Wolverhampton and Liverpool meet in Matchday 29 of the Premier League, and the mood around the two camps could hardly be more intriguing. Below, we break down the teams’ mindset, key numbers and squad context ahead of the clash.
Liverpool arrive on the back of three consecutive wins and could theoretically climb into fourth place with another victory. With Aston Villa looking increasingly unconvincing, that scenario feels realistic. Yet Arne Slot still sounds far from satisfied.
The Guardian reports that the Liverpool manager has voiced concerns about the overall entertainment value of Premier League matches.
“Most of the games I see in the Premier League are not for me a joy to watch. Everyone can win against everyone, but just as someone who loves to watch football, without being interested in who’s winning or losing it, just to be enjoyed, I think there’s a big difference now between three or four years ago in the Premier League.”
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail quotes Slot criticising fans and journalists for repeatedly highlighting Liverpool’s summer spending.
“In general I only ever see, ‘£450m spent, 450, 450, 450’. And no one looks at the circumstances, which are that the 450 is very well spent… very, very, VERY well spent, one more time: very well spent. They are great football players which will be a big, big, big success for this club. Some already now and some in the future. The reality of this season is we sold for £300m, some starters like Trent (Alexander-Arnold) sold for only £10m.”
On Tuesday, March 3, Slot’s still-restless Liverpool side face a Wolverhampton team that, somewhat remarkably, have spent the last couple of days in celebratory mood despite sitting bottom of the table.
Their recent win over Aston Villa effectively achieved Wolves’ primary objective for the season — surpassing Derby County’s infamous 2007/08 points tally. Wolves now have 13 points to Derby’s 11 and will avoid the unwanted tag of the Premier League’s lowest-scoring side.
So both teams come into this game in good spirits — despite the background grumbling from the Liverpool head coach.
Wolves’ centre-back Toti Gomes, unlike Slot, could hardly be happier. Not only has he finally returned after a lengthy injury absence, but his side have also shaken off the psychological pressure of their unwanted comparison with Derby in the race to avoid becoming the worst Premier League team ever.
“We don’t want to have the scar of being one of the worst teams ever, in terms of points in the Premier League. We don’t want that and in the game against Villa, in a derby, we knew that we had to go with everything.”
Now Wolves can play with far greater freedom. They have little left to lose: relegation looks increasingly inevitable, and the Derby anti-record is no longer hanging over them. That could make life difficult for Liverpool — and perhaps finally give Slot genuine cause for frustration.
Despite their bleak overall position, Wolves’ main hope remains their home matches. It has not been spectacular, but they have maintained a respectable scoring rate at Molineux — 15 goals in 15 games, exactly one per match.
There is further encouragement for the hosts in Liverpool’s away numbers. The Merseyside club have conceded 21 goals in 14 league fixtures away from Anfield.
Put it all together — a pressure-free Wolves side with nothing to hold back and a Liverpool defence that has conceded 37 goals in 28 league matches — and it points towards an interesting, if slightly risky, angle: Wolves to score (1.61).
Of course, it is hard to imagine Liverpool failing to find the net themselves, which makes the both teams to score market particularly appealing at 1.77.