Wolverhampton Wanderers

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves remain bottom of the Premier League, but the numbers suggest their performances under Rob Edwards have moved in a more sustainable direction than those produced earlier in the season under Vitor Pereira.

Results have not yet caught up with the process, but the data shows a side that is more controlled, more purposeful and harder to beat.

Starting with the basics, Wolves have scored eight goals in 11 league games under Edwards, compared to seven in 10 under Pereira. That marginal increase is backed up by expected goals, which have risen from 9.5 to 10.4.

On a per-game basis, the difference is small, but it points to consistency rather than reliance on low-probability moments.

More telling is how Wolves are creating chances. Under Edwards, shot conversion has improved from 6.9% to 8.7%, while big chances have jumped from nine to 15.

Wolves are not shooting more often - they are shooting better. That suggests clearer attacking structures and improved decision-making in the final third, even if the overall volume of shots remains modest.

The stylistic shift is reinforced by possession metrics. Passes per sequence have dropped from 3.4 to 3.1, and Wolves are spending less time recycling the ball.

Instead, Edwards' team are more direct and deliberate, focusing on getting into threatening areas quicker rather than controlling games through possession. Build-up attacks that end in a shot or a box touch have increased from 10 to 12, another indicator of more purposeful progression.

Defensively, the improvement is sharper. Wolves have conceded 16 goals under Edwards, compared to 22 under Pereira, despite facing more shots overall (146 vs 126). That combination suggests Wolves are allowing opponents' attempts from less dangerous areas and managing games more effectively once they fall into a defensive shape.

The pressing data helps explain why. PPDA [Opposition Passes Allowed per Defensive Action] has risen from 10.4 to 13.4, indicating Wolves are pressing less aggressively high up the pitch. But their average start distance has dropped from 41.2 metres to 39.4, meaning defensive sequences are beginning closer to their own goal.

In practice, Wolves are sitting slightly deeper, compressing space and forcing teams to work harder for high-quality chances rather than engaging in risky, disjointed pressing.

High turnovers have also fallen from 67 to 61, reflecting a move away from chaotic transitional football. Wolves are conceding territory more willingly, but in exchange, they are more compact and less exposed.

The concern remains big chances conceded, which have risen from 19 to 24. That highlights where Wolves must improve if progress is to translate into points. But taken together, the numbers show a team with a clearer identity, creating better chances at both ends of the pitch, and a tactical structure that makes sense for a side fighting at the bottom.

So, what do you think about the current situation, Wolves fans?

Tell us what you think here

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

The table still has Wolves rock bottom, and that is the hard truth. But after Sunday's 0-0 draw with Newcastle, it finally feels like this team knows what it is doing.

This was not a lucky point. It was earned. Newcastle came to Molineux as a Champions League side with quality all over the pitch, and yet they barely laid a glove on Wolves for most of the match. They did not even manage a shot on target until late on. That tells you everything about how solid Wolves were. Organised. Disciplined. Full of players fighting for the shirt.

For the first time in a long while, Wolves look hard to play against again. The shape stayed tight. Players backed each other up. Bodies went in the way. There was no panic and no hiding. Just graft, focus and a clear plan. You can see an identity forming, and you can feel the belief growing.

Five games unbeaten does not happen by accident, even if the performances are not always pretty.

Jose Sa stood tall when he needed to, and the backline refused to budge. That is the platform every team needs. Wolves may not have created enough to win it, but they matched Newcastle for work-rate and concentration, and they kept their standards for the full game.

The frustrating part is obvious. If Wolves had shown this level of organisation and discipline at the start of the season, we would not be stuck on eight points and staring at the Championship.

Too many matches earlier in the campaign were lost through sloppy defending, soft moments and a lack of structure. Those dropped points have left us with a mountain to climb.

Is it too late to save the season? Maybe.

But this feels different under Rob Edwards. He is getting the basics right, and he is getting players to buy in.

If this is the standard going forward, it bodes well for next season, whatever league we are in. Wolves fans can finally see something worth backing.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Wolves and Newcastle.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Will: We've certainly turned a corner. We are back to being competitive. Newcastle are a Champions League level team, so it's a good point and a fair result because the game was 50-50 . We look less error prone in defence and we now carry the attacking threat that was missing previously. It is largely down to Tolu Arokodare being fitter and the introduction of Mateus Mane. This has meant that Jhon Arias and Hwang Hee-chan have improved too. The damage has been done in the first half of the season but it looks like we will get some points during the rest of the season and maybe a cup run if we are lucky.

