Wolverhampton Wanderers V Tottenham Hotspur

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 10 September 2011 (15:00 GMT)

Venue: Molineux

Preview

Having made their best ever start to a Premier League season, Wolves could be unchanged for the fourth game in a row ahead of Saturday’s visit of a beleaguered Tottenham. The Midlands club are still unbeaten after their first three games, recording battling wins over Blackburn and Wolves before dropping their first points of the term away at neighbours Aston Villa just before the international break, and provided influential winger Matt Jarvis shrugs of a minor ankle problem, Mick McCarthy will be reluctant to make any changes.

The same cannot be said for their opposition, though. Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp was incensed with what he saw a fortnight ago, which was his team taking to the cleaners for the second week in a row. I felt Spurs were a little unlucky to come away from Old Trafford in their belated opening game of the season against defending champions Manchester United with an emphatic 3-0 loss, as they enjoyed just as much of the ball as the hosts. But they were completely outplayed and outclassed by the other Manchester outfit as City exploited a frail Tottenham lacking any backbone or spirit to record a 5-1 win at White Hart Lane – Harry’s heaviest defeat as Tottenham manager.

It was inevitable, what with the way his side have begun and with so many injuries, that Harry Redknapp would do some business on transfer deadline day. Former West Ham skipper Scott Parker could be a fabulous piece of business provided the England midfielder produces the same form which saw him take him the Writer’s Player of the Year award. But that was it. Emmanuel Adebayor arrived on loan for the season a week before the window shut, but he could be absolutely anything – though he surely can’t be any worse than their current crop of misfiring forwards.

I do worry for Spurs. Their squad is down to the bare bones with so many injuries, with King, Gallas, Sandro, Pienaar and Van der Vaart all currently out injured, while their key men have gone completely off the boil since their exit from last season’s Champions League. Bale and Lennon have been nowhere near as effective as they were before and after Christmas, their forwards (Pavlyuchenko, who does have three goals in his last two appearances versus Wolves, Defoe and Crouch, who was performing so poorly he was sold on deadline day to stoke) have basically gone missing, while Luka Modric, the mercurial midfielder who pulls all the strings in middle of the park, clearly wishes he was missing, as he would definitely rather be anywhere but at Tottenham right now, let alone for the remainder of the term.

It really doesn’t get any easier for Harry and Spurs either, as next up is an opponent who have caused them no ends of problems in recent meetings. Wolves, who have made a stunning start – taking seven points from a possible nine – will be full of confidence and will take a tremendous amount of heart from their recent record against Tottenham, having won two and lost only one of the previous four encounters. Could be another uncomfortable weekend for Harry, who has come full circle as Tottenham manager and could find himself in the firing line with a third straight defeat.

Match Pointers

These two clubs have met on six occasions in the Premier League – Tottenham leading the head-to-head with three wins to Wolves’ two.

However, Wolves have only lost one of their four most recent top-flight encounters; between 2009-2011 (W2 D1 L1).

Wolves have suffered only one loss in their last seven league fixtures, and just two in their previous eight at Molineux.

Spurs, meanwhile, have won only three of their last fourteen Premiership contests, losing four of their last seven on the road (W1 D2 L4).

Wolves’ Steven Fletcher and Tottenham’s Roman Pavlyuchenko scored home and away against each other in 2010/11.

Betting Verdict

Surely I’m not the only one who laughed when they saw Tottenham’s odds this weekend? Up against a team brimming with confidence, who’ll be at full strength seeking to extend their three-game unbeaten start to the season… Spurs look a definite no-go at 6/4.

The Spurs defence was at sixes and sevens a fortnight ago. Perhaps they were trying to concede six or seven? It certainly looked that way. With a stack of injuries, their important players out of form and a distinct lack of summer recruits compounding their horrific start to the campaign, I really can’t see anything other than a Wolves victory, that is unless an inspired Gareth Bale, who was exceptional for his country in Wales’ Euro 2012 Qualifiers against Montenegro and England, makes a rare appearance of note and rediscover his club form which earned him PFA Player of the Year at the end of last season.

