable. However, Wolves have been pretty shabby on the road this season so perhaps a draw would be just as good as a win at Upton Park, despite West Ham being worse off than them in the table.  

Wolves put themselves in the hat for the fourth round and their victory over Tranmere should be a welcome boost of confidence that the players clearly needed after a tough festive period of fixtures. Mick McCarthy’s side didn’t manage a single point in their two games either side of Christmas, excruciating fixtures at that against Liverpool (2-0) & then Man City (0-3). However, with Wolves faltering over Christmas, the pressure is now on them to register some quick fire points in the new year starting with a very winnable fixture with West Ham. On paper anyway.

If this was at Molineux, with a capacity crowd cheering them on, then perhaps we would pluck up some courage and back Wolves for what would be the first time this season. However, that isn’t the case and Wolves have been a terrible away outfit this season, with the exception of their shock victory at White Hart Lane over Tottenham. Their away record this season stands at 2-2-6, but they’ve lost back-to-back away games since their sublime result over Spurs and have failed to score in three of their last four away outings. On the road, they lack that attacking edge while their defence has left gaping gaps – a recipe for disaster.

Wolves won’t, though, have too many better opportunities this season to win an away fixture than this, and Mick McCarthy will undoubtedly be drumming this fact into the players during the course of the week. Still, even with that said, we can’t see Wolves overhauling West Ham at Upton Park as they’ve generally been a very poor away outfit. At home they have this aurora about them where they storm straight out of the blocks and put their opponents immediately under pressure. They struggle to do this away from home, while their defence has often capitulated when times have got hard and with this we couldn’t touch Wolves even if those tight-fisted Irish bookies paid us to.

Match Verdict: West Ham United to WIN – 1.83 BetFred

We really fancy West Ham’s chances at the weekend as, quite frankly, they won’t have an easier opportunity to notch up three points than a meeting with Wolves at Upton Park. The same will probably be said in the Wolves dressing room but the roar of a home support should ensure that Zola gets the very best out of his players this Sunday. Wolves will be dangerous on the break, but West Ham should dominate in the chances created department, it’s just a case of whether their out-of-confidence forwards can take their chances when they come their way.

Match Odds:

West Ham United – 1.83 BetFred

Draw – 3.50 Bet365

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 4.80 Boylesports

SoccerBetting Value Tip: West Ham to score EXACTLY 3 goals – 11/2 SkyBet

Liverpool V Wolverhampton Wanderers

Saturday 26^th December (Boxing Day) – 17:30 GMT

Liverpool

League Position:

Recent Form:

(Liverpool have scored in every home fixture this season)

Times maybe rough at Liverpool but what more could you ask for, to turn the tidings in your favour, than a home fixture with lowly Wolves. Rafael Benitez’s side won’t get an easier opportunity to pick up three points all season then this Saturday but will the added pressure of playing under the ESPN camera’s be a factor? After all, in the three matches that Liverpool have featured in on ESPN, the Reds’ have only managed to win one of them, and it would semm Liverpool prefer to shy away from the limelight, which is no surprise considering their drastic season up till now.

As if Liverpool’s season couldn’t get any worse they go and lose at bottom of the league Portsmouth. The 2-0 defeat at Fratton Park will now go alongside the six other defeats they’ve suffered this season, five more than they lost in the whole of the previous campaign. Liverpool did start the game brightly, passing the ball around crisply, but they failed to create anything clear cut and, once Portsmouth scored their first, quickly followed by the dismissal of Javier Mascherano, who will evidentially will miss this fixture, Liverpool never recovered and looked a demoralised bunch.  

That’s been the problem with Liverpool this season compared to last season. If they went a goal down last year then their battling qualities shone through more times than not. Remember their late victories over Middlesborough, Fulham and even Portsmouth? Well, they seem a distant memory now and on the seven occasions that Liverpool have fallen behind this season, only once have they managed to turn things around and record a hard fought victory. That rare sighting coming against Bolton, winning 3-2. However, an early setback really shouldn’t be on the cards in this encounter as, despite Liverpool’s recent form woes, they should stroll through an outing with what is a poor Wolves side.

At Anfield this season, Liverpool have been better but still not good enough. In nine home fixtures, Liverpool have slipped up four times, with a home record of 5-2-2. They’ve already lost twice at home which is ridiculous for a team that went the entirety of last season without a single loss at home. Arsenal & Aston Villa can both boast about their victories at Anfield this season but Wolves don’t even come close to the stature and quality available at the two clubs mentioned. Rafa has seen his side score plenty of goals at home, though, with a home goalscoring record of 24-11, but their defence has been very shaky and in nine home matches, Liverpool have kept just three clean sheets and haven’t kept one since their 2-0 win over Man Utd, five home fixtures ago.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 12th

Recent Form: LWWLW 

Yet another tough fixture for Wolves and there will be questions asked if Mick McCarthy doesn’t rest his entire starting eleven on Saturday in another fixture where Wolves look unlikely to get anything from. However, after the backlash he received after his Old Trafford antics, we doubt he will field such a depleted side at Anfield and who would blame him considering Liverpool’s current predicament. Still, a tough outing for the Wolves and one we can’t see them getting anything out of.  

Avoiding the drop is all Mick McCarthy is concerned about and his controversial tactics to field the fringe players at Old Trafford showed his intent and desire of doing whatever necessary to avoid such a disaster. The gamble did pay off, though, when goals from Milijas & Kevin Doyle gave Wolves all three points against Burnley at the weekend. Their third win in as many games. Mick McCarthy has now guided Wolves to three wins in four games but will be hard pressed to get a positive result from this fixture.

The win at home to Burnley last week lifted Wolves further away from the dreaded drop but they aren’t out of the woods just yet, far from it. They are currently just three points off Bolton who occupy the first of three relegation spots and a defeat at Anfield would see them drop right back into contention after an impressive run of form to get them out of the equation, albeit temporarily.  