David: A workmanlike performance, just lacking a bit of composure with some straightforward passes going astray. But, we're proving to be more resilient and hard to beat than before Rob Edwards' arrival.

Chris: I like Edwards... but I don't know for the life of me why Jorgen Strand Larsen did not play the whole match. He obviously has a rapport with Mane. We could have won that match. Larsen has deft touches that the brawny midfielders do not have and it was he who threaded the pass to Mane to equalise at Everton. Larsen + Mane = perfect duo.

Jan: They're more organised and a bit more confident. The main target is not to go down with the lowest ever Premier League points tally.

Newcastle fans

Richard: Decided lack of quality from Newcastle. With the exception of Harvey Barnes, all our attacking options are off form. Credit to Wolves, who will take points off a lot of teams before the end of the season, but really we ought to be winning these games by the odd goal. This whole season is just us falling short everywhere.

Wayne: Starting to sound like a broken record here but it's Groundhog Day on the road. An absolutely appalling performance which took until the 85th minute before a shot on target and it was a very disappointing attacking display. Yoane Wissa, Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga just don't look like they are the right fit for our team and they haven't done enough from an attacking point. Eddie Howe needs to get something to change or we are in danger of finishing mid-table at best.

Davy: Toothless and pathetic. We are going backwards and are a million miles (and £1bn) away from being anywhere near a top team. Too many players are simply not good enough. The summer will see an exodus of class players to teams that will challenge for league titles and the Champions League. The owners don't know what to do. There are no plans for the stadium or training ground. No plan B when games are not going our way and coaches never change a game. Clear out and start again.

Graeme: Howe's position now needs sorting. He's keeping his job because of Champions League and cup runs. We seriously need a change.

Manchester United are prepared to rival Napoli and Atletico Madrid for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes. (Caught Offside), external

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Agbadou is closing in on a move to Besiktas, who are set to pay Wolves £13m for the defender, including a loan fee and mandatory purchase. (Sabah), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Pundits Joe Hart and Ellen White join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Wolves 0-0 Newcastle

• Aston Villa 0-1 Everton

Wolves boss Rob Edwards, speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the 0-0 draw with Newcastle: "A really solid performance, really committed and we showed a lot of spirit. Newcastle are obviously a very good team.

"I thought without the ball we had lots of control. When we had to attack we did, we looked a threat on the counter-attack.

"It was a really committed performance. People will look at results and think it has clicked all of a sudden, but performances were there before that.

"They have got very good players but overall the game went how we expected it to. I am really pleased with the clean sheet, we don't give much away.

"We are not there yet, we understand there is a lot of work still. The boys are with it, the crowd were with us all throughout the game.

"We are making some good steps forward."

Did you know?

• Wolves are the first side to go four games unbeaten in a Premier League season while bottom of the table throughout the run since West Brom in April-May 2018 (five).

Listen to Edwards on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Newcastle's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Wolves boss Rob Edwards makes just one change from their last Premier League game to face Newcastle.

Andre returns to replace Jhon Arias, who drops to the bench, following the 1-1 draw at Everton.

Former Newcastle target Jorgen Strand Larsen remains on the bench despite his hat-trick in the 6-1 FA Cup win over Shrewsbury last week.

Wolves XI: Sa, Tchatchoua, Mosquera, S Bueno, Krejci, H Bueno, Andre, J Gomes, Mane, Hwang, Arokodare

Subs: Johnstone, Lima, Doherty, Agbadou, Wolfe, Lopez, R Gomes, Arias, Strand Larsen

Nick Woltemade returns for Newcastle as Eddie Howe makes four changes at Molineux.

Kieran Trippier, Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes also start with Lewis Miley, Jacob Ramsey, Jacob Murphy and Yoane Wissa dropping to the bench following Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg defeat to Manchester City.

Newcastle are chasing four straight Premier League wins for the first time since April 2025.

Newcastle XI: Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Joelinton, Tonali, Guimaraes, Gordon, Barnes, Woltemade

Subs: Ramsdale, Wissa, Elanga, Willock, Murphy, Ramsey, Shahar, Neave, Miley.