Wolves never make it easy for opponents, especially at Molineux where they’ve suffered just one defeat in ten in the league. Steven Fletcher and Kevin Doyle are industrious as they come up front and will be a right handful for an out of sorts Spurs defence. The hosts for me, and I suspect there could be a few goals, as there invariably are when these two meet.

Match Prediction: Wolves to WIN – 2/1 VictorChandler

Value Bet: Over 3.5 Goals (4 or More) – 5/2 WilliamHill

Match Odds

Wolves – 2/1 VictorChandler

Draw – 12/5 SkyBet

Tottenham – 6/4 Boylesports

Wolverhampton Wanderers V Tottenham Hotspur

Date & Kick-Off: Sunday, 6th March – 16:00 (GMT)
Venue: Molineux
TV Coverage: Sky Sports HD1

Two managers with similar woes meet at Molineux this Sunday, with both Mick McCarthy and Harry Redknapp missing half-a-dozen players who might have featured in a match neither party can afford to lose.

Wolves are desperate for maximum points in order to enhance their claims for survival, with the club currently languishing in the bottom three. Victory over Spurs, however, would go some way to boosting their disconcerting situation down near the foot of the table, as it would lead to them leaping out of the relegation zone and onto safe ground for a change.

Tottenham, though, are determined to to clinch a top-four finish for the second season running and find themselves in a tense battle with Chelsea, who are only one point ahead of Redknapp’s side having played the same amount of fixtures.

So there’s plenty at stake for both teams.

Wolves

For all those youngsters out there who reckon homework is a waste of time, just try telling Mick McCarthy that. The Wolves manager believes that between he and his scouts, who watch their opponents at least four times before Wolves even come into contact with them on a football pitch, they have a cunning plan which will bring down fifth-placed Tottenham at Molienux this Sunday.

You’re probably thinking he’s gone a little mad, but who would dare doubt a man who has masterminded Chelsea, Liverpool and even Manchester United’s downfall this season, the latter a team who were unbeaten in 28 Premier League matches at the time. If anything, Wolves have been ultra consistent in the seemingly improbable fixtures, and yet annoyingly frustrating in the supposedly straightforward encounters. Five of their eight league victories this season have come against sides currently residing in the top half of the table, so Spurs won’t be all that daunting a prospect for Wolves.

Those who are writing Wolves off really do need to think again. On the last occasion these two teams came to loggerheads in the league, Wolves went 1-0 up through Steve Fletcher at White Hart Lane only to conceded three goals in the final fifteen minutes of the match to lose 3-1, a match they certainly didn’t deserve to lose. Then we have last season’s outcomes, where Wolves did the double over Harry’s men, winning both contests 1-0. Three of Wolves’ seven wins at Molineux this season were without conceding, so perhaps that’s the way to go?

Unfortunately for Mick McCarthy, it isn’t as simple as doing all the hard work beforehand and the results will follow. While he may feel he has some inside knowledge on the Spurs team, his biggest obstacle lyes in his own dressing room. Midfield duo Adam Hammill and Jamie O’Hara, the latter having score in both appearances for the Midlanders since joining on loan from Spurs, have joined an extensive list of absentees which contain the likes of Noel Hunt, Michael Kightly and Ronald Zubar among others.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham know more than most never to underestimate the underdog, especially one named Wolves.

Spurs were beaten home and away by the Midlands outfit last season, bizarrely losing both by 1-0, while they were just 13 minutes away from suffering a third successive 1-0 defeat at the hands of Mick McCarthy’s men earlier in the season at White Hart Lane only for some last-gasp strikes from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Alan Hutton to spare their blushes – So Harry Redknapp knows full well what to expect from Sunday’s opponents.

Nevertheless, despite the several close-run affairs, Spurs are firm favourites to come out on top in Sunday’s Molineux encounter. That’s of little surprise when you consider that a couple of defeats away at Everton and Blackpool are Tottenham’s only blemishes in an otherwise highly impressive nineteen match streak in the league which contains 9 wins, 8 draws and 2 losses.