Wolves, in general, have been a poor outfit away from home, bar a few shock results. Their record this season away from Molineux is 2-2-5, with their two wins both coming by a 1-0 scoreline, one at Wigan and the other at Tottenham Hotspur. The latter result was outstanding but they did ride their luck on several occasions and would need a miracle for a similar result at Anfield as they’ve been far too negative at times when on their travels. At Molineux, Wolves have been able to express themselves a whole lot more in terms of creating chances. On the road, though, they struggle to keep the ball let alone carve open any defence, whilst their defending at times has been laughable.  

Wolves are vulnerable to just capitulating and an early goal for the home side on Saturday could open the Wolverhampton floodgates. They battled on stoutly at Old Trafford but a Wayne Rooney penalty spelt the end for Wolves, with Rooney strike just 30 minutes into the game instantly demoralising Wolves who eventually went on to lose 3-0. They were battered 4-0 at Chelsea, with 4-0 an injustice on how superior Chelsea were that day. Wolves have shipped 19 away goals this season, managing just 8 in return, and have failed to score in two of their previous three outings.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Liverpool W: 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers W: 0 Draw: 1

Encounters between these two aren’t all that common, just twice in fact, and it’s Liverpool who etched their way ahead on the h2h counter, only just, with a narrow 1-0 victory at Anfield the last time these two met. Wolves did, however, hold the Reds’ to a 1-1 draw at Molineux, although both results are somewhat insignificant as the last time these two clashed was nearly six years ago.

Match Verdict: Liverpool to WIN – 1.30 VCbet

We know Liverpool haven’t been playing well of late, and that Wolves will be confident after a victory in their last outing, but the gulf in class between the two sides is too big to ignore and only a Liverpool win will suffice in Saturday’s encounter at Anfield. The Reds’ will be desperate to return to winning ways at home after their last visit ended in a miserable 2-1 defeat by Arsenal. Fernando Torres is back and should scare the living daylights out of that Wolves defence, while Steven Gerrard, who hasn’t been half the player he was last season, really does need to up his game and take this match by the scruff of it’s neck. A comfortable home victory for us else anything else would lead to yet more criticism of this massively underachieving club.

Match Odds:

Liverpool – 1.30 VCbet

Draw – 5.80 SportingBet

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 12.00 PaddyPower

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Yossi Benayoun Anytime Scorer – 3.50 Expekt.com

Wolverhampton Wanderers V Birmingham City

Kick-off: Sunday 29th November – 12:00 GMT

Venue: Molineux

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 19th

Recent Form: DDDLL

Wolves may have entered the Premiership as the winners of The Championship, but that has counted for nothing this season as they currently find themselves languishing in 19^th position, six positions and five points off the side that finished second behind them last season, Birmingham City. What’s more, Wolves failed to beat the Blues’ when they paid Wolves a visit at Molneux last season, that was, of course, in The Championship, but will both their current positions and the results of last year play some part, mentally, in how Wolves approach this fixture.

Wolves’ lowly position hasn’t surprise us in the slightest as, although their attacking ways seen them storm through most games in The Championship, their defensive still left a lot to be desired and has certainly been found wanting in this years Premiership. Thus far, Wolves have conceded 26 goals in just 13 fixtures, averaging nearly two goals against this season. A small shining light will be that 10 of the 26 have come at Molineux but still, that’s an awful tally, joint second worst in the league in fact, and it will be an area which Mick McCarthy will desperately need to reinforce during the January transfer market else Wolves could face an early exit from the league at this rate.

Scoring has been a real cause for concern, especially when playing at home. Of the twelve goals they have scored to date, just five have come at Molineux, with Wolves failing to score in two out of their six home fixtures. Both West Ham (0-2) & Portsmouth (0-1) managed to keep Wolves at bay while playing at Molineux, which doesn’t bode at all well when you consider that both sides are in close proximity to Wolves, with Portsmouth bottom of the table and West Ham just a point better off then them.

The 4-0 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend was their biggest loss of the season, although, it came straight off the back of shipping yet another four goals at home to Arsenal, losing 4-1. We will give them some lean way in that both those emphatic defeats did come against two of leagues best sides but Birmingham have played Arsenal, Man Utd & Liverpool thus far and have only managed to amass six goals against, that’s two goals less then Wolves have shipped in their two clashed with the top four.

Still, we mustn’t forget that Wolves aren’t having to contest a game with a far superior opposition this weekend, although, Wolves have failed to make any impression against the leagues stragglers at home this season, failing to beat Hull City (1-1), West Ham United (0-2) & Portsmouth (0-1). They did manage to beat a tough Fulham side but that came in the middle of some disappointing home results and Wolves putting together a string of good home results just doesn’t seem likely. However, Wolves are now without a home win in three outings so perhaps they are well overdue one.

Birmingham City

League Position: 13th

Recent Form: LWDDW

Birmingham are steadily gaining revenge over Wolves for their second place finish behind Mick McCarthy’s side last season. Birmingham couldn’t keep up with Wolves in the Championship last season, although they were still delighted with their end of season finish. However, although Birmingham couldn’t bridge the gap on Wolves last season, finishing seven points adrift of the eventual champions of The Championship, they have managed to pull away from them back in Premiership, with Alex McLeish’s side now five points clear of 19^th placed Wolves.

Birmingham will do well to stay as far away from Wolves as possible as their opponents appear to be a relegation stricken club in the making. Birmingham, on the other hand, have been a far more solid outfit and a much tougher side to overcome. This has certainly shown in their recent run of results, going on an unbeaten four match run, a run which includes draws with Liverpool & Man City, two teams vying for top four berths, while decent victories over two improving teams in Sunderland (2-1) & Fulham (1-0), has seen them notch up eight points from their last four games, a fine tally which has enabled them to stretch away from the bottom three.

It’s rare to see Birmingham involved a good old fashioned thriller of a game, simply because they don’t give too much away when they do make rare strides into the opposing half. This does of course have it’s downfall’s, a distinct lack of goals being one of them, but it also makes them a tough nut to crack and often leaves them with at least a point to show for their efforts. This has been evident in recent outings, with Birmingham somewhat stealing more points then they probably deserved in their last two outings, somehow managing to score two at Liverpool in a game where they spent the vast majority of it defending, while they edged out Fulham at the weekend in a rather drab affair with very little goalmouth action.

It’s never pretty with Birmingham, but it’s certainly effective. Alex McLeish has recruited players that aren’t afraid to nail their colours to the mast, they work damn hard for one another and sure as hell fight hard in terms of defending. Although Birmingham’s defensive attitude has earned them a tidy defensive record, conceding 14 thus far, it has meant their goals for has suffered, with Birmingham scoring just eleven goals this season, of which six have come on the road. However, although at first glance that may look pretty poor, Birmingham have only failed to find the back of the net once on their travels, that coming on the opening day of the season at Old Trafford, a very tough venue to visit. However, Tottenham, Arsenal & even Liverpool, a team they scored two against, are all sides Birmingham have managed to put at least one past on the road this season, which isn’t a too bad early away C.V.

However, although they can score the odd away goal, they still aren’t earning nearly enough away points. Their away record currently stands at 1-1-4, which is dire, although, three of the four have come at extremely tough venues. Manchester United (1-0), Tottenham Hotspur (2-1) a game they were very unlucky to lose, and Arsenal (3-1), are all away games Birmingham lost.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Wolverhampton Wanderers W: 1 Birmingham City W: 1 Draws: 0

These two flirt all to often with relegation and this has shown in the amount of clashes between the two at Premiership level. 2004 was the last time these two met in the Premiership, but the pair played out two draws in the 2003/2004 season, with the game at Molineux ending 1-1. However, the pair have met a few times in the Championship recently, last season in fact, with Wolves beating Birmingham at St. Andrews but Birmingham did exact some form of revenge when they held Wolves to a 1-1 draw back at Molineux.  

Match Verdict:- Wolverhampton Wanderers to WIN – 2.50 Boylesports

We won’t tip this sort of result up all to often this season but if Wolves are going to win a handful of games this season then fixtures such as this should be snapped up. So far, Wolves haven’t shown an awful lot in their home fixtures but Birmingham haven’t been much cop on the road, either. If we’re completely honest, we couldn’t back anything in this game with any real confidence but for one reason or another, we can foresee a win for the home side. Wolves are good at creating decent chances at home, although converting them into goals has been a problem, but we feel they could just sneak a narrow result here, perhaps a 1-0 win.

Match Odds:

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 2.50 Boylesports

Draw – 3.30 Boylesports

Birmingham City – 3.20 WilliamHill

SoccerBetting Value Tip: 1-0 Correct Score – 8.00 Ladbrokes

Chelsea V Wolverhampton Wanderers

Kick-off: Saturday 21st November – 15:00 GMT

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea

League Position: 1st

Recent Form: WLWWW

The Chelsea skipper, John Terry, is already dropping hints about the possibility of acquiring some new faces at the club in January but a bigger concern for the English centre-half should be his fitness. Terry should have captained England against Brazil last Saturday were it not for an Achilles injury. The injury is thought to be minor and he should be fit enough to face Wolves from the off, although, it’s hard to envisage the Chelsea back line coming under that much scrutiny during the course of the game against Wolves.

Chelsea went into the International break as the Premiership leaders and with a five point cushion over their London rivals, Arsenal. The Gunners have been in inspired form of late but Chelsea have shown no signs of crumbling under the pressure after three wins on the bounce, all without conceding a single goal. Blackburn (5-0), Bolton (0-4) & even Manchester United (1-0), all came up short against the Blues’ and anything but a win on Saturday would be a major shock and setback for Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

On the whole, Chelsea have been pretty sublime in the early part of the season, with the defeats away at Wigan & Villa now put down as a blip. Of the 12 fixtures this season, Chelsea have won 10, with six of those coming at Stamford Bridge. To make the task for Wolves sound even more daunting, Chelsea haven’t conceded a goal at home in over 450 minutes of football. Surprisingly, Hull City were the last and only team to score at The Bridge this season, with even the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham & Man Utd all failing to break through the strong Chelsea rearguard.

If Liverpool & Manchester United cannot score against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge then what chance do Wolves stand. 16-1 is Chelsea’s goalscoring record at home this season, with Chelsea averaging nearly 3 goals a game at The Bridge. A revitalised Didier Drogba is one of the reasons why Chelsea have been so prolific at home this season, with the Ivorian notching on 9 league goals for the season, four of which have come on home soil.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 4th

Recent Form: LWDWL

A trip to Stamford Bridge to face one of Europe’s biggest sides is what you get excited about as a manager, that’s until the fixture actually comes about and then you start to understand the term ’squeaky bum time’. With Chelsea dishing out a few thumpings at The Bridge already this season, some will feel that Mick McCarthy’s men will be lucky to escape with their pride still in tact, let alone actually take anything from the game. Nevertheless, there is a game to be won, in a matter of words.

The good news for Mick McCarthy, he doesn’t appear to have any fresh absentee’s after the international break, although that is mainly down to the fact that his squad isn’t wanted around the globe. The bad news is just that, McCarthy doesn’t have the required quality within the ranks to compete with the likes of Chelsea. However, McCarthy is a fighter, and he will do everything but throw in the towel as he aims to pull off a master-stroke by getting some form of a result out of this fixture.

