Premier League: Wounded Wolves Take On the Magpies

Newcastle United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Both Newcastle United and Wolverhampton have won their respective battles in the FA Cup and are on their way to the quarterfinals. It was a bittersweet moment for Gary O’Neil and the rest of his outfit as they advanced to the next stage of the tournament, but with the hefty price of Hwang Hee-chan in return.

Meanwhile, the Magpies, in the middle of their speculated hunt for a new boss, await the ailing Wolves for their Premier League clash at St. James’ Park.

These clubs are neck and neck in the Premier League standings, and both have a great opportunity to set themselves apart with a pivotal win against their well-matched rivals.

Talking Points

Hwang Hee-chan goes down

The brilliance of Mario Lemina fires Wolves to the FA Cup quarterfinals thanks to his brisk strike against the Seagulls at Molineux Stadium. The hard-fought win was a dreamlike scenario for every Wolves fan in attendance at Molineux, but as pleasant as the dream was, fans quickly snapped back to reality after their star, Hwang Hee-chan, went down with a hamstring injury.

This comes as a huge blow for Gary O’Neil and the Wolves, as they’re in the middle of their best stretch of football since the new year. Not only are they on a winning streak in the Premier League, they are also reaping rewards in the FA Cup, and Hwang Hee-Chan has been a vital piece to their success.

The Korean maestro is set to undergo a scan to figure out the severity of his injury, and Wolves fans should expect Huwang to be unavailable for their Premier League tie against New Castle on the weekend.

“We managed to rotate a few but wanted to take the game seriously; we wanted to win the game. Unfortunately, Changy didn’t get through it. He felt something in his hamstring – small, nothing like Pedro Neto’s or Matheus Cunha’s.” O’Neil stated.

With a depleted roster and a tight schedule ahead of them, expect Gary O’Neil to rotate his players in the next few games. It will be interesting to see if the surging Wolves can maintain their strong Premier League 2024 results in the next couple of weeks with numerous hurdles in their way.

Newcastle have a new manager in sight

Like Wolverhampton, Newcastle have secured their spot in the FA Cup quarter finals. The Magpies advanced in the competition after defeating the Championship side, Blackburn Rovers, via penalties in the fifth round of the tournament.

But despite their success, the Magpies are still reported to be shopping for a new manager to be the man at the helm of their outfit next season.

The German national team boss, Julian Nagelsmann, has emerged as the potential successor to Eddie Howe. Nagelsmann is in the same agency as Magpies’ Fabian Schär, which suggests that both representatives have already negotiated deals in the past.

The current Germany boss will stay in his role with Die Mannschaft until after Euro 2024, and it’s still unsure what the former Bayern Munich man’s move will be after the European Championships.

For now, Eddie Howe is still the man at the helm for Newcastle, and they’ll have a great opportunity to climb a few spots in the Premier League standings when they face the ailing Wolves in their upcoming Matchday 27 tie.

A win against Gary O’Neil’s Wolves could potentially propel the Magpies to the seventh spot in the standings. A spot where they can slowly but surely strive for European contention.

History

Based on their past head-to-heads, no club has bossed the other, and it’s still a toss of the coin every time these outfits share the field.

In their past 21 matchups, the majority of 11 have ended in a draw, while the Magpies have won six and the Wolves have won four.

Their most recent tie was a 2-2 draw back on October 23, when Wolverhampton played host to the Magpies at Molineux Stadium. It was Hwang Hee-Chan and Mario Lemina who got it done for the Wanderers, while Callum Wilson took matters into his own hands and scored a brace to get Newcastle levelled.

Up to this day, these outfits are still neck-and-neck in form; they’re right above one another in the Premier League standings in the 9^th and 10^th spots, they both won 11 top-flight games thus far, and they’re both participants in the FA Cup quarter finals.

Betting Tip 

Given Wolverhampton’s injury woes, the SBOTOP Premier League 2024 betting odds have Newcastle United as the favourites to win at 1.95, while the Wolves are the underdogs at 3.34 with a draw price of 3.44. After their win against Sheffield, the Wolves are now on a two-game winning streak, but their depleted lineup is enough for their prices to take a hit during their upcoming match against the Magpies.

As stated above, it has been a toss of a coin between these two outfits, which is why it’s no surprise if punters would like to go for Wolves at 3.44.

Another line to consider is Newcastle’s Asian handicap of -0.50 at 1.96. This goes hand in hand with their 1X2 line, which suggests that the Magpies will win this clash in front of their home fans. Newcastle’s home advantage may be the X factor for them to come out of this match with three points, and punters should take note of that advantage.

 

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