Match Preview: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Liverpool – Prediction, Team Updates, and Lineups

Wolverhampton Wanderers face a daunting challenge on Saturday evening as Gary O’Neil’s squad seeks their first victory of the 2024-25 Premier League season at home against Liverpool.

The hosts have gathered just one point from a potential 15 in the league so far, while Arne Slot’s team arrives at Molineux after a flawless start to their EFL Cup title defense.

Match preview

The prospects for Liverpool ahead of Saturday’s match are looking bright, especially after Wednesday’s events. Following their 5-1 victory over West Ham United that secured last season’s EFL Cup title, Slot’s side impressively replicated that scoreline in this season’s third round against the same team.

Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each scored twice as Liverpool began their title defense emphatically, building on a recent successful streak that included a 3-0 win against Bournemouth in their last Premier League match.

Luis Diaz continued his strong performance, scoring two goals against Bournemouth, while Darwin Nunez capped off the victory with a stunning curling shot, presenting Slot with various options in attack.

With a 3-1 win over AC Milan in their Champions League opener, the Reds have now secured three consecutive victories across different competitions in the past two weeks, placing them just one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League standings.

Despite Jurgen Klopp’s absence, Liverpool has maintained their ability to score heavily on the road, having netted multiple goals in their last five away matches across all tournaments and conceding only one goal in the 2024-25 Premier League season so far.

Saturday evening’s kickoff features the Premier League’s strongest defense against the joint-worst, as Wolves have conceded a concerning 14 goals—tied with Everton for the worst record—following last weekend’s disappointment at Villa Park.

O’Neil’s squad was performing well for about 70 minutes thanks to Matheus Cunha’s opening goal, but a late surge from their Champions League opponents saw Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, and Jhon Duran stage a remarkable comeback in the West Midlands clash.

September has been a challenging month for Wolves supporters, with their team also suffering defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion in the EFL Cup and Newcastle United in the league, leaving them just above the bottom of the table, thanks to Everton.

Wolves have not struggled to score, registering at least one goal in their last six matches. However, they hold the longest active streak in the league without a clean sheet, having gone 17 games without one since their victory over Sheffield United in February.

The hosts risk making unwanted history by becoming the first team to lose three consecutive Premier League matches after leading at halftime. Additionally, they have lost their last three encounters with Liverpool, including a 2-0 defeat at Anfield during Klopp’s farewell in May.

Team News

For the second consecutive midweek game, Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker was unavailable due to a muscle injury. However, Slot is optimistic that the Brazilian will recover in time for the weekend.

Consequently, Caoimhin Kelleher, who made several crucial saves last weekend, is likely to return to the bench. The only other injury concern for Liverpool is Harvey Elliott, who continues to be sidelined with a foot fracture.

The visiting manager might make as many as 10 changes from the EFL Cup victory over West Ham. Notably, two-goal scorer Jota was substituted after 59 minutes, while Nunez played the entire match, indicating that Jota could start this week.

Wolves’ collapse against Villa was partly due to a significant knee injury to defensive stalwart Yerson Mosquera, who may now be out for the remainder of the season. He is one of five players with knee issues, including Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, Bastien Meupiyou, and Boubacar Traore. O’Neil might have Toti available to replace Mosquera in defense; otherwise, Santiago Bueno will partner Craig Dawson.

Left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who recently overcame fitness concerns, played the full 90 minutes against Villa, but a yellow card in this match would put him one booking away from suspension.

The hosts have also been affected by a virus running through the squad this week, although O’Neil did not specify which players were impacted.

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Semedo, S. Bueno, Dawson, Ait-Nouri; Bellegarde, Lemina, Andre, Gomes, Cunha; Larsen

Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota

We say: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-3 Liverpool
Wolves often manage to create effective attacking sequences, but Mosquera’s absence will likely make them even more defensively vulnerable.

Liverpool won this matchup 3-1 last season, and a similar outcome seems plausible, as the formidable Reds remain in close pursuit of Manchester City at the top of the table.