What the newly promoted sides need heading into a game of this magnitude is good form, something for the opponent to think about, possibly even assert a bit of fear. Wolves, well, they would struggle to have my nephew’s Under 11’s team quaking in their boots. Since their victory over Fulham back in mid September, Wolves have picked up just three points from six games. That is fifteen dropped points, with three draws and three defeats. The positives are the 1-1 draws with Everton & Villa, while the negatives are the hammering’s they received by first Sunderland (5-2) and more recently, Arsenal (1-4).

We generally get punished whenever we completely write a team off but Wolves really shouldn’t get anywhere near the Chelski on Saturday. Their defence is woeful, shipping 22 goals in 12 outings, 12 of which have come on the road. While their lack of fire-power has shown in their goal tally of just 12, although 7 have come away from Molineux. Funnily enough, Wolves have managed to find the net in their previous four away outings but they won’t come up against a leaner defence than Chelsea’s all season. Expect their away goalscoring form to come to an abrupt end, as well as their goals against tally rising, perhaps considerably.

Head-to-Head:

Chelsea W: 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers W: 0 Draws: 0

With Wolves not a regular appearer in the English top flight, the pair have only had the pleasure of clashing on two occasions, back in the 2004/2004 season. However, unsurprisingly, Chelsea dominated both games, winning 5-2 at Stamford Bridge & 5-0 Molineux, scoring five goals in both meetings.

The pair haven’t met in a competitive fixture since that season so will Chelsea continue their dominance of Wolves or will the ‘Wolves’ have their day. The former looks the most likely, much to the displeasure of you loyal Wolves readers.

Match Verdict:- Chelsea to WIN – 1.17 Bet365

We won’t turn too many heads with this prediction and nor are we aiming to. Anything but a comfortable home win for the Blues’ would be a big shock as the gulf in class between then two is horrific. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have been unstoppable, maintaining a 100% record at home, while Wolves are fresh off a 4-1 hammering from Chelsea’s local rivals, Arsenal. A similar scoreline wouldn’t be at all surprising with the only factor possibly hindering Chelsea’s display is the mass returns of players from international duty.

Match Odds:

Chelsea – 1.17 Bet365

Draw – 8.00 SKyBet

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 21.00 PaddyPower

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Chelsea to WIN both Halves – 2.20 SkyBet

——————————————————————————————————————–

Full-Time: Chelsea 4-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Goalscorer(s): Florent Malouda, Michael Essien X2, Joe Cole (Chelsea)

Kick-Off: 12:45 GMT

Venue: Molineux

TV Coverage: Sky Sports 1

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 16th

Recent Form: LWLLD

It’s been a bit of a stop-start season for Wolves in the early stages of the season. Wins have been at a premium, with Mick McCarthy’s side only managing two league wins thus far, but draws against Hull City (1-1) & more recently away at Everton (1-1) have kept Wolves afloat and, more importantly, out of the bottom three but they are clinging onto clean air by the skin of their teeth. A defeat at home to Aston Villa could see them reacquaint themselves with life in the relegation zone, a feat Mick McCarthy is eager to avoid at all costs.

We think it’s pretty clear that Wolves are going to have one of those seasons were a regular income of points simply won’t exist. They have yet to register points in back-to-back games this season, with a defeat always following a hard earned result, a terrible trend Mick McCarthy has to banish as soon as possible. That won’t be great news to the Wolves supporters as an inform Aston Villa come to Molineux, a venue where Wolves have picked up just four points from a possible twelve. Although to some that may look a fairly reasonable tally for a club such as Wolves but when you take a deeper look at their opening home fixtures you just might think otherwise. Fulham, Hull City, West Ham United & Portsmouth have all visited the home of Wolves in the early part of the season, with their only victory coming against Fulham, the latter two games with West Ham & Portsmouth both ending in miserable defeats.

We said at the start of the season that were Wolves to survive this season then they would need to turn Molineux into a fortress. That certainly hasn’t been the case so far, although it’s still early doors, but were it not for some surprisingly positive away results Wolves could of found themselves in a more alarming league position. The draw away at Goodison Park at the weekend will have kept the critics at bay, for now at least, but another defeat this weekend, one we can see happening, would leave the club pondering where their next bunch of points will come from as their upcoming fixtures aren’t pretty; Wolves travel to Stoke City next weekend while Arsenal & Chelsea will be their following opponents within the space of a month.

Wayne Hennesey was the star man in their 1-1 draw away at Everton last Saturday, with some superb saves keeping Wolves well in the hunt for the point they eventually earned. However, they will need a similarly colossal performance from their number 1 this Saturday as we expect a Villa side buoyed by their recent victory over Chelsea to pepper the Wolves goal throughout the course of the match.

Aston Villa

League Position: 6th

Recent Form: WWLDW

Villa fans must feel like they are on top of the world after their sides weekend heroics. A fixture with Chelsea is daunting for some but Martin O’Neill had no problem firing his side up for the home clash with Chelsea, of whom were the league leaders at the time. Villa beat Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea 2-1 at Villa Park, but what was more staggering was that Villa had to come from behind to record their stunning victory and my did they deserve it. They were simply sensational at back, with their defence rock solid and impenetrable at times, and this helped Brad Friedel grow in confidence as the American produced a number of stunning saves to deny Chelsea an equaliser. Come the end, Villa were more than worthy winners and that staggering victory, and performance, should stand them in good stead ahead of their clash with Wolves.

Not only have Villa now won five out of eight in the league but they’ve also beaten two of the so called’ Big Four’ already, with Villa stunning Liverpool earlier in the season on their own patch, winning 3-1 at Anfield. In fact, it’s been Villa’s performances against sides like Wolves that has let them down thus far, with defeats at home to Wigan Athletic and away at Blackburn Rovers. It’s all good and well beating the big boys but if you can’t follow that up with victories over the smaller fish then Villa won’t have much of a chance of breaking into the top four, especially as it’s becoming tighter and tighter as each set of fixtures passes.

The Villa players should be riding high after claiming the scalp of Chelsea at the weekend but will they seize the opportunity to build up some momentum after a memorable result and get the win that could see them break back into the top four? Considering the stature and form of their opponents, we don’t see any reason why not. Villa have key players on top of their game, more notably James Milner – who was outstanding on Saturday, causing the Chelsea defence all sorts of problems at the back, whilst putting in a hefty shift in the Villa defence. Richard Dunne has reinforced the Villa back line whilst he poses a big threat to opponents from set-pieces, scoring two headed goals for Villa in as many games. Brad Friedel has proved a cunning piece of business for a while now and, although he was key in Villa’s win at the weekend, he may not be called upon as much this Saturday but you can bank on him being ready when the odd Wolves opportunity does arise.

Aston Villa remain as one of the more in form sides at the moment, with five wins from eight and 16 points from a possible 24. Since their 0-2 humbling by Wigan on the opening day of the season, Villa have bounced back and they still boast a 100% away record, albeit having played just two away games so far. Victories over Liverpool (1-3) and Birmingham City (0-1) has bolstered their away credentials and it was on their travels where Villa earned most of their points last season, with 10 of their 17 wins coming on the road in last years campaign. That has to be a big plus for any Villa backers and, off the back of a superb Chelsea win, who would doubt their ability to wrap up their third away win in succession at Molineux? – Certainly not us.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Wolverhampton Wanderers W: 0 Aston Villa W: 2 Draws: 0

These two have only met twice in the league, that coming way back in the 2003/2004 season. However, back then it was Villa who claimed all the spoils, beating Wolves 3-2 at Villa Park but more importantly demolishing Wolves at Molineux, 4-0. Both those encounters featured a fair few goals so perhaps that is a sign of things to coke for this weekend clash, we would certainly like to think so.

Match Verdict:- Aston Villa to WIN – 2.15 BlueSquare

With no European commitments to contend with, Martin O’Neill’s squad of young and exuberant players should be fresher than ever to perform. Villa have ideal form heading into this game, a draw with Man City and a victory over Chelsea, four points from two extremely tough fixtures and this is their easiest for some time. However, it was a typical Villa trait last season that they would falter when they were expected to win but we hope that won’t be the case this week. Villa are the favourites to comply and we would be very surprised if they were to drop any points at Molineux.

Match Odds:

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 3.6 Bet365

Draw – 3.4 Boylesports

Aston Villa – 2.15 BlueSquare

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Over 1.5 Goals in First Half – 3.2 Boylesports

Kick-off: Saturday 17^th October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: Goodison Park

Everton

League Position: 10th

Recent Form: WLWWD

Everton have finally shown some signs of recovery after a painful start to the new league campaign. Three defeats in their opening four games dampened the spirits of the fans as they were geared up for a possible top four push this season. That still doesn’t look at all likely despite a valiant return to form with seven points from their last three games, a home draw with Stoke City putting an end to their two match winning run they had previously built up with victories at Portsmouth (0-1) and at home to Blackburn Rovers (3-0).

Everton have now gone unbeaten in three games, not the run of dreams but it’s certainly a start, and a big morale boost to what must have been a demoralised Everton camp at the start of the season. However, Everton’s last outing wasn’t as successful as many would have anticipated, far from it. A draw at home to Stoke is never a positive result, no disrespect Stoke City fans, but Everton really should have wrapped up all three points in that game. That point now leaves Everton clinging onto their top ten status at current in 10^th position, but a win at home to Wolves would see them jump up a few more places, much to the delight of an expectant Goodison Park support.

Everton’s defence has come under fire of late, with the Toffee’s conceding eight goals at home already, although six of those did come in the 6-2 bashing against Arsenal on the opening day of the season. Still, both Wigan Athletic & Stoke City have found the Everton goal, and they are hardly the most formidable sides in attack. The departure of Joleon Lescott has left a big void at the back for David Moyes, one he has attempted to fill in the form of Sylvain Distin, but probably not successfully, although it’s still early days in his Everton career.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 17th

Recent Form: DLWLL

This is an extremely tough trip for Mick McCarthy and Wolves to have to face as they prepare to embrace Goodison Park for the first time in nearly seven years. The last time Wolves faced Everton on Merseyside it was the home side who took all the spoils in a 2-0 success. Will Wolves avenge that scoreline with their youthful squad, or will they crumble as Everton continue their road to recovery. Well, we can’t help but see the latter happening, with Wolves severely lacking the quality required to go on a consistent run that tends to keep most teams in the division.

It’s now two defeats on the spin for Wolves, their third in four, and their fifth of the season so far. Wolves have only played eight games thus far so when you consider that over half of their games have ended in defeat, it doesn’t bode at all well for their chances as they head up north to Merseyside. Scoring is certainly an issue for Wolves right now, or scoring enough shall we say, with Wolves managing to find the opposing net on just seven occasions this term, an average of just under a goal every game.

However, although that statistic may not seem too bad at first glance, Wolves have had a very generous fixture list up till now consisting of very winnable games, games they haven’t won. They have lost three away games on the bounce, conceding nine in the process, and, when you bear in mind that they were thumped on their last away day out in Sunderland, you can’t help but think that the Wolves camp maybe a bit demoralised and that their best fortunes will specifically come at home, at Molineux.

Wolves will certainly give it their all and they are actually a very dangerous side on their day. Creating chances hasn’t really been too much of an issue for the lads but scoring them has. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake has spent most of the early season on the sidelines while new signing, Kevin Doyle, hasn’t really sprung into life for Wolves, as of yet, so there are big reservations about the Wolverhampton strike force.

