#1 The start of something?
The buzz of victory over Liverpool last weekend remained tangible at Molineux and Compton Park this week and now the aim is to carry that feel-food factor to the south coast, where Wolves are aiming to secure back-to-back victories for the first time this season. So far this term, each Premier League victory has been followed by a defeat and Julen Lopetegui will be looking to put that right. Unwanted stats are being chipped away at and a clean sheet, coupled with three goals, helped turn the tide last week. Last weekend was the first time Wolves have won by more than one goal this season, but the fourth win out of five which came with a clean sheet.
Wolves are still the league’s lowest scorers, but trail Everton by one and Nottingham Forest by two, so should they have a successful afternoon at St Mary’s, that could well change. 20 per cent of the old gold’s goals this season came in last week’s win. Now, they come up against a Saints side which has shipped 38 goals and 13 of them have come from crosses, which is a Premier League high, with two arriving against Brentford last week. Wolves’ only official goal from a cross came when Adama Traore headed home Hugo Bueno’s delivery at Crystal Palace, however, Craig Dawson fired home from the second phase of Matheus Cunha’s cross last weekend.
A trip down south to take on the Saints.
— Wolves (@Wolves) February 9, 2023
😇🐺 pic.twitter.com/noCx27gOS1
#2 Take your pick, Julen.
That rip-roaring start against Liverpool was contributed to by Hee Chan Hwang, whose cross came off Joel Matip for the opening goal. The South Korean remained lively throughout the opening period, linking up with his fellow attacking players, but unfortunately suffered a hamstring injury with the break approaching. It means now that Lopetegui will be forced into at least one change at Southampton, opening the door, potentially, to Adama or Daniel Podence. Both have made an impact recently, with Adama setting up Ruben Neves for the crucial third last weekend, while Podence has three goals to his name under Lopetegui, with the winner over West Ham United his most recent.
The January transfer window has bolstered Wolves’ options – in came six and of the departures, only Goncalo Guedes had played a significant amount of minutes, adding strength in depth to the old gold. With genuine competition for places, Lopetegui is keeping the opposition on their toes, with last week’s bench boasting more than 2,700 career appearances in total. The introductions of Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez is a luxury Wolves didn't have earlier in the campaign. Rayan Ait-Nouri vs Hugo Bueno. Craig Dawson vs Nathan Collins. Mario Lemina vs Moutinho – all genuine debates for the head coach this weekend.
#3 Saints’ march halted in recent years.
When looking for inspiration, Wolves don’t have to look further than their record against Saturday’s opponents, which is an impressive one. The old gold have won on their last three visits to St Mary’s and have won their last four overall against the Saints and, given the club have never won five in a row against an opponent in the Premier League, the record is up for grabs. The previous three visits have all had their storylines. Last season, Jimenez scored his first competitive goal after returning from his horrific head injury in front of the Wolves away end. The previous year, with football behind closed doors, Pedro Neto’s individual goal secured a big three points for Wolves. Then, back in 2020, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side stormed back from two goals down to win, thanks in large part to the brilliant link-up play between Jimenez and Adama.
This season, Wolves’ first win of the season came against Southampton back in September – the only one achieved under former head coach Bruno Lage. Podence scored the winner that day and now a first double of the campaign is up for grabs. Saints are just one of four doubles now available for Wolves, alongside Nottingham Forest, Everton and Liverpool, and a second away win of the season would make it the perfect start to February.
#4 Away kit’s big debut.
Saturday will see Wolves wear their teal away kit for the first time this season. The kit design was inspired by the iconic girders and fixings of Molineux’s Billy Wright Stand, which can be seen on the gold trimmings. Further inspiration came from the club’s popular away kit between 1996 and 1998, as Wolves, spearheaded by legendary striker Steve Bull, battled it out at the top end of the Championship. That 1990s strip saw one wolf joined by numerous small ones and it went down a treat. That teal kit’s debut came at Grimsby Town and saw Bull hit a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory.
The club’s unique old gold tones mean a change of strip is rarely required in the Premier League and Wolves have changed kits just once so far this season. Against Palace back in October, the team, led by Steve Davis and James Collins, wore the grey third strip, which unfortunately suffered a losing start with a 2-1 reverse. A sold out away end of 3,196 supporters will greet the players in their teal strip on Saturday and will be hoping for a winning start on this occasion to the 2022/23 away kit.
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