Wolves and Bournemouth clash at Molineux on Wednesday for a comfortable position in the Premier League mid-table.
Wolves vs Bournemouth preview
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to title-chasing Arsenal was a huge blow for Wolves, adding more dejection to the side winless in their last six, having previously won four from five hoping to finish inside the Premier League top 10.
Currently 11th in the table behind Manchester United by just seven points, Gary O’Neil’s side’s European aspirations are out of their reach even though it wasn’t part of the agenda at the start of the season.
It’s been eight games and running without a clean sheet, and an injury-affected squad has lost their last three home fixtures. Wolves lost four in a row last time in 2017.
Having relied completely on Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha for goals, the Midlands club has been hampered with injury problems bringing the momentum to a steal mate.
O’Neil meets his former club Bournemouth after being shown the door last summer, so the stakes are high as he will aim to prove a point to the board that pointed fingers. However, that decision served both parties well as both teams have never been part of the relegation topic, as the sides brought in performances.
Moreover, Wolves are aiming for their fourth Premier League double after beating Chelsea, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur twice this term.
On the other hand, Andoni Iraola has brought success to the South Coast, while there may be a few regrets about saying goodbye to O’Neil among Bournemouth’s fanbase which has been transformed over the past few months.
Cherries travel to Birmingham on Sunday seeking a 11th league win since November. Initially, Dominic Solanke’s penalty kick put them in the driving seat against Champions League-chasing Aston Villa, but later on conceded an equalizer in the first half added time followed by two goals after the break.
This adds another string of worries for Iraola, as his side has now lost five Premier League games after scoring first, only above Brentford who have done it more often ultimately dropping 27 points from winning position.
However, Bournemouth have cemented their mid-table position well clear of the drop zone while they aim to climb higher in the table.
Brighton and Hove Albion are in 10th place with a 2-point lead having played a game more. The Cherries can still claim their spot second top 10 finish in their brief history which has a high probability next month.
Wolves vs Bournemouth Team news
Wolves
Wolves injury crises reached a new peak last weekend, as Gary O’Neil will be without Craig Dawson, Nelson Semedo, Pedro Neto, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Matheus Cunha.
Pablo Sarabia, Mario Leminaand Rayan Ait-Nouri may not be fit to start, but all three will hopefully be part of the squad
Hwang Hee-chan played less than an hour after recently recovering from a hamstring injury in the place of Cunha, and it remains to be seen if the South Korea striker can lead the line in midweek.
Bournemouth
Meanwhile, Bournemouth have no major injury concern, as in-form striker Dominic Solanke scored his 18th Premier League goal of the season on Sunday, reaching the half of which came away from home.
Ghana winger Antoine Semenyo returned to action as a second-half substitute at Villa Park is also available and can support Cherries’ star striker.
Luis Sinisterra was recently ruled out for the rest of the season, while Marcus Tavernier is yet to return from a thigh injury, while Ryan Fredericks and Tyler Adamsare still sidelined.
Wolves vs Bournemouth Predicted Lineups
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Sa; S. Bueno, Kilman, Toti; Doherty, Lemina, Gomes, Doyle, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia, Hwang
Bournemouth’s possible starting lineup:
Neto; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kelly; Christie, Cook; Semenyo, Kluivert, Kerkez; Solanke
Predicted score: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Bournemouth
Wolves vs Bournemouth Head to Head
21/10/2023 – Premier League
AFC Bournemouth 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
18/02/2023 – Premier League
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 AFC Bournemouth
31/08/2022 – Premier League
AFC Bournemouth 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
24/06/2020 – Premier League
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 AFC Bournemouth
23/02/2019 – Premier League
AFC Bournemouth 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves vs Bournemouth Betting Tips
- Bet 365
- Wolverhampton- 2.7
- Draw- 3.6
- Bournemouth- 2.5
Odds are subject to change
Where to watch Wolves vs Bournemouth
- Location: Molineux Stadium(Wolverhampton)
- Date and time: Wednesday 24th April 2024, 6:45 am (GMT)
- UK: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Ultra HDR
- India: Star sports select and Disney + Hotstar