Furthermore, Tottenham should appreciate the fact they’ve been in action sparingly over the last couple of weeks. So much so that Sunday’s match will be their first in a fortnight. While that should lead to some fresher legs and refreshed minds, it hasn’t helped ease the burden on the club’s medical staff. Gareth Bale is among an extensive list of absentees which contains defenders Ledley King, Vedran Corluka and Younes Kaboul, as well as midfielder Tom Huddlestone, while Jonathan Woodgate, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Jermain Defoe are all doubts.

There is no question this fixture has the potential to cause Spurs plenty of problems, but they’ve collected so many more points that we expected them to gather from similar fixtures this season; for instance, impressive victories away at Blackburn, Fulham, Stoke and Sunderland, not to mention a stunning 3-2 win at the Emirates over their arch local neighbours, Arsenal.

However, Spurs were overturned on their most recent away day out, this despite creating almost three times as many goalscoring opportunities as their opponents as Blackpool clinched three massive points in a 3-1 triumph at Bloomfield Road. A momentum buster or has this two-week reprieve been a God send for Harry Redknapp and his depleted ranks?

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FORM & STATISTICS

Wolves

Last 5 Matches

Premier League: Wolves 4-0 Blackburn
Premier League: West Brom 1-1 Wolves
Premier League: Arsenal 2-0 Wolves
Premier League: Wolves 2-1 Man Utd
Premier League: Bolton 1-0 Wolves

2010/2011 League Statistics

League Position: 18th
Win-Draw-Lose: 8-4-16 (Home: 7-2-5)
Goal Difference:  31-46 (Home: 21-19)
Form: LWLDW (Home: LWLWW)
Top Scorer: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (6)

- No team has drawn fewer matches in the top-flight this season than Wolves (4).

- Wolves have won six of their last nine matches at Molineux in all competitions.

- Midfielder Jamie O’Hara has scored in back-to-back fixtures, both strikes were outside the box.

Tottenham Hotspur

Premier League: Blackpool 3-1 Tottenham
Champions League: AC Milan 0-1 Tottenham
Premier League: Sunderland 1-2 Tottenham
Premier League: Tottenham 2-1 Bolton
Premier League: Blackburn 0-1 Tottenham

2010/2011 League Statistics

League Position: 5th
Win-Draw-Lose: 13-8-6 (Away: 6-3-5)
Goal Difference: 38-31 (Away: 19-21)
Form: DWWWL (Away: LDWWL)
Top Scorer: Rafael Van Der Vaart (10)

- A 3-1 reverse away to Blackpool last time out put an end to a four-match winning streak for Tottenham.

- Spurs have only lost two of their last sixteen league games, although both of those were away from home.

- Tottenham have scored the last goal in their last five league fixtures.

- Of the fourteen times Spurs have been on their travels in the league this season, only once did they score 3 or more goals, ironically against their fierce rivals Arsenal at the Emirates.

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HEAD-TO-HEAD

Premier League

Wolves wins: 2
Draws: 0
Tottenham wins: 3

Recent Meetings (Premier League ONLY)

2010/2011: Tottenham 3-1 Wolves
2009/2010: Wolves 1-0 Tottenham
2009/2010: Tottenham 0-1 Wolves

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Betting Odds & Tips

Match Prediction: Draw – 3.40 WilliamHill

A full-strength Tottenham team would be mighty difficult to oppose, but that isn’t the case at the moment. Redknapp is counting the cost of Gareth Bale’s prolonged absence from the side, with the Welsh winger having missed much of the new year with a back problem. Van Der Vaart has had several niggling injuries and is by no means guaranteed to start on Sunday either.

Wolves aren’t exactly better off, though. Jamie O’Hara has two goals in two starts for Wolves but is ineligable to play against his parent club, while Adam Hammill has been ruled out through injury.

The majority of the chances should fall Tottenham’s way as they play with more ambition, while it goes without saying that they have the better quality of attacking options. However, there aren’t too many teams in the Premier League who play with more passion and hunger than Mick McCarthy’s Wolves. The Molineux outfit have been outstanding in just this sort of fixture as well this season, but Spurs have had a knack of grounding out creditable results at difficult venues, so it could be a case of honours even as industry clashes with forward flair and ingenuity.

Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score -7.00 WilliamHill

Match Odds:

Wolves – 3.00 Bet365
Draw – 3.40 WIlliamHill
Tottenham Hotspur – 2.50 VictorChandler

More information:
Free football betting tips

The English Premier League

Midweek Fixtures

Tuesday, 9^th February 2009

19:45 GMT – Manchester City (1.44 Bet365) V Bolton Wanderers (9.00 SkyBet)

19:45 GMT – Portsmouth (2.50 PaddyPower) V Sunderland (3.20 VCbet)

19:45 GMT – Wigan Athletic (2.25 Boylesports) V Stoke City (3.60 VCbet)

20:00 GMT – Fulham (1.73 Bet365) V Burnley (5.50 PaddyPower)

Wednesday, 10^th February

19:45 GMT – Arsenal (2.10 Bet365) V Liverpool (3.90 Expekt) ARSENAL V LIVERPOOL DETAILED PREVIEW!

19:45 GMT – Aston Villa (4.30 VCbet) V Manchester United (1.91 Boylesports) VILLA V MAN UNITED DETAILED PREVIEW

19:45 GMT – West Ham United (2.30 PaddyPower) V Birmingham City (3.50 Coral)

19:45 GMT – Wolverhampton Wanderers (4.50 SkyBet) V Tottenham Hotspur (1.91 Bet365)

20:00 GMT – Blackburn Rovers (1.91 VCbet) V Hull City (4.50 Boylesports)

20:00 GMT – Everton (5.50 BlueSquare) V Chelsea (1.73 Bet365)

Live Games:

Manchester City V Bolton Wanderers – Sky Sports 2

Arsenal V Liverpool - Sky Sports 2

The live action kicks off with Man City entertaining Owen Coyle’s Bolton at The City of Manchester stadium as the home side aim to bounce straight back from their shock defeat to Hill City at the weekend. The blue half of Manchester are still dreaming of Champions League football for next season, but could find themselves settling for The Europa League if City‘s performances don’t improve, starting with the arrival of Bolton Wanderers, a side who themselves cannot afford to drop too many points, with Bolton hovering just above the relegation zone. A victory for Man City would lift them above Liverpool and into fourth position, their target destination, whereas defeat for Bolton could see them go into the weekends fixtures in the relegation zone if results elsewhere don’t go in their favour. Another shock, however, an away win for Bolton, could lift Bolton as high as 14^th in the table.

No doubt the fixture which has the most appeal, especially with neutral viewers, is the Arsenal V Liverpool clash which will be shown LIVE on Sky Sports on Wednesday night. Arsenal, after yet another defeat to a title rival, pin their revival challenge on a victory over Liverpool on Wednesday night as The Gunners fall nine points off the pace after their 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Liverpool, though, have their own reasons, equally as important, as to why they desperately need all three points as they aim to cement their top four stance with their first win at The Emirates since 2000. Liverpool are having to fend off the challenge from Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa & Man City for a Champions League berth next season and will boost their chances of finishing in fourth spot immensely with victory over The Gunners. A victory for the away side, a Liverpool WIN, would also bring Arsenal right back into the equation and loosen up two Champions League spots instead of the solitary one the teams have been chasing for the past two or so months. A big game in which a win for either side could have a huge impact on how the positions at the top of the table could be finalised.

The rest of the action goes as follows; Portsmouth, a team who appeared destined for the drop after news of yet more financial unrest, take on Sunderland at Fratton Park in a home fixture they just have to win. However, you wouldn’t fancy either sides chances, with Pompey losing five of their previous six league encounters and Sunderland not winning a Premiership fixture since the middle of November, going eleven games without a win. With this in mind, perhaps a small punt on the draw (3.30 Boylesports) could be worthwhile?

