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TEAM NEWS
Wolves’ Mario Lemina is set to return after leaving the pitch at half-time against Brighton with a slight calf issue. Meanwhile, Sam Johnstone is also ready for selection after missing two matches. However, Hwang Hee-chan, Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, Yerson Mosquera, Boubacar Traore, and Bastien Meupiyou remain unavailable.
Crystal Palace faces a setback with Adam Wharton out for a month following groin surgery. Eberechi Eze will be sidelined for two weeks due to a hamstring injury picked up during the EFL Cup win over Aston Villa. Jefferson Lerma, Chadi Riad, Chris Richards, and Matheus Franca are still out, but Cheick Doucoure is fit to play.
GARY O'NEIL
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
- Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is expected to return to the matchday squad, and O’Neil is hopeful captain Mario Lemina will be available.
- He said it is a big home game against Palace and it will be difficult because they are tough to break down.
- On taking momentum from the last-gasp draw at Brighton, he said: We didn’t lack belief, but it was a big response from a tough situation. Any team that can come from 2-0 down with five minutes to go shows they have real fight.
- More from O’Neil on the season so far: We understand we’ve had a tough start to the season, and we’d love to have more than two points on the board, but our belief is intact.
- He said they are just going to attack Saturday’s game at full throttle and from the moment we get there until the final whistle, we will give it everything we’ve got.
On the similarities to Palace in losing players in the summer, he said: We lost a couple of players from last year’s starting XI, but we understand we have enough in this building to push ourselves. - He said it is really important that the fans are behind them at Molineux when it gets tough, and he hopes the players can reward them with a positive display and result.
MATCH STATS & FACTS
Head-to-head
Wolves have lost six of their last seven Premier League games against Crystal Palace.
In last season’s Premier League, Palace defeated Wolves 3-2 at Selhurst Park and 3-1 at Molineux.
The Eagles have won three of their six Premier League visits to Molineux – all six of those matches were decided by a two-goal margin for the victors.
Wolves
Wolves have lost each of their opening four home fixtures of a league campaign for the first time.
They have failed to win any of their opening nine matches of a league campaign for the third time, having done so in the top flight in 1983-84 and in the second tier in 1926-27.
A team has had a winless run of at least 10 matches from the beginning of a Premier League season on 18 occasions. Only five of those teams went on to avoid relegation: Everton (1994-95), Blackburn (1996-97), Derby (2000-01) and Newcastle (2018-19 and 2021-22).
Wolves have won just one of their last 19 top-flight games, a 2-1 home victory against Luton on 27 April.
Premier League matches involving Wolves this term have produced a league-high 37 goals, while Palace’s fixtures have yielded a league-low 17 goals.
Wolves have conceded 25 goals this season. Only Southampton, with 26 in 2012-13, have conceded more goals after nine games of a Premier League campaign.
Gary O’Neil has lost all four top-flight matches as a manager against Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace
Palace’s 1-0 home win against Spurs last time out was their first of the season.
However, the Eagles have won only two of their last 17 Premier League away fixtures: 1-0 at Liverpool on 14 April and 3-1 at Wolves on 11 May.
Palace have scored six Premier League goals this season, a joint-league low alongside Southampton. They netted 29 goals in 13 league games under Oliver Glasner last season – the fifth-highest tally in that time period.
Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze are joint-fourth in Palace’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorers with 27 goals. The top three are Wilfried Zaha (68), Christian Benteke (35) and Luka Milivojevic (28).
Mateta has scored 16 goals in 22 Premier League appearances under Oliver Glasner but only two have been scored in away games – including one at Molineux.
Eze has scored in four of his five Premier League starts versus Wolves, his joint-highest top-flight goals tally against any side, along with Sheffield United.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Anthony Taylor. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn. Fourth official: Simon Hooper. VAR: Paul Tierney.Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin.
MATCH INFO
This one kicks off at 5.30pm at Molineux on Saturday 2nd November and will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK.