Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town will be desperate for three points when they clash at Molineux on Saturday.
Gameweek 16 of the 2024/25 Premier League season will kick-start on Saturday. The latest round of fixtures begins with four simultaneous matches, including Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Ipswich Town at Molineux on Saturday afternoon.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town have endured horrendous 2023/24 campaigns thus far. Wins have come at a premium for both clubs, and they have spent much of the season in the relegation dogfight. While the hosts have won twice and lost ten games, the Tractor Boys have managed only one victory.
The two teams have nine points, with 17th-placed Crystal Palace four points ahead of them. They have lost their last three games, but only Gary O’Neil is under pressure. So, while Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town are in similar situations, only the former’s manager finds himself in a quandary.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town most recently clashed in the EFL Cup last season, with Gary O’Neil’s charges clinching a 2-0 win. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Gary O’Neil has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Wolverhampton Wanderers manager will be bereft of the services of six first-team players vs Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Joao Gomes is the latest absentee as he serves a suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the 2024/25 Premier League season earlier this week against West Ham United. Jose Sa is closing in on returning from a shoulder injury, but Saturday’s game comes too soon for him.
Meanwhile, Boubacar Traore, Yerson Mosquera, Enso Gonzalez Medina, and Sasa Kalajdzic are long-term absentees due to knee injuries. However, Pablo Sarabia might be in contention to return from a calf issue.
Sam Johnstone will take his spot between the sticks, with Wolverhampton Wanderers lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Ipswich Town on Saturday. The central defensive unit will likely feature Nelson Semedo, Santiago Bueno, and Toti Gomes.
Matt Doherty and Rayan Ait-Nouri should start as the two wing-backs. The wide duo will look to provide the creativity from the flanks, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Matheus Cunha providing the forward thrust from the central areas.
As for the midfield unit, Mario Lemina should pair up with Andre in the middle of the park, with the former apologising after his outburst in the aftermath of the defeat to West Ham United. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will lead the line for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Johnstone; Semedo, Santiago Bueno, Toti Gomes; Doherty, Lemina, Andre, Ait-Nouri; Bellegarde, Cunha; Strand Larsen
Ipswich Town
Unlike his counterpart in the Wolverhampton Wanderers dugout, Kieran McKenna has a new injury concern to worry about ahead of the trip to Molineux. The Ipswich Town manager might be without as many as six first-team players on Saturday.
Janoi Donacien (ankle), Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), Chiedozie Ogbene (achilles), and George Hirst (knee) remain on the sidelines. In addition, McKenna has revealed that Ben Johnson and Kalvin Phillips are dealing with minor issues, which might prevent them from starting against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Meanwhile, Arijanet Muric is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Ipswich Town lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. The backline should feature Harry Clarke, Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves, and Leif Davis.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Samy Morsy and Jens Cajuste in the double pivot. Omari Hutchinson will reprise the no. 10 role, with Wes Burns and Sammie Szmodics likely starting on the flanks. Finally, Liam Delap will spearhead the Ipswich Town attack against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Muric; Harry Clarke, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Burns, Hutchinson, Szmodics; Delap
Key Stats
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Ipswich Town will be the 939th fixture to be played in the Premier League. The Tractor Boys have won eight of their last ten top-flight games against the Black Country outfit, most recently triumphing 3-0 at Molineux in April 1984. However, they have managed only one victory in the 17 most recent away matches at Molineux in all competitions.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have lost ten of their opening 15 Premier League matches in a season for the first time since 1985 in the third tier and for the first time in the top flight since 1983. Both of those campaigns ended in relegation. Gary O’Neil’s men have suffered a club record-equalling 20 Premier League defeats in 2024, five more than any other club.
Ipswich Town have won only one of their 15 Premier League fixtures, away to Tottenham Hotspur on November 10. They have lost their last three league games by a single-goal margin. The Tractor Boys can lose four successive league matches for the first time since February to March 2020 in the third tier under Paul Lambert.
Ipswich Town have dropped 15 points from a winning position, a joint-league high alongside Fulham. Kieran McKenna’s men have lost three matches after scoring first, second only to Brentford’s four.
Jorgen Strand Larsen has scored five goals in seven Premier League home appearances for Wolves, although he is yet to end on the winning side in any home game in which he has scored.
Player to Watch
Matheus Cunha
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Matheus Cunha has been a rare bright spot for Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, although his form has subsided in recent outings. Nevertheless, the Brazilian international remains the home side’s most potent outlet in the final third.
Cunha is joint third alongside Ruben Neves among Wolverhampton Wanderers’ leading Premier League scorers with 21 goals. However, only six of Cunha’s goals have come at Molineux. He will aim to correct that record against a susceptible Ipswich Town defence this weekend.
Prediction
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3 Ipswich Town
Saturday’s match pits one of the most frugal attacks in the Premier League against the worst defence in the top flight. So, something will have to give, and we think Ipswich Town might get the better of Wolverhampton Wanderers in a goal-fest this weekend.
The hosts have lost nine of their last 12 Premier League fixtures at Molineux, although Gary O’Neil has won all four home games against promoted opposition as Wolverhampton Wanderers boss. The horrendous home form should continue, but O’Neil’s solid record will end.
Saturday’s game should showcase the best of the two teams’ offensive qualities, with Matheus Cunha, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Omari Hutchinson, and Liam Delap shining. However, the home side’s poor run will continue, with The Hard Tackle predicting a 3-2 win for Kieran McKenna and his charges.