After demanding the best of his players in pursuit of a Premier League double against Liverpool, Wolves instead succumbed to a second-half slump and a 2-0 loss at Anfield in midweek that saw them begin this round just three points above the danger zone.
Wolves
After a bright start to his debut stint in the Premier League which helped Wolves move out of the bottom three, Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui has now overseen three winless games to leave them in the thick of the relegation battle. After demanding the best of his players in pursuit of a Premier League double against Liverpool, they instead succumbed to a second-half slump and a 2-0 loss at Anfield in midweek that saw them begin this round just three points above the danger zone. Perhaps most concerningly, Lopetegui was unable to evoke any “positive thinking” after the defeat. Since he is meant to be a source of motivation for the squad, one might reasonably wonder when their winless run may end.
Upcoming meetings with top-four chasers Tottenham (home) and Newcastle (away) could both be insurmountable obstacles if their Premier League season record of five losses ‘to nil’ from five meetings with clubs placed above Liverpool is any indication.
Tottenham Hotspur
Despite dropping all three points at home to Wolves three times since December 2018, Spurs have enjoyed no shortage of success in Wolverhampton, forging a seven-game unbeaten H2H run as the away team across all competitions. Despite holding a top-four spot for at least one more round regardless of the result here, Tottenham have revealed some vulnerabilities in recent weeks as their busy schedule takes its toll. Four wins ‘to nil’ from their last five Premier League fixtures will be ample motivation for stand-in manager Cristian Stellini to help his side bounce back from a midweek FA Cup elimination at the hands of Sheffield United (1-0) that he publicly apologised for. Stellini blamed a lack of ‘energy’ for that result which, along with Spurs’ last Premier League away trip (L 4-1 at Leicester City), leaves them on the brink of another trophyless season.
Wolves forward Raul Jimenez has found the net in four of his seven appearances against Spurs, with the team winning three of them. Spurs captain Harry Kane was rested during the week but looks set to return against a Wolves side he has scored against in three of his team’s last four competitive H2H wins. Wolves failed to score in ten of their last 12 Premier League losses.