There are two games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Wolves v Newcastle (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Aston Villa v Everton (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

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This is a tough one to call because Wolves will feel like they have a little bit of momentum at last, while I am wondering where Newcastle will get their energy from - and how many fit players they have got left.

Wolves are three games unbeaten in the league, including their first win of the season against West Ham, and they even looked like they were enjoying themselves when they beat Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup - that has not happened very often at Molineux recently.

Newcastle have got a few players out, with Jacob Murphy the latest to be injured in their Carabao Cup defeat by Manchester City in midweek.

Eddie Howe's side have climbed to sixth on the back of three straight league wins, but after this they have a huge Champions League game with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday - so it will be interesting to see what team he picks here.

Every game is important for Newcastle, but Howe will need to rest some players at some point. If he does it here, it could cost them. I've changed my mind a few times about the outcome of this one, but I am going to go for a draw.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

Newcastle United will be out to improve their poor Premier League away record on Sunday but need to tame an improving Wolves.

Newcastle had won four in a row before their 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg loss to Manchester City on Tuesday. Back-to-back Premier League victories over Burnley and Leeds propelled them into sixth spot after 21 games.

Mane spearheading Wolves revival

Wolves still have a mountain to climb if they're to avoid relegation – they are 14 points away from safety – although they have made noticeable progress under Rob Edward. A 6-1 win over Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup made it four unbeaten in all competitions.

While some shrewd tactical tweaks by Edwards have steadied Wolves, Mateus Mane establishing himself as a first-team player has been transformative to their fortunes.

The 18-year-old was on the bench for the FA Cup win, which probably indicates his new-found importance to their league campaign. He has started the past four Premier League games and scored in the last two in a row.

He is looking to become the latest player aged 18 and under to score in three consecutive Premier League games, a feat achieved by Michael Owen (twice, 1997 and 1998), Danny Cadamarteri (1997), Francis Jeffers (1999) and Mason Greenwood (2020).

While other teams have toiled after a heavy festive schedule, Wolves have played with a freshness in their last four games. Only Chelsea have made more changes to their starting XI this season (66) than the Molineux outfit, with Joao Gomes the only player in the squad to have started more than 18 games.

Newcastle on road to ruin?

Wolves are still bottom of the table though and for Newcastle this match represents a fine chance to improve their woes on the road. They have won just two Premier League away games all season and there are parts of the team still lacking balance.

Star forward Nick Woltemade has not scored in his last six appearances since the brace against Chelsea. The German has only started three of the last seven games in all competitions too, with Howe now able to call on the fully fit Yoane Wissa.

Newcastle, given their European commitments, are also feeling the wear and tear of the season. Tino Livramento is the latest first-team player in the treatment room after he suffered a hamstring problem in the FA Cup win over Bournemouth; Howe is without six other senior players this weekend.

These injury problems align with the physicality Newcastle play with. They have made 857 recovery runs – running back from the opposition half to their own to regain their defensive position – which is more than any other Premier League team. Joelinton has made 83 alone.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Leeds have enquired about buying Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The Elland Road side have been quoted £40m for the Norway international but are yet to make a firm bid.

BBC Sport has been told the club's profit and sustainability considerations, and with other clubs interested, may make any deal complicated.

Leeds, 16th in the Premier League, have already signed Brighton attacker Facundo Buonanotte on loan this week.

West Ham have previously asked about Strand Larsen but backed off because of Wolves' asking price, while Nottingham Forest have him on their list of targets.

Strand Larsen has scored six goals this season, including a hat-trick in Saturday's 6-1 FA Cup win over Shrewsbury.

But he has netted just once in the Premier League - a penalty against Burnley in October - leading to some fans turning on the 26-year-old.

He scored 14 goals last season after joining on loan from Celta Vigo before making the move permanent for £23m in the summer.

Newcastle had bids rejected for him in the summer and he signed a new five-year deal in September but Wolves are open to letting him leave, with Wolves bottom of the Premier League and expected to be relegated.

Rob Edwards is looking to reshape his squad but Joao Gomes could still stay at Molineux this month, despite interest from Atletico Madrid and Napoli.

The midfielder is prepared to wait until the summer, with Serie A side Napoli believed to be frontrunners, although Wolves still remain open to letting the Brazil international leave if there is an acceptable offer.

Flora Snelson
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Newcastle at Molineux (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emmanuel Agbadou is back from Afcon and available for selection, while Tawanda Chirewa has been ill so has not trained this week.

