Prediction: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool

Verdict: Total away goals over 2.5

Best odds: 97/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Wolverhampton Wanderers face a daunting task on Saturday evening as they seek their first Premier League win of the season against an in-form Liverpool side. Gary O’Neil’s men have struggled to get going, earning just one point from five matches in the top flight so far, leaving them languishing near the bottom of the table.

In contrast, Arne Slot’s Liverpool have started the season brightly, especially after starting their defence of the Carabao Cup title with an impressive performance against West Ham.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves’ defensive frailties are a major concern as they prepare to host Liverpool on Saturday evening, with Gary O’Neil’s side having conceded 14 goals in their opening five Premier League games—joint-worst in the division alongside Everton. Last weekend’s defeat at Villa Park saw them suffer another collapse, as despite taking the lead through Matheus Cunha, Wolves were undone by a late surge from Aston Villa, losing 3-1.

September has been especially tough for Wolves, with defeats to Brighton in the EFL Cup and Newcastle in the Premier League adding to their woes. Though their ability to score has not been the issue—Wolves have netted in each of their last six matches—their 17-game run without a clean sheet is the longest in the Premier League, dating back to February.

Adding to their struggles, Wolves could become the first team to lose three consecutive Premier League games after leading at half-time. Their recent encounters with Liverpool haven’t been promising either, with three straight losses, including a 2-0 defeat at Anfield in May during Jurgen Klopp’s side’s season-ending push.

Team News

Wolves’ already fragile defense took a major blow with the long-term injury to Yerson Mosquera, who sustained a serious knee issue against Aston Villa. His absence, potentially for the rest of the season, leaves Wolves short at the back, joining a growing list of players sidelined by knee injuries, including Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, Bastien Meupiyou, and Boubacar Traore.

Gary O’Neil faces a tough decision over who will replace Mosquera, with Toti potentially returning from a thigh injury in time to fill in. If Toti is not fit, Santiago Bueno will likely partner Craig Dawson in central defense.

Despite his fitness battle, left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri played the full 90 minutes against Villa, and his performance continues to attract interest from Liverpool’s scouting team. However, with a yellow card in this game, Ait-Nouri would be just one booking away from a suspension.

To add to O’Neil’s headaches, Wolves have also been hit by a virus circulating through the squad this week, although it is unclear which players have been affected by the illness.

Liverpool

Liverpool’s dominant start to the season continued in emphatic fashion with a 5-1 demolition of West Ham United in the EFL Cup third round, mirroring last season’s scoreline against the same opposition en route to lifting the trophy. This result follows a clinical 3-0 win over Bournemouth in their most recent Premier League clash, keeping them firmly on the heels of Manchester City at the top of the table.

Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo both bagged braces in the midweek cup victory, further bolstering the Reds’ attacking options. Meanwhile, Luis Diaz has carried over his strong form, having netted twice against Bournemouth, with Darwin Nunez adding the icing on the cake with a sublime curling effort. With such an array of firepower, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has a wealth of options in attack.

Liverpool’s recent form is nothing short of spectacular, having not only downed AC Milan 3-1 in their Champions League opener but also stringing together three consecutive wins in as many competitions. Slot’s side is currently City’s closest Premier League challengers, just one point behind the reigning champions.

Liverpool have been particularly prolific on the road, scoring multiple goals in each of their last five away games across all competitions while maintaining the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, conceding just one goal. With that, they head into Saturday’s clash against Wolves as heavy favorites.

Team News

Slot is optimistic that Alisson Becker will return from a muscular injury in time for for this clash, having missed two consecutive games. In his absence, Caoimhin Kelleher impressed with several key saves, but the experienced Brazilian is expected to reclaim his spot between the posts if fit.

Harvey Elliott remains the only other confirmed absentee, sidelined with a foot fracture. Slot may rotate his squad heavily following their midweek cup thrashing of West Ham, where many changes from that game are likely. Diogo Jota, who scored twice before being subbed off after 59 minutes, is a strong candidate to start up front, while Darwin Nunez, who played the full match, may be rested with a start on the bench.

Conclusion

Wolves have shown flashes of attacking promise in recent weeks, but their defensive frailties, especially with Yerson Mosquera sidelined, leave them exposed to Liverpool’s high-powered offence. Given the Reds’ recent form and attacking depth, it’s hard to see anything other than a comfortable win for the visitors.

Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory in this fixture last season, and a repeat result seems entirely plausible.

Verdict: Total away goals over 2.5

Best odds: 97/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet