Key events
37 min: Another good cross finds a Palace player in the box and this time it’s Munoz on the six-yard line missing the target. Another criminal miss, really.
36 min: The home faithful are getting restless. Matheus Cunha has been profligate with the ball in forward areas, and there’s some frustration being directed at Strand Larsen. He’s not been involved enough – and he’s been flagged offside on the occasions he has got involved.
34 min: Would love to know the xG of those two Crystal Palace chances. One of them ought to have gone in. Glasner will be tearing his hair out.
32 min: How on earth has that not gone in?
Guehi’s header finds Trevor Chalobah on the six-yard line but he takes a massive air-shot with the goal at his mercy – it then rebounds to Mateta whose effort smashes off Chalobah and flies wide. Goodness me.
31 min: Palace have upped the ante a little and it’s largely down to Mateta, who is dropping deep to link the play, allowing the likes of Nketiah to run into the space beyond him. Will Hughes is having a decent game in midfield too.
30 min: Nearly an inch-perfect ball by Cunha. Larsen stretches out a leg to try and reach it but can’t get there. Nice idea.
28 min: Mateta gets a chance to run through the centre, holding off the Wolves challenges superbly as he goes. Unfortunately for Palace, Nketiah doesn’t quite connect with his shot after receiving the lay-off to the left. Sa saves easily.
The keeper then comes out well to collect Munoz’s cross from the right.
25 min: You can fully understand, watching this, why these two sides boast just one Premier League victory between them. There’s effort by the bucket-load but close to zero finesse.
I suspect the first goal this evening will be absolutely vital.
23 min: Some dicey play around the back from Wolves has supporters’ hearts in mouths but they get away with it (just). They’re lacking a bit of composure on the ball in general tonight.
21 min: Almost quarter of the game has passed and it’s Rayan Aït-Nouri 0-0 Crystal Palace.
19 min: Aït-Nouri botches another promising opening for Wolves. He was trying to find Larsen in the middle but Palace got bodies back, so it’s a corner.
Guess who then smashes it over from the corner? Aït-Nouri. He’s been heavily involved so far, but it’s not all been great.
17 min: Nketiah races through the middle once more and tries to buy a foul… Anthony Taylor the referee isn’t having it.
Neither side are keeping the ball particularly well.
15 min: Great defending by Lacroix to quash a Wolves counter-attack but there are groans from the home supporters after that. It really was a wasted opportunity by Aït-Nouri, running into trouble.
Palace are gradually becoming the dominant side in this contest.
12 min: Palace win their first two corners of the game. They’ve got some height in their team tonight.
11 min: Nketiah is the latest to get his final ball wrong, but the former Arsenal man is looking dangerous as Palace’s high pressing and quick attacks causes a number of concerns for the home side. Wolves have retreated somewhat after their early burst.
8 min: The pace of this game is lightning – and surely unsustainable. Both teams are flying harum-scarum into challenges but both are fluffing their lines when it comes to finishing chances. Aït-Nouri drags a decent effort wide with his unfavoured right foot.
6 min: It’s a triple chance for Palace and somehow they’ve not scored. The second one fell to Hughes, which was the cleanest hit, but Dawson got his body in the way.
5 min: Looks like Palace aren’t afraid of taking the direct route either. Sarr will be an outlet for the visitors down the right flank – he had the beating of Toti just now. Cunha has taken a knock for Wolves after a meaty ol’ Guehi challenge. He left too much in there.
3 min: Talk about physical football… Wolves have been all about diagonal balls and towering headers in the opening few minutes. They’re bang up for it.
2 min: Wolves have flown out of the blocks with some slick stuff, buoyed by a boisterous home crowd. Everyone around this place knows they have to win tonight.
An early free-kick is floated onto Larsen’s head and it all gets scrappy. Palace don’t clear it properly and it’s a corner.
KICK OFF
Let’s go!
The players come out of the tunnel and we’re good to go in the west midlands. The music is dramatic and the lights are bright.
After Southampton and Ipswich both picked up points in the earlier games, the best position Wolves would be able to climb to today would be 18th; while Palace – currently 17th – would jump a place above Everton to 16th.
If Wolves do win, of course, it would leave Ipswich as the Premier League’s only winless side after 10 games.
Some of the afternoon reports have landed. Get stuck in.
It will be fascinating to see how Palace fare without two of their most talented players, Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton. Ismaïla Sarr was an exciting signing in the summer and should be good to watch in what looks like a mobile and speedy front line for the Eagles tonight. Daichi Kamada is a neat and tidy replacement for Wharton and should bring some bite alongside the tigerish Will Hughes.
It’s also interesting that Wolves have opted not to bring Mario Lemina straight back into the starting lineup after injury. Presumably that’s a fitness thing, as he’s usually a key player for Gary O’Neil. I’d politely suggest Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha need to step up with goals and assists to get the hosts going today.
Some more Saturday football reading for you. Jonathan Wilson on Arsenal. *Grabs popcorn*
There’s been much talk about 3-4-3s in the past week with Rúben Amorim set to bring that system to Manchester United as part of his tactical revolution. The 3-4-3 is nothing new, of course, Antonio Conte and Chelsea won the Premier League using it a good eight seasons ago.
And it looks like we’ve got two teams using 3-4-3, or variants thereof, in this evening’s clash. Both Wolves and Palace will play up to a focal point/target man striker, with two attacking midfielders/inside forwards playing in and around them. The benefit of such a system is that it lends itself to the ‘box’ midfield that managers like, while retaining some width and defensive solidity (that’s the idea anyway).
There’s plenty happening in the 3pm kick-offs, in case it’s escaped your attention. You can follow the games as they reach their denouements here.
Team news
Wolves: Sá; Bueno, Dawson, T.Gomes; Semedo, Doyle, J.Gomes, Aït-Nouri; Sarabia, Cunha, Strand Larsen.
Subs: Bentley, Doherty, Lemina, André, R.Gomes, Forbs, Bellegarde, Guedes, Pond.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guéhi; Muñoz, Kamada, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Nketiah, Mateta.
Subs: Matthews, Turner, Schlupp, Clyne, Doucouré, Umeh-Chibueze, Devenny, Kporha, Agbinone.
Preamble
Few at the start of the season would have predicted Wolves would be 19th and Crystal Palace 17th after nine games of this 2024/25 campaign – with just one victory between them. Wanderers have had their boardroom struggles, sure, but looked like they were going somewhere last season under Gary O’Neil. And Palace claimed 19 points from a possible 21 at the end of last term – a run that included a 3-1 win in Wolverhampton – and generated some serious momentum under Oliver Glasner.
This feels like a pretty big game at Molineux with both sides spotting seen some green shoots in the past week. Wolves could be buoyed by their comeback at Brighton last weekend, surging back from 2-0 down to clinch a spirited point, while Palace won at Villa in the Carabao Cup to give Glasner some welcome relief.
In terms of team news, Mario Lemina is expected to be fit for the home side, while Sam Johnstone is available to come back in goal – although José Sá could be preferred. Palace are without key duo Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze, which creates further headaches for Glasner.
Kick off is at 5.30pm (GMT). Stay tuned for all the latest.
