Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool: Premier League Preview, H2H & Predicted Line-ups

Liverpool will look to stay on the upwards trajectory when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in Saturday’s intriguing Premier League fixture.

The Reds’ trip to Molineux Stadium comes just a few days after their emphatic 4-1 win over cross-city rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Liverpool head into this matchday trailing league-toppers Chelsea by just two points, having won their last three Premier League games on the trot.

By contrast, Wolves have won just one of their last three top-flight matches (D2) despite keeping a clean sheet on each occasion.

Sat only three points adrift of fourth-placed West Ham, the hosts remain very much in contention for the coveted Champions League places.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool Head-to-Head

The overall Premier League H2H record gives Wolves fans plenty of reason for concern, with their side winning just one of their 14 meetings with Liverpool in the competition (D2, L11). 

The Reds have gone unbeaten in their last eight away league matches against the Wanderers (W5, D3) since falling to a narrow 1-0 loss in August 1981. 

Led by the charismatic Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool seem likely to keep it that way, as they’ve beaten Wolves in all six Premier League encounters under the German manager.

Low-scoring specialists

Despite attempting 16 shots on goal, Wolves were held to a scoreless draw to Burnley last time out, their second consecutive goalless stalemate following their trip to Norwich City.

Goals have been at a premium for Bruno Lage’s side this season, as evidenced by their paltry average of just 0.85 goals scored per Premier League game so far.

Among sides starting the day in the upper half of the table, Wolves have scored the fewest goals (12), only five of which have come at Molineux.

But the Wanderers have compensated their uneventful attacking showings with some rock-solid defending, having conceded an average of 0.85 goals per home league match this term.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that five of their seven Premier League home fixtures this season have seen one or both sides fail to find the net in games garnering under 2.5 match goals.

Wolves talismanic striker Raul Jimenez has already scored three match-winners this season, demonstrating his importance to the Midlands outfit. 

Force to be reckoned with

Liverpool’s ability to sweep the floor with their rivals has been off the charts this season.

All of their nine Premier League triumphs this season have yielded a winning margin of at least two goals, showing the Reds refuse to take their foot off the gas after taking the lead.

Adding to this sentiment, the Merseysiders have scored 3+ goals in six of their seven Premier League away games this season, with a 3-2 defeat to West Ham on the eve of the November international break the solitary exception.

Only perennial Bundesliga champions Bayer Munich boast a higher average of goals scored per league match than Liverpool (3.07) this season. 

That alone will strike fear into the hearts of Wolves supporters, who might not give the homecoming forward Diogo Jota a warm welcome.

In the absence of Roberto Firmino, the ex-Molineux hero has gone from strength to strength, netting eight Premier League goals so far, including a phenomenal strike in the Merseyside derby last time out. 

The Portuguese ace turns 25 today and will have an opportunity to become only the third player in the Premier League history to have scored against his former team on his birthday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool Predicted Line-ups

Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-3): Jose Sa; Max Kilman, Conor Coady, Romain Saiss; Nelson Semedo, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez, Hwang Hee-chan. 

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara; Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane.

Read: Cristiano Ronaldo’s 10 most memorable goals.