Head-to-Head:

Everton W: 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers W: 1 Draws: 0

The pair have only met twice before in the league, that was back in the 2003/2004 Premiership campaign, six seasons ago. The honours were shared then with Everton beating Wolves 2-0 at Goodison, while Wolves secured a 2-1 victory back at Molineux. Home advantage appeared to be the difference back then, will it prove the deciding factor this Saturday.

Key Player:- Louis Saha

King Louis as he’s known to the natives, Louis Saha will need to be on top of his game from now on with Yakubu now back in the first team after a long injury lay-off. Saha has been Everton’s most deadliest striker this season, scoring five goals thus far, but David Moyes now has the option of choosing between him, Yakubu and Jo. Saha will need to work even harder from now on and maintain his goalscoring form. He still has deadly pace and an eye for the goal, and his wit around the opposition goalmouth is something managers struggle to teach the young kids these days. If he starts on Saturday, Louis Saha will be eager to show why he should be the first of three first-choice strikers on the team sheet.

Match Verdict: Everton to WIN – 1/2 Ladbrokes

It’s important that Everton make up for their early dip in form and continue adding points onto the board. A home fixture with Wolves represents a near=perfect opportunity for Everton to do just that. Wolves will have their moments, but, providing the Everton defence keeps it tidy at the back, they should have more than enough to see a Wolves side struggling in the striking department. Not the best odds on an Everton win but they should comply.

Match Odds:

Everton – 1/2 Ladbrokes

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 15/2 PaddyPower

Draw – 10/3 StanJames

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Everton to WIN to NIL – 7/5 BlueSquare

English Premiership 2009/2010

Wolverhampton Wanderers V Portsmouth

Kick-off: Saturday 3^rd October – 15:00 GMT

Venue: The KC Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 16th

Recent Form: LDLWL

Mick McCarthy will have to mend some broken hearts this week after Wolves gave their all in their weekend clash away at Sunderland. Although the 5-2 score line did look a tad overwhelming and convincing, Wolves gave as good as they got and, were they a little more clinical in the final third, could of possibly sneaked a point. However, once Kenwyn Jones bagged Sunderland’s third, Wolves capitulated and that has to be a major concern for Mick McCarthy as he watched on as his valiant troops finally lost the war, pretty emphatically come the end.

Still, despite the poor result and having nothing to show for their efforts, there were plenty of positives for Mick McCarthy to take out of the game. The teams fighting spirit on the day was a testament to the manager who obviously gave his side what for in the dressing room at half-time and the players quickly responded. The players shown tremendous character even in defeat and they should heart from the fact that a similar performance this weekend would see them go mighty close to winning their third game of the season.

That was the clubs fourth defeat of the season though and it now leaves Wolves clinging to safety, just three points above the drop zone. However, they do have in front of them a very winnable game with a Portsmouth side who’ve yet to register a single point this term. That doesn’t mean Wolves can simply turn up and take all three points though as Pompey are showing real signs of improvements of late and they will need to work their socks and ensure they don’t get complacent if they want maximum points from this game.

Portsmouth

League Position: 20^th

Recent Form: LLLLL

Where do we start with Portsmouth? The worst start by any team in the Premiership was extended last weekend when Portsmouth lost their seventh consecutive game at home to Everton, losing 1-0 on the day. However, although their terrible run of results doesn’t look in the slightest bit good, their performances on the pitch are starting to get a whole lot better and they were mighty unlucky not to have taken something out of that game with Everton. However, you don’t get nothing for hard work but at least there are finally positives for manager Paul Hart to build upon.

Against Everton, Portsmouth put everything had into that game and they bombarded the Everton goal but, it was all in vein come the end. Although their work rate and endeavour was top rate on Saturday, they are still lacking that cutting edge needed to win games, especially in open play. From set-peices, Portsmouth look a real threat, with Younes Kaboul similar to a salmon when he leaps up above everyone when Portsmouth have corners. However, you can’t rely solely on set-pieces for points although, Stoke City have made a living out of it recently.

We still aren’t totally convinced with the manager; Paul hart. A new manager would be the buck up the ass the players so desperately need and probably crave but Portsmouth are improving, it has to be said. They were a whole lot better at the weekend and they weren’t too bad in their last away encounter at Aston Villa. They’re getting closer to recording their first points of the season and they won’t get many easier opportunities then a game against a Wolves side fresh off the back of a 5-2 mauling away at Sunderland. The home side will still be feeling that drubbing and Pompey could take advantage here.

Head-to-Head:

Wolverhampton Wanderers W: 0 Portsmouth W: 0 Draws: 2

These two have only met each other twice since the Premiership was formed and that was six years ago back in the 2004/2004 season. However, back then the pair played out two unattractive 0-0 draws and this match might not be too far off as neither side has been that impressive in front of goal this term, with Portsmouth managing just three goals in seven and Wolves just the seven.

Match Verdict: Draw – 5/2 Boylesports

Both teams will eye this fixture as one they have every chance of winning ,especially Portsmouth, who have yet to pick up a single point this season. However, this looks not only a glorious opportunity for them to get their point accumulation off and running but also for Wolves to bolster their rather slim tally and go further adrift of the relegation zone. However, with Portsmouth showing signs of improving, we fancy the home advantage to possibly cancel out a hungry Pompey side and, to be honest, neither would begrudge a draw here.

Match Odds:

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 11/10 SportingBet

Portsmouth – 11/4 SkyBet

Draw – 5/2 Boylesports

SoccerBetting Tip: 0-0 Correct Score – 9/1 Bet365

Sunderland V Wolverhampton Wanderers

Kick-off: Sunday 27^th September – 16:00 GMT

Venue: The Stadium of Light

Sunderland

League Position: 8th

Recent Form: LWLWL

After being completely outplayed at the weekend, Steve Bruce takes his squad back home where a rejuvenated Wolves take to the Stadium of Light. Sunderland were on the wrong end of a 3-1 defeat away at Burnley last week, although, Steve Bruce will take some compensation from the fact that Burnley have a 100% record at Turf Moor. However, there will be no excuses if Sunderland fail to deliver on their home turf. 

After a decent start, with three wins from six games, Sunderland still find themselves in the top ten. A big positive for any potential Black Cat backer will be the fact that two of Sunderland three victories this season have come at The Stadium of Light. They beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1, while they smashed Hull City off the park in a 4-1 rout of the Tigers. With these results in mind, and taking into consideration their away woes, Steve Bruce & Sunderland will certainly need to capitalise on home advantage as it’s clear Sunderland won’t pick up too many points on their travels after losing two away games on the spin.

Sunderland did have their moments against Burnley, with Darren bent embracing the score sheet with a sleek one-on-one finish. He’s extended his goal tally to 5, just one behind Wayne Rooney who has six league goals to his name. Bent has been immense for Sunderland so far and he will be their biggest goal threat in this fixture with Wolves.

Sunderland do look a lot more compact than last season although they do still look a tad vulnerable at the back. However, Burnley’s goals were pretty emphatic with David Nugent scoring two beauties, while an Alexander penalty, due to a rash Ferdinand tackle, sentenced Sunderland to their third defeat of the season. Were they to tighten up at the back and reduce the amount of rash mistakes they make, Sunderland could become a decent side.

Wolves

League Position: 12th

Recent Form: WLDLW

Wolves fans will feel they are on cloud nine this week after their side secured their second set of three points this season. A narrow 2-1 win at home to Fulham has given fans a new found optimism and the players should be buoyed by their recent success, which should stand them in good stead as they face a Sunderland side suffering a weekend hangover away at Burnley.

Mick McCarthy got his tactics spot on against Fulham as his side overran Fulham in the middle of the park, which is a big achievement as Fulham do posses some workmanlike players in the centre of midfield. Goals from Kevin Doyle & David Edwards was enough to hand Wolves just their second win of the season and their first at Molineux. However, they now face a rather daunting trip to the Stadium of Light but, despite the quality on show at Sunderland, Wolves are the inform side of the two, after their victory last Sunday, and they will feel confident of making it two games without defeat and possibly recording their first back-to-back wins of the season.

Wolves were awful in their latest away outing when they capitulated away at Blackburn, losing 3-1 at Ewood Park. Blackburn were hardly in glorious form that day but Wolves simply failed to turn up and another dreadful display like that and Wolves will struggle to get anything out of the game. Wolves can and do create a hat full of chances but they lack a quality forward to convert the many opportunities they do carve out. Kevin Doyle scored his first goal in a Wolves shirt but we aren’t too confidence in him scoring too many this season, but, over the horizon is the return of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake. The former United trainee was the clubs top goalscorer last season with 25 goals and his absence through injury has left a big void up front, one Mick McCarthy has yet to find a suitable replacement for.

Head-to-Head:

These two have never played each other in the Premiership but they have took on one another four times back in The Championship, with Sunderland certainly getting the better of Wolves in the head-to-head. Sunderland have beaten Wolves twice in two meetings at The Stadium of Light, while the Black Cats recorded two satisfactory draws back at Molinuex. However, it’s been three three season since these two last met and there has been a lot of changes within the squads since then.

Match Verdict: Sunderland to WIN – 5/6 SkyBet

Steve Bruce will be eager to put Sunderland’s weekend woes away at Burnley firmly to bed and a win at home to Wolves would certainly do the trick. Home advantage is key here as Sunderland have performed extremely well at The Stadium of Light, even when they lost 3-1 to Chelsea they still had their moments with Darren Bent on form that day as well. He will be pivotal to Sunderland’s chances on Sunday but we fancy the England hopeful to come good and at least score his sixth goal of the season against a Wolves side that has serious troubles in converting chances.

Match Odds:

Sunderland – 5/6 SkyBet

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 4/1 PaddyPower

DRAW – 13/5 Bet365

SoccerBetting Tip: Darren Bent to score a BRACE (Two or more goals) – 5/1 SkyBet

English Premiership 2009/2010 – Game Week 4

Wolverhampton Wanderers V Hull City

Kick-Off: Saturday 29^th August – 15:00 GMT

Venue: Molineux Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers

League Position: 14th

Recent Form: LWL

Some gutsy performances but just three points to show for their efforts. Wolves have made a decent start in terms of their performances on the pitch, but two defeats from their opening three games is a clear indication that, despite their ability to show glimpses of quality on the field, they lack the consistency and quality in depth to adapt and contnd with such a gruelling league. They lost on the opening day of the season against West Ham United, losing 2-0, and their latest outing ended in misery also, succumbing to a narrow 1-0 defeat at The City of Manchester stadium against the free-spending Manchester City. However, their spirits were lifted with victory in their second fixture of the season away at Wigan. They surprised many people with a 1-0 victory at The JJB but were brought back down to earth with defeat against Man City the following week.

Wolves will struggle to survive this season, there’s no getting away from that, but they do posses some talented individuals who can produce the goods, albeit on rare occasions. Against Wigan, Wolves were superb. They harried the opposition, gave Wigan no time on the ball and created the best chances of the two teams. Fortunately, for the faithful Wolves supporters, they did manage to put one away, but the fact that Wolves have found the net just once in their opening three fixtures is already causing alarm bells to ring. To add insult to injury, (Pun very much intended) Wolves will be without injured duo Chris Iwelumo & Sylvain Ebanks-Blake although Blake will face a late fitness test ahead of their second home game of the season.