• Edwards on the "good feeling" in the squad: "We're in a difficult position but you've still got to enjoy coming to work, people are allowed to smile and laugh." His message for players is to continue to progress "slowly, but surely".

• On the "complex" January window: "If certain players are to go, we dictate that - then, we'll look at where we can add. We're always thinking about the jigsaw puzzle and making sure we have a good balance when the window closes. "

• He added: "There's a lot of lads around who want to right some of the wrongs, and want to help the club and do well for themselves and for the football club as well. They are genuinely all committed - which isn't to say no one is going to go - but it's not like people are banging the door down or trying to force anything."

• Edwards said that "attitude, ability and athleticism" are the three key factors when considering new additions.

• On Marshall Munetsi's loan move to Paris FC: "He's a great guy. It's the right thing for him, with the numbers in that midfield area, and it's the right thing for the football club as well."

• On transfer speculation around defender Agbadou and midfielder Joao Gomes: "They're here and they're committed. We'll treat everything on an individual basis."

• Edwards is looking forward to a "really difficult" but "exciting" game against Newcastle.

• On strikers Jorgen Strand Larsen and Tolu Arokodare: "They can play together and be effective. It's important the people don't think 'it's him or him'."

Hear more from Edwards on BBC Sounds

Listen to live commentary of Wolves v Newcastle on BBC Radio 5 Live from 14:00 GMT on Sunday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves midfielder Marshall Munetsi has completed his loan move to Paris FC for the rest of the season.

The 29-year-old has been allowed to leave by boss Rob Edwards, although there is no option for the Ligue 1 side to buy him.

Edwards and the club have opted to let Munetsi go as he does not fit well enough into the head coach's system and his playing time would have been limited with the emergence of Mateus Mane.

Allowing him to move on loan also enables the midfielder to maintain his value and gives Wolves a better option to sell him at the right time, most likely in the summer, as they brace themselves for relegation to the Championship with the side bottom of the Premier League.

He has started just once under Edwards, the 2-0 defeat by Crystal Palace in November, which was his first game in charge.

Munetsi started 12 times in the second half of last season under Vitor Pereira to help Wolves finish 16th.

He moved to Molineux for £16m from Reims last February and has made 31 appearances, scoring four goals, with his most recent strike coming in October's 3-2 home defeat by Burnley.

Paris FC are 15th in Ligue 1 but beat neighbours Paris St-Germain 1-0 in the Coupe de France on Monday.

Wolves are hoping to beat a host of Premier League rivals to two Scottish teenagers - Dundee United striker Kai Hutchinson, 15, and 17-year-old Aberdeen midfielder Cooper Masson. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves are yet to have any formal contact from Atletico Madrid or Nottingham Forest for Joao Gomes and Jorgen Strand Larsen.

There is an expectation at Molineux their resolve will be tested in the next two weeks but they are willing to remain firm to get the best price, if they sanction exits.

Wolves are aware of Atletico's interest in midfielder Gomes as they look to replace Conor Gallagher after his £35m move to Tottenham this week.

Gomes moved to Molineux from Flamengo in 2023 and has made 113 appearances, scoring seven times.

The 24-year-old has not played for Brazil for almost a year and needs to revive his international career going into the summer's World Cup.

He signed a five-year contract in April, leaving Wolves in a strong bargaining position despite sitting bottom of the Premier League.

Forest have Strand Larsen on their list of targets and any move for him would need to break their transfer record, set by Omari Hutchinson's £37.5m arrival from Ipswich in the summer.

But, like Gomes, there is yet to be contact between the clubs although Wolves remain braced for offers.

Strand Larsen, who joined from Celta Vigo initially on loan in 2024, scored a hat-trick in Saturday's 6-1 FA Cup win over Shrewsbury but has netted just once in the Premier League this season.

He penned a five-year deal in September after scoring 14 times last season but Wolves are willing to sell having rejected bids from Newcastle in the summer.

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The video assistant referee should have intervened to give West Ham a spot-kick at Wolves, the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel has said.

West Ham had already conceded three times in their 3-0 defeat at Molineux when they won a corner in the 73rd minute.

As the ball came over, Tomas Soucek went to ground under a challenge from Ladislav Krejci.

Referee Peter Bankes allowed play to continue. It was checked by the VAR, Tim Wood, who felt there was mutual holding by the two players.

