COMB !
Live @ http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewLiveArticle/401270
One match ban enabled
Wolves will assess the fitness of forwards Diogo Jota and Adama Traore.
Jota has missed three matches with a hamstring injury, while Traore was substituted because of a similar problem during Saturday's win at Spurs.
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson is expected to make changes to the side beaten by Chelsea, with Max Meyer likely to return and Connor Wickham in contention to start.
Christian Benteke remains out with a long-term knee injury.
Quiz: Can you name the top 25 Premier League goalscorers of 2018?
Premier League stats: How 2018 was for your club?
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
@Wilsonfooty: Having each achieved stellar results away from home against one of the big guns over Christmas, it'll be intriguing to see how Wolves and Palace fare against each other in their first Molineux meeting in six years.
Wolves have been an absolutely terrific addition to the Premier League. There's every chance they could finish a season in the top half of the top flight for the first time since 1980.
However, Palace will take heart from the fact that Wolves have lost four of their last six home games. The Eagles - who have scored as many goals in their last two games away from home as they have all season at Selhurst Park - seem to prefer life on the road.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Nuno Espirito Santo: "We are back at Molineux. The home factor of the competition is very important, but it will be tough because Crystal Palace are a very good team.
"Knowing that the schedule is so tight...it's how you prepare the whole game. Fresh legs change a lot of things in football. Sometimes your plan works out great - Tottenham was one of those days - but we know that is not always the same."
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson on his side's poor scoring record: "As far as I know, there's not one team in the bottom seven or eight that has a good record in front of goal.
"One or two may have scored more than us but we're all pretty much in the same ballpark. And the fact that we have the best goal difference of those teams is down to the fact that we haven't conceded many, so that's why we're on minus nine and the next best team around us has minus twelve.
"The players that have been working here deserve a lot of credit."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Wolves are a good side, and the 3-1 win at Tottenham will kick them on. I had wondered where the goals would come from at Wembley Stadium - how wrong was I?
Prediction: 2-0
Lawro's full predictions v rapper Yatez
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Wolves have lost only one of their past 12 top-flight matches against Crystal Palace, a 1-0 away defeat in January 1980.
Palace are winless in all six top-flight visits to Molineux, their longest away run without ever beating an opponent.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves earned 13 points from their last six games of 2018 - only Liverpool and Tottenham fared better over the same period.
If they avoid defeat on Wednesday, Wolves will become the first promoted team to have at least 30 points after 21 fixtures since Birmingham in 2009-10.
The last time Wolves had 30 points or more after 21 top-flight matches was in 1979-80, when they finished sixth.
They have not lost their opening league match of a calendar year since 2013, when beaten 3-1 at Crystal Palace in the Championship on New Year's Day.
Their tally of five first-half goals is the lowest in the division.
Crystal Palace
Palace's defeat against Chelsea on Sunday ended their three-match unbeaten run.
They could fail to score in three successive league matches within a season for the first time since the opening three matches under Roy Hodgson in 2017-18.
The Eagles have failed to score in nine league games in total, a joint league-high with Fulham and Huddersfield.
Crystal Palace have earned 10 points in away matches this season, one more than at home.
Wilfried Zaha has neither scored or assisted a Premier League goal in his last 11 appearances.
💥Wolves v Crystal Palace💥[LIVE]
posted on 3/1/19
Bernardo Silva’s work rate in that game was phenomenal.
posted on 3/1/19
comment by GeminMallorca (U18318)
posted 3 hours, 2 minutes ago
The latest Wolves Blog by Ben Rasmin sums it up perfectly for me.
Sadly, 2019 hasn’t begun in the magnificent fashion that 2018 ended.
But, contrary to some of the SOS calls I’ve just heard on BBC WM, there’s no need for any of us to fret.
Because Wolves, in their first season back in the top flight, are just 11 points shy of the total that, according to legend, guarantees survival.
Any of you, kind enough to read my previous reports will know that I’m optimistic enough to believe that we can realistically hope for more than mere existence in the Premier League.
But surely for the time being it’s enough?
If you were sat inside Molineux tonight you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
The only thing that matched the dull showing on the pitch was the atmosphere around the ground, save for the away end in which the Palace support made themselves heard.
Long before Jordan Ayew tapped home the visitor’s fortuitous opening goal, a deathly atmosphere pervaded the stadium.
Perhaps that’s because it was many people’s first day back at work, and we were simply feeling a little sluggish after our festive indulgences.
But I sense that it was because, as has been the case at other stages in the season, many expected us to roll the opposition over.
But why would that be the case?
Palace are an experienced Premier League side that are coached by a former England manager and in Wilfried Zaha have one of the premium players currently plying his trade outside of the top six.
I’m certainly not suggesting that they weren’t beatable, but I think they’re due a little more credit than most were willing to give.
They came prepared tonight, restricting space and always looking a threat on the break.
In a game of fine margins, fortune swung their way in a manner not too dissimilar to our victory in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.
Cue some frankly ludicrous howls of derision both online and on the airwaves, our much heralded victory at Wembley now seemingly consigned to distant memory by some.
I’m as big an advocate for free speech as you’ll find, but in our first season back I think a little perspective is required in light of these type of setbacks.
We’re a young side that has largely taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.
But, like all younglings, we bruise easily and will experience a few tumbles while taking our first steps.
The real barometer for success is how we respond to them, and I think most will agree that we’ve already shown we have the character to bounce back from a dip in form.
In the meantime, perhaps we’d be best off remembering where we were this time last year and how far we’ve come since then.
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Hope you don't mind me saying it Gem but, regardless of the football content, that was one of the most beautifully written posts I can remember on this forum.
Bit of a sucker for good prose.
posted on 3/1/19
What about the well thought out match threads Nutty ?
posted on 4/1/19
comment by Spangles (U17289)
posted about 3 hours ago
This must be a debut for contumelious on the forum
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Yes, I’ve been treasuring the word since I saw it used by a Doctor of something or other on a Twitter thread. How fantastic to discover a new word at my late age. Going to use it often... “contumelious”. Love it.
posted on 4/1/19
Nice word.
posted on 4/1/19
So following a little research contumelious seems to be the historical basis of the abusive form of the word?
As for the Wolves blog guy, I think he makes some valid points, we do have a relatively young squad and some of our foreign lads playing in this league for the first time maybe have underestimated the kind of work rate that you need to maintain to compete with all of the teams in this league.
They should have learned that by now. Also strength in depth is important. Having players to come without a loss of quality across all positions when energy levels dip is where we need to be more consistent and to get to the next level.
posted on 4/1/19
As for the atmosphere, I did hear the words " ar day really wanna come t'night" on the way to the ground more than once, that post Wembley/new year hangover seemed to be prevailing strongly.
The Steve Bull and North bank lads tried to get the South bank to sing but they weren't having it.
posted on 4/1/19
10,000 at Wolves these days are tourists. Same at every Premier League ground.
posted on 4/1/19
Trip Advisor poll voted Wolverhampton the third most up and coming destination on the planet.
Out of darkness.....
posted on 4/1/19
comment by LoneWolf (U22026)
posted 3 hours, 7 minutes ago
Trip Advisor poll voted Wolverhampton the third most up and coming destination on the planet.
Out of darkness.....
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Fecking idiots
——<magic——