3 Reasons why Newcastle will defeat Wolverhampton

Newcastle United have a great opportunity to claim three crucial points at home on Sunday when they host Wolverhampton.

Newcastle United need all three points on Sunday and I think they can get the job done against a talented, but inconsistent Wolverhampton side. The Magpies find themselves among the bottom three and they should be using their current placement in the standings as motivation, especially against mediocre opponents.

So far this season, Newcastle United have hosted three bottom-half clubs at St. James’ Park – Watford, Brighton and Manchester United – and they have taken five points from a possible nine in those matches. Wolverhampton do a stellar job of keeping matches close and this is reflected in the fact that they have drawn five of their first nine matches. I expect Wolverhampton to put up a good fight, but here are three reasons why I think they will lose on Sunday.

1. Europa League Distraction

Wolverhampton are in Slovakia today for their Europa League clash against Slovan Bratislava. Being in the group stage, Wolverhampton are taking the tournament seriously and they are hoping to advance beyond the knock out phase of the competition. That being said, their training sessions this week have been focused on defeating their Slovakian opponents instead of their clash with Newcastle United. In addition, Wolverhampton will be experiencing fatigue and this is good news for the home side, which has spent the entire week polishing their tactics for Wolverhampton.

2. Mediocre Away Form

Wolverhampton have been decent on the road. Their record away from the Molineux Stadium consists of one win, two draws and one loss. Overall, that does not sound bad, but it is not convincing form. St. James’ Park is not expected to be at full capacity, which should make the environment less intimidating for the visitors, but the Magpies are attack-minded when they play at home. Steve Bruce’s squad looked dangerous in the 3-4-3 formation against Manchester United in their last home game and fans should expect to see a similar setup and urgency this weekend, too.

3. Allan Saint-Maximin…

I am well aware of the fact that teams like Newcastle United are dependent on collective effort and urgency to earn positive results, but there are some matches in which one player can influence the flow of the game. That player will be Allan Saint-Maximin. The Toon know they need to get the win in this clash and the first step in that process is to feed your fastest and most technical player with the ball several times.

This tactic worked to perfection against Manchester United and Saint-Maximin also put in an impressive shift against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last time out. Wolverhampton will have a difficult time containing the French winger, and it would not be a major surprise if he nets his first goal of the season on Sunday.

Match Prediction

Newcastle United 2-0 Wolverhampton