The KMI Panel has voted 4-1 that a penalty should have been awarded by the referee and 3-2 that a VAR intervention was missed.

The panel felt that the Krejci had committed "an extreme non-footballing action which had impact, without looking at the ball".

The KMI Panel supported the 29th-minute penalty Wolves were given for Soungoutou Magassa's challenge on Mateus Mane.

The two players challenged for a bouncing ball at the same time with Mane just getting there first.

Bankes' decision was supported on a split 3-2 vote, with the panel unanimous that the VAR was right not to intervene.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

With more than half of the season gone, we have enough stats to get a good idea of how well Premier League teams have been playing and therefore how things will likely unfold in the months ahead.

Expected goals tells us how well teams do the basics of football by creating lots of good chances up front and limiting their opponents to few, difficult ones at the back.

With the figures based on how Premier League teams have performed in the past, history shows that the higher a team's xG difference - the more they dominate games - the more chance they have of success.

If we compare teams' xG difference with the points they have taken this season, we can clearly see in the chart below that the majority of sides' results align closely with their general performance.

But there are three teams who have so far defied their xG numbers, in either a good way, or a bad way: Aston Villa, Sunderland and Wolves.

Aston Villa and Sunderland have almost certainly achieved their season objectives already, with Opta giving Villa a 96% chance of Champions League football and the Black Cats a 99% chance of survival.

This is not about whether the two sides "deserve" to be where they are in the table. The fact that they have scored and kept out the goals they have means they have earned those positions, thanks in part to Villa's elite long-range finishing and Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs being the best shot-stopper in the league.

But what it does show is that this season's success is built on shaky ground and there is still work to be done if Villa wish to establish themselves at the top of the Premier League long-term and Sunderland are to avoid suffering second-season syndrome next season.

Villa fans will rightly point out that their team has regularly overperformed their xG under Unai Emery, while Sunderland fans will claim that you cannot measure tenacity and togetherness.

At the other end, while Wolves have been playing like a team worthy of relegation, they have been far better than the tally of two points they had until recently, so it is no real surprise their results have begun to improve.

Expected goals is not perfect and there are aspects of football that can never be captured on a spreadsheet, but history shows that it has a great track record for predicting a team's long-term success.

What else does xG predict for the rest of the Premier League season?

Atletico Madrid are targeting Wolves' Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes, 24, after the Spanish club sold England international Conor Gallagher to Tottenham on Wednesday. (Marca - in Spanish), external

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi, 29, is poised to join Paris FC on loan. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The smiler returns.

No doubt most professional footballers are pleased with their career choice – so they should be, you might say – but it's hard to think of many who so obviously find such joy in their work as Rodrigo Gomes.

"It was a perfect day, perfect return," he said after making his first appearance since an operation in October. Bounding on to the stage grinning like a Strictly winner, he scored a goal, brought the house down, and grinned some more. Keep dancing.

Granted, Shrewsbury Town were not Premier League opponents, but in a season which has generated so much angst for the club and supporters, there was no reason to be modest with their celebrations. There is a growing sense that the dark clouds are beginning to lift. Relegation may still be coming, but a brighter time beyond that is starting to appear in view.

Taking pleasure where they can on the journey will be necessary to pull Wolves through the tougher parts, and they will need happy warriors like Gomes to light the way forward. Reading the room, Rob Edwards gently admonished my suggestion that it had been a very satisfactory day. "I think we can go a bit more than that... it was an enjoyable day all round," he said. So it was.

That enjoyment, rather than the football itself – good though much of it was – may be the long-lasting benefit from the weekend, and more rewarding over time than the awkward assignment of Grimsby Town in the fourth round. Not only was the attendance rather larger than many predictions – more than 21,000 in the home sections – but you could tell that this was not entirely the usual crowd.

On social media, proud parents announced the day that their children were going to Molineux for the first time. For many Wolves-supporting families, a season ticket for everyone is a financial impossibility. The club's decision to cut prices so sharply for this fixture gave them an opportunity to reconnect, and pass on that connection to a new generation. A young child who sees six goals the first time they're taken to football is probably going to want to go again.

And that matters because, if by next season the glitz and worldwide pull of the Premier League has gone, Wolves will need those people to help them start a cycle of renewal.

All clubs experience this sometimes. For some in that youngest generation, Shrewsbury in January 2026 will be the day the football bug bit, the day the cycle began again.

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