Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers round off the Premier League weekend when they meet at St. James' Park on Sunday.

Newcastle's top four ambitions have taken a huge hit following a shaky run of form recently.

Match preview

No wins in five league games have seen Newcastle take just three points in that time as well as losing the EFL Cup final to Manchester United.

No team in the Premier League has fewer points over that period, with the Magpies' last league victory coming all the way back in mid-January.

Three defeats in their last three games is more than they lost in their first 29 games of the season before that.

It should be noted that Eddie Howe's side have had some very difficult matches in recent weeks, but against a relegation candidate, it is imperative they get back to winning ways.

Despite comfortably having the best defence in the league, they have not kept a clean sheet for four games, while they have scored just three league goals in 2023.

They enter the weekend four points behind Tottenham Hotspur, who sit fourth, while still having two games in hand, but Liverpool represent arguably the biggest threat to their top four ambitions now.

Wolves, on the other hand, have seen their season go in the opposite direction since Julen Lopetegui took charge post-World Cup.

They have won five of their 11 league games under the Spaniard's stewardship, going from bottom of the table to 13th, five points clear of trouble.

A win over Spurs at Molineux last week arrested a three-game winless streak and catapulted them up the table given how tight the Premier League relegation battle is currently.

Wolves do have similar scoring woes to Newcastle though, as no side in the division has scored fewer this season, but 11 of their 19 goals have been scored under Lopetegui.

Team News

Joelinton will be suspended for the next two Newcastle games after he picked up his 10th booking of the season against Manchester City last weekend.

Fabian Schar could return in defence after he missed the trip to the Etihad with a facial injury suffered in the EFL Cup final.

Ryan Fraser has been banished to the Under-21s following a fallout with Howe, while Emil Krafth remains out with a long-term injury.

Hugo Bueno is expected to miss out once again for Wolves with a hamstring injury, so Jonny may continue at left-back.

Hwang Hee-chan and Boubacar Traore are both doubtful, while Raul Jimenez could replace Diego Costa, who went off injured in the first half versus Spurs.

Adama Traore may be rewarded with a start following his match winning goal last week.

Pedro Neto started ahead of the tricky Spanish winger but came off at half time in his first start for five months and could drop to the bench.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Botman, Schar, Burn; S Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Willock; Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Jose Sa; Nelson Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Jonny; Ruben Neves, Lemina, Joao Moutinho; A Traore, Jimenez, Sarabia

We say: Newcastle United 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Newcastle have had a tricky run of games and should have enough to return to winning ways here and keep their top four dream alive.

Despite the lack of goals in both teams though, in 15 Premier League meetings there has been only one occasion where both teams did not score, but it is hard to see that trend continuing here.


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