JUST IN: ‘New’ kick-off time for Newcastle United vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers, TV channel, prediction, team news, lineups, odds, scores, referee, and VAR.
Eddie Howe’s red-hot Newcastle United side are out to record their ninth straight win in all
competitions when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.
Both teams eliminated lower-league opposition from the FA Cup over the weekend, as the
Magpies survived a scare to sink Bromley, while Vitor Pereira’s men conquered Bristol City away from home.
Match preview
Taking two significant steps towards ending a trophy drought stretching back almost 70 full years,
Newcastle have one foot firmly in the EFL Cup final and will enjoy an FA Cup fourth-round date with
Birmingham City next month thanks to their exertions over the past week.
After capitalising on Arsenal’s wastefulness with their own ruthlessness in the first leg of their
EFL Cup semi-final, Howe’s men did it the hard way in the FA Cup against Bromley, as Lewis Miley,
Anthony Gordon and Will Osula responded to Cameron Congreve’s shock opener.
As well as pursuing their first major trophy since 1955 – unless the 2006 Intertoto Cup is counted as a
significant piece of silverware – the marvellous Magpies have entered the top-four conversation in the
Premier League thanks to five straight successes in the top flight.
Only Nottingham Forest have also taken 15 points from the last 15 on offer in the Premier League,
although Newcastle’s 2-1 success over Tottenham Hotspur two weekends ago was clouded in handball controversy,
as Ange Postecoglou was left the ‘angriest he’s ever been’ after a football match.
As the apoplectic Australian raged, Newcastle rejoiced in moving to within one point of fourth-placed
Chelsea – at least until Tuesday evening – in the Premier League table, and Wednesday’s hosts have
now scored at least two goals in each of their last 10 matches across all competitions.
Newcastle’s penchant for multiple-goal showings gives rise to an enthralling affair against Wolves,
who hold the honour of being the Premier League’s most entertaining team in 2024-25 statistically
speaking; their games have seen a division-high 76 goals, 31 for and 45 against.
The Old Gold are yet to be involved in a top-flight game with fewer than two goals in the 2024-25 season,
and that theme also carried over to the FA Cup, where Rayan Ait-Nouri and
Rodrigo Gomes’s strikes sunk Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday.
Vitor Pereira’s men have much bigger fish to fry in the top flight, though, as after former
head coach Nuno Espirito Santo masterminded a 3-0 win for surprise package
Nottingham Forest on January 6, 17th-placed Wolves are only above the relegation zone on goal difference at the time of writing.
However, the Forest-inflicted defeat was the first and only one that Wolves have suffered under
Pereira’s wing so far, and the 56-year-old has overseen a three-match unbeaten run on the road since taking over from Gary O’Neil, with at least two goals scored on each occasion to boot.
The visitors have to go back to October 2021 for their most recent win over Newcastle, though, and the Magpies are now unbeaten in six straight meetings with Wolves, who could now lose both league fixtures against the Magpies in one season for the first time in 119 years.
Newcastle United Premier League form:
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Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form:
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Wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions):
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