Wolves vs Liverpool preview: prediction, betting tips & confirmed line-ups

Liverpool can make it 40 games unbeaten in the Premier League with a result against Wolves on Thursday night. 

Jurgen Klopp’s men will close the gap to just nine games on Arsenal’s record 49-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League if they avoid defeat at the Molineux.  

The reigning European champions have won 30 of their last 31 league games, stretching back to last season, but Wolves can be a tricky customer to navigate around.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have lost just once in 12 games at home and will look to claim the first scalp of Liverpool this campaign when the Reds travel to the West Midlands later this week.

Read on for Wolves vs Liverpool preview, predictions, TV coverage information, team news and more.

When is Wolves vs Liverpool and where can I watch live?

Competition: Premier League

Venue: Molineux

Date: Thursday, 23 January 2020

Kick-off: 8:00 PM (UK time)

TV coverage (UK): BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate

Last five meetings: Wolves vs Liverpool

29 Dec 2019: Liverpool 1-0 Wolves (Premier League)

12 May 2019: Liverpool 2-0 Wolves (Premier League)

07 Jan 2019: Wolves 2-1 Liverpool (FA Cup)

21 Dec 2018: Wolves 0-2 Liverpool (Premier League)

28 Jan 2017: Liverpool 1-2 Wolves (FA Cup)

Aggregate Score: Wolves (LLWLW) 4-7 Liverpool (WWLWL)

Ones to watch

Wolves: Pedro Neto

The teenage winger had a goal chalked off at Anfield in the revere fixture after VAR spotted a marginal offside, but he will be keen to put that incident behind him and cause Liverpool further problems on Thursday.

The Portugal U21 international has really come into his own these past few weeks and looks a livewire on the flanks for Espirito Santo. With Diogo Jota missing the previous four matches, Neto has seamlessly stepped up to fill his compatriot’s attacking void. 

Key stat: Pedro Neto is the first 2000-born player to score a Premier League goal for Wolves.

Liverpool: Alisson

Liverpool’s scintillating attacking trident often draw the most glittering plaudits from fans and pundits alike, and with good reason, but arguably the most impressive part of the Anfield club’s game this season has been from a defensive standpoint.

Klopp’s men have conceded just 14 league goals this term and have kept a quite sensational seven clean sheets in a row. Alisson has been at the heart of operations at the back, pulling off save after save, commanding his area, and excelling with his distribution, as witnessed against Man Utd on Sunday.

Key stat: Alisson has the highest save percentage of any goalkeeper in the Premier League this season (85.71%).

Team news

Wolves

Diogo Jota is nearing a return to full fitness having missed the previous four matches with a calf injury but is unlikely to be risked on Thursday night.

Willy Boly and Ruben Vinagre remain sidelined indefinitely with a broken fibula and thigh agitation respectively.

confirmed XI: Patricio; Dendoncker, Coady, Saiss; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Jonny; Neto, Traore, Jimenez.

Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel here.

Liverpool

Naby Keita, James Milner and Nathaniel Clyne continue their respective recoveries on the treatment tables, but Dejan Lovren and Xherdan Shaqiri face late fitness tests to feature in the matchday squad later this week. Fabinho is an option after making the bench against Manchester United, though Klopp may feel no need to rush the Brazilian back into a side that has not conceded in the league for eight games. If, for some reason, he does, he may need to have an awkward conversation with club captain Jordan Henderson beforehand.

Confirmed XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold; Gomez; Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Mane, Firmino.

Squawka prediction

Much like the game at Anfield, this should prove a tight contest. Wolves are exceptionally difficult to break down at home and will provide Liverpool’s front three a difficult game.

Espirito Santo’s side could sneak a point here, but Liverpool have been simply unplayable this season and should extend their unbeaten run in the league. 

Scoreline prediction: Wolves 1-2 Liverpool

Dream, realistic and wildcard betting tips for Wolves v Liverpool:

You must be 18+ and Gamble Aware to bet.

1. Dream: Alexander-Arnold to assist (10/3 with Coral)

Trent Alexander-Arnold will make history tonight, should he set up a goal.

After providing the cross for Virgil van Dijk’s headed opener against Manchester United on Sunday, the right-back’s record for the current Premier League season is nine. This leaves him one assist away from becoming A.) the first Liverpool player to ever provide 10+ assists in two separate Premier League seasons and B.) the first defender ever to achieve this feat.

Beyond his general passing range, the threat he poses from dead-ball situations suggests he might. No other player in the division has created more chances from set-pieces this season so far than Alexander-Arnold (29).

2. Realistic: Wolves to score under 1.5 goals (1/4)

The last occasion on which tonight’s away side conceded in the Premier League was their 5-2 win over Everton at Anfield. Seven top-flight fixtures involving Liverpool have taken place since then.

In terms of away games, they’ve conceded an average of 2.4 shots on target per match across their last five away games. And helpfully Alisson has kept out 85% of all the shots he’s faced in the Premier League this season so far, giving him the best save percentage in the division.

Wolves have a good chance of ending the league leaders’ clean-sheet streak. They average 5.4 shots on target per game across their last five home fixtures in the Premier League, during which they’ve scored eight, including three against Manchester City.

Scoring twice against this Liverpool defence seems unrealistic, however, based on the recent records outlined above.

3. Wildcard: Roberto Firmino to outscore the opposition (5/1)

Roberto Firmino is yet to score a single Premier League goal at Anfield this season so far. Two factors prevent Firmino from taking a hammering from pundits in light of this fact. Firstly, he’s really, really good in nearly every other conceivable aspect of the ‘modern forward’s’ game.

But secondly, he’s scored a more than respectable seven times away from home in the division. Only a handful of players (five to be precise) have a better record in this sense. Firmino has also averaged 1.52 shots on target per 90 minutes played away from home in the Premier League this season, which is the best record of any Liverpool player.