If Wolves are going to survive this season then there’s two areas which need improving. Their finishing and their home form. They lost their opening home fixture of the season 2-0. In order to survive they will need to make Molineux a fortress, especially against sides that are certainly beatable. Secondly, their strikers will need to sharpen up, at least the ones still available. It may still be early days but one goal in three games isn’t good.

Hull City

League Position: 15th 

Recent Form: LLW

Phil Brown and Hull City will be ecstatic after finally ending their abysmal home run without a single win, which stretched all the way back to December last year. That rare victory will give the players a huge boost in confidence ahead of what is another very winnable fixture against a Wolves side destined to struggle this season. You would have to say that Hull do have the more talented of the two squads but, Hull, a team who only win every full moon, winning two games on the bounce, is that even possible?

That 1-0 victory over Bolton at the weekend really could and should have been a much bigger margin. Hull carved open the Bolton back line on more then one occasion and could of scored four or five were it not for some mediocre finishing. However, the fact that Hull are now creating these chances is a huge positive and the credit has to go down to Phil Brown for his recent purchases. Both Jozy Altidore & Kamel Ghilas were introduced for the very first time in Saturday’s victory over Bolton and the pair play an integral part in securing Hull’s first win in what seemed to be a decade. For the first time in several months, Hull actually looked a threat going forward. The sheer strength of Altidore in combination with the surprisingly skilful Ghilas made for one lethal duo on Saturday. If the pair can reproduce that form then Hull are well worth a squirt at odds of around 11/4.

Head-to-Head:

Wolves W: 3 Hull W: 3 Draws: 0

The two sides have never met before in the Premiership so both sides will need to acclimatise quickly. To make this fixture even harder to predict, their clashes in The Championship were ever harder to call. However, back in 2007/2008 season when the pair were both involved in The Championship, Hull completed a league double over Wolves, winning both at The KC stadium and at Molineux, home of Wolves. Hull beat Wolves 1-0 at Molineux and Phil Brown would be more than delighted with a similar scoreline on saturday.

Match Verdict: Hull to WIN – 11/4 Bet365

I can’t believe I’ve tipped up Hull to win once again, after tipping them to end their rout last weekend, but their new striking duo of Altidore & Ghilas has swayed me into predicting another Hull victory. The pair looked a real handful against a Bolton defence which is normally pretty ship-tight. Wolves aren’t renowned for their superb defending so Hull look a decent enough price to comply for the second consecutive weekend.

Match Odds:

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 23/20 BlueSquare

Hull City – 11/4 Bet365

Draw – 12/5 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Tip: Hull City to Score 3+ Goals – 10/1 SkyBet

English Premiership 2009/2010

Manchester City V Wolverhampton Wanderers

Kick-Off: Saturday 22nd August – 15:00 GMT 

Venue: The City of Manchester Stadium

The critics have been out from the off ahead of the eagerly awaited season at Manchester City but it was the City players who did all their talking on the pitch last Saturday when Mark Hughes guided City to an opening day victory away at Blackburn Rovers. The incentives are certainly there for City to record yet another domestic victory as it would take them level with league leaders Tottenham Hotspur and put them right into contention for a possible top four finish.

Man City are short priced favourites to do the business in this fixture after impressing in their first outing of the new season, that doesn’t really surprise us. They certainly posses the players to challenge the English hierarchy but it’s all about the pace of which Hughes can get his squad to gel. City have been blessed with a brace of easy fixtures and they look set to take advantage of both providing they at least equal the level they reached last Saturday.

After securing their first points of the season, Wolves won’t want to lose their winning feeling and will have high hopes of winning back-to-back games in the league when they attempt to overhaul the free spending Man City at The City of Manchester Stadium this Saturday. Mick McCarthy’s players will be acclimatised with the Manchester surroundings after taking on Wigan in midweek and succeeding so that will certainly work in their favour. That victory over Wigan Athletic will leave the players in a buoyant mood although their midweek celebrations could soon come to an abrupt end as they face the first of the two Manchester clubs with real quality.

Andy Keogh has the honour of scoring Wolves’s first goal of the 2009/2010 season but more importantly for Wolves, it was the goal that added three points to the board. Their performance on the night backed up the result and Wolves really could of won by more were it not for some lacklustre finishing. That’s out only criticisms of this Wolves side right now. Their forwards are vastly inexperienced and when it boils down to the pressure moments (One-on-One’s) Ebanks-Blake clearly showed he wasn’t up to the task and he’s their more talented of forwards. It will take another goal from Midfield and another valiant defensive displays for Wolves to take a share of the spoils with another away victory out of the question for the time being.

Head-to-Head: Man City W:0 Wolves W: 1 Draws: 1

The pair haven’t clashed in the league since way back in the 2003/2004 Premiership. However, back then it was Wolves who enjoyed this fixture, winning at Molineux and pulling off what was a surprise draw in Manchester in an enthralling 3-3 draw. Will those results prove lucky for Wolves and spur them on to a big point in Manchester again?

Match Verdict: City to make it two on the bounce with another victory – 7/10 Coral

Wolves did enjoy this fixture several seasons ago but times have certainly changed since and it’s now Man City who are the heavy favourites to end Wolves hopes of securing back-to-back victories. City maybe as short as 1/3 with some firm but considering the amount of talent Mark Hughes has at his disposal, that could potentially be a steal. The City fans are already dreaming of playing in Europe against the very best but before that happens City will need to do the ‘nitty-gritty’ stuff against the weaker sides.

Match Odds:

Manchester City – 7/19 Coral

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 11/1 Bet365

Draw – 4/1 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Tip: Sean Wright-Phillips to Score Anytime – 4/1 WilliamHill