Newcastle United, fresh from their recent Champions League loss, are set to return to Premier League action this weekend. Eddie Howe will lead his Newcastle team to Molineux to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers, who currently occupy the 12th spot in the Premier League.
Wolves, managed by Gary O’Neil, are trailing the Magpies by five points and are bracing themselves for a challenging match on Saturday evening.
However, Newcastle is dealing with a significant injury crisis as they head into this fixture. Elliot Anderson is sidelined, and Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy sustained injuries during their defeat to Borussia Dortmund. To make matters worse, Sandro Tonali is now suspended until August next year due to a betting-related offense.
Despite these challenges and a depleted squad, Paul Merson, the former Arsenal forward, believes that Newcastle will emerge victorious. In his latest Sportskeeda column, Merson has made predictions for all the Premier League games this weekend, and he envisions a 2-1 victory for Newcastle at Molineux.
Merson stated, “Wolves are a solid team and have achieved some impressive results this season, but I’m going to favor Newcastle to win this one, despite their midweek result. I was genuinely surprised by their defeat to Borussia Dortmund; I expected them to dominate the Bundesliga side.”
Merson goes on to suggest that if Newcastle can progress to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages and secure a place in the Premier League’s top four, it would constitute a successful season for them.
A win on the road would be a fitting response for Newcastle following their Champions League setback. In their post-Champions League matches so far, they have played away from home, trouncing Sheffield United 8-0 before a 2-2 draw with West Ham. Wolves pose another intriguing challenge, and the hope is that there won’t be a lingering impact from their European defeat.
Any kind of victory would be warmly welcomed, with the priority being to avoid any further injuries. It’s the aspiration that Merson’s prediction about a Newcastle win on Saturday evening comes true, despite his previous miscalculation when he expected them to overpower Borussia Dortmund, who ended up winning the match.
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