It’s a relegation six-pointer at The DW stadium as Bolton take on Wigan Athletic in a must win clash for either side. For now, though, both are on dry land but a loss for either side could see them spend the rest of this week in the bottom three. Home advantage does make Wigan the favourites, although they haven’t won in three at home, while Bolton won’t attract too many punters after not managing an away win since September, going seven games without any success on the road. Also, both teams are still searching for their first win of 2010. Not another draw (3.40 Boylesports), surely?

Fulham are going through an indifferent spell of late but have now opened up another potential unbeaten run after going two games unbeaten following their 0-0 draw away at Bolton. A win for the Cottagers would keep them in the upper half of the table until the weekend. Their opponents, however, are struggling to fend off the relegation zone but did give their chances a big boost with victory over West Ham United on Saturday, winning 2-1 at Turf Moor. However, Burnley are big ‘underdogs’ in this contest as they haven’t won an away fixture all season, losing 11 of 12 away Premiership fixtures.

A stuttering Aston Villa play host to a Manchester United side on fire at the moment. Villa have managed just one league victory in their last six, which is in stark contrast to their opponents who have won four on the trot, five in their last seven and are unbeaten in seven games. However, Villa are on the verge of completing an historic league double over United but are in need of a big performance to beat the Premiership champions on Wednesday night. Defeat for Villa would dampen their charge for a top four finish while victory for United would keep the pressure on Chelsea, perhaps even take them top if Chelsea don’t produce the goods elsewhere at Goodison.

West Ham meet Birmingham at Upton Park in a rare meeting for both sides. However, it’s Birmingham who arrive with the better form after returning to winning ways with a 2-1 win at home to Wolves. The Hammers, however, succumbed to their eleventh defeat of the campaign as they lost 2-1 at Burnley. West Ham are desperate for points though, but will need a mammoth display to overhaul Birmingham, whom have lost just once in fourteen league fixtures. However, West Ham are unbeaten in three at Upton Park and are boosted by their flurry of forward arrivals in January, so perhaps the home side can overpower a tough and resilient Birmingham side.

Wolves go seeking a first win in seven as they entertain a Tottenham side who have drawn far too many games recently. However, the same could be said for Wolves in terms of losing games, with Wolves losing four of their last five league games, whilst Tottenham have drawn four of their last seven. However, surely Tottenham will be fired up for this encounter and should be good for the win in the knowledge that they must avenge the home defeat they suffered at the hands of Wolves back in December. The problem for Spurs though, has been scoring goals, with Harry Redknapp‘s side scoring just one in their last three away outings. Wolves haven’t been much cop in front of goal either, with Mick McCarthy‘s men not scoring a single goal in any of their last three home fixtures. Perhaps a drab affair (Under 2.5 Goals – 1.85 SportingBet) could be on the cards at Molineux?

Another potential six-pointer as Blackburn welcome the arrival of Hull City in a game they will be supremely confident of getting all three points in. Rovers have played their best football, and gotten the vast majority of their points, in home games this season and should be too strong, on paper anyway, for their opponents, Hull, who haven’t won away from The KC stadium all season. Hull were annihilated in their last away fixture, losing 4-0 at Man City, and they could fall to a similar fate at Ewood Park as Blackburn Rovers have won their last two fixtures at home, beating both Fulham & Wigan Athletic. An away win is big, but tasty nevertheless, and it’s not asking an awful lot to expect a big performance from the Tigers after their weekend heroics over Man City, beating the mega-rich Manchester club 2-1 at The KC on Saturday.

Another eye-catching fixture is the last on the card – Everton V Chelsea. I’m sure most of you will remember the problems Everton caused Chelsea’s defence in the earlier meeting between the two at Stamford Bridge of which Everton scored three. Of course, Chelsea did put the same amount past Tim Howard but it was Everton who claimed the plaudits that day and are still to this day the only team to have taken anything away from Stamford Bridge. However, the two sides had contrasting results at the weekend, with Everton losing a bitter derby contest with Liverpool and Chelsea winning their London derby with Arsenal. Everton were, though, unbeaten in nine before their loss at Anfield, but has the momentum been lost and will Chelsea continue their surge as they set out to make it six wins in seven in the Premiership.