Wolverhampton

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

Wolverhampton Wanderers V West Ham United

Kick-Off: Saturday 15th August – 15:00 GMT
Venue: Molineux

Newly promoted Wolves kick-off their Premiership campaign in front of their home fans on Saturday afternoon in looks a decent opportunity to register some points in their very first outing. However, West Ham are becoming somewhat of a Premiership Granddad now and after the excitement of nearly finishing in the European places last season, ‘Hammers’ fans will have high hopes of another sparkling season.

Unlike some of the newly promoted teams that arrive in the Premiership, Mick McCarthy has been their and got the relegation scars. What’s more, he’s been relegated from the Premiership before with Sunderland so to say he has Premiership life experience is an understatement, although his time spent in the elite league of England has, in general, been an unhappy experience for the former Republic of Ireland manager. However, he help guide Wolves to The Championship title last season and will be hoping this young group of players he has moulded together can defy the critics and survive what will be a very tough season.

Most of the Wolves squad won’t ring any bells to many part-time football fans but our opinion of this Wolves team is that they’re certainly no potential world beaters but they’re a team with youth of their side and do have several players on their books with plenty of talent. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake was prolific in front of goal last season (25 Goals in 43 Games) while Michael Kightly & Andy Keogh had superb seasons in the centre of the park. However, although all three may have potential to become the next generation of stars in Britain, they are unproven at this level and that has to be a concern.

Gianfranco Zola was a big success with West Ham and is already fast becoming a hero in the making at Upton Park. In just his first season in charge he steered the club well away from relegation and almost did the unthinkable and finish with European football under his belt. They unfortunately finished just outside the European spots but there was certainly a lot of positives to take out of West Ham’s season last year. The most noteworthy was their impressive form at home. Although they may have lost eight games at Upton Park last season it’s worth mentioning that four of those were against the ‘Big Four’ with all four of those defeats being close run affairs.

‘The Hammers’ have now become a solid team under the new management of Zola & Steve Clarke and that’s something you have never heard about a West Ham side gone before. Just like every team, West Ham did suffer a lot of defeats but when they did lose they were rarely big defeats. They get in your face and don’t allow you any time on the ball. If they can maintain their solid approach throughout the coming season then West Ham could be a surprise package although they still lack a quality striker. Carlton Cole had a fair enough season but he doesn’t get enough goals. Luis Jiminez has been brought in on loan from Inter Milan but he’s somewhat of an unknown quantity in the Premiership.

Head-to-Head: The pair have never met before in the Premiership. The last time these two clashed in a competitive affair was back in 2004 in The Championship. Both sides managed victories at home, with Wolves winning 4-2 at Molineux and West Ham grinding out a 1-0 victory at Upton Park.

Match Verdict: This does have the makings to be a close encounter but Wolves will need to make the most of their home matches, especially ones against teams like West Ham. This is one of just a few fixtures Wolves could win and we expect Mick McCarthy to drum that into his players on Saturday. Wolves simply cannot afford to pass this opportunity up and we feel they’ll do just enough to win.

Match Odds:

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 13/8 Bet365
West Ham United – 9/5 PaddyPower
Draw – 23/10 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Tip: Sylvain Ebanks-Blake First Goal Scorer – 13/2 Bet365

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manager: Mick McCarthy
Stadium: The Molineux
2008/2009 Finish: Championship Winners!

Premiership Outright: 5000/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 11/8 Bet365

Transfers In:
Ronald Zubar, Greg Halford, Nenad Milijas, Marcus Hahnemann, Andrew Surman, Kevin Doyle

Transfers Out:
Lewis Gobern, Darren Potter

Key Player – Sylvain Ebanks-Blake
The former Manchester United trainee has been a revelation at Wolves since he signed from Plymouth Argyle back in 2008. He scored 25 goals in all competitions last season and finished as the clubs top goalscorer. Ebanks-Blake has a unique knack of getting his body in the right positions to prod home from just inside the oppositions box but that’s not all he’s about. He is physically very fit and his strength makes him a tough individual to disposes. He’s also a sweet finisher in the final third and will more then likely finish this season as the clubs top goalscorer once again.

SoccerBetting Opinion – Wolves don’t boast the best of squads on paper and, unless they can spring a handful of shocks this season, will more then likely spend their time in the Premiership gasping for safe air. We can’t see Wolves scoring enough goals while their defence looks extremely vulnerable. Mick McCarthy needed to strengthen all areas of his squad but we aren’t satisfied with his summer signings. A tough season looms ahead for Wolves.

SoccerBetting Prediction: 19th Position