Key events
It’s sacking season, though so far only in Germany today. More to follow?
Half-time: Wolves 0-0 Newcastle
An even half and one where Wolves more than held their own. Newcastle cannot yet find the way through.
45+1 min: A fine tackle from Santiago Bueno stops Harvey Barnes in his tracks. Off goes Mane in the time left – just 60 seconds – and then Arokodare sets up Hugo Bueno, who cuts in and shoots just wide. That was close. And that’s the end of the half.
45 min: A Wolves break with Joao Gomes, Arokodare is the target, and Newcastle hurry it behind. From the corner, Mosquera snatches at the ball, when he had much more time.
43 min: Sa gets lucky as the ball drops, Joelinton losing his bearings, as did Hugo Bueno, and then the Wolves keeper lies, with relief, on the ball.
42 min: Better from Newcastle whose dominance comes from Sa making a silly punch out when he really ought to have caught the ball.
41 min: Newcastle seek to make their possession more than sterile. Botman and Tonali are pushing on and on. Joelinton is asked to win it back when the ball falls loose.
39 min: Andre is the latest Wolves player to dig in and dig out the defence. Woltemade is penalised for a foul. He’s looking frustrated, the big man.
38 min: Tonali drops deep in search of space. Wolves are squeezing Newcastle back. Gordon is the latest to be frustrated as his cross is claimed by Sa. He had nowhere else to put it.
36 min: Gordon, who has been quiet, wins a corner. Woltemade will be the target. Trippier takes and Arokodare heads away. Wolves players are making contributions at both ends. Real contrast to what came before.
35 min: Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “Going by the noises from the stands, it’s a lot more fun being a Wolves fan now than it was before the turn of the year. They might even get to release a proper Molineux Roar, if things go well for the Old Gold. You gotta love a stadium with a namesake sound.”
33 min: Trippier has another free-kick chance from the right, to be whipped in with his usual velocity. Wolves clear it again, Mosquera doing the work again. He’s been excellent.
32 min: Gasps as Hugo Bueno cannot reach a Mane pass inside that was overhit. Even local heroes have feet of clay.
31 min: Newcastle have been leaden. Wolves are sat deep and holding them at bay. The speed within the team attack is being throttled.
29 min: Arokodare and Mane get the ball and the home fans are given a lift. At least Wolves have hope in them. Right, a long throw. Mosquera will launch one. And the ball lands with Mane after Hwang’s hook and the ball goes straight at Pope. First effort on target for either team?
27 min: Newcastle have been scratchy, as they have for much of the season. Thiaw is the latest player to miscue the ball. Like most teams, they look dog-tired. Just how much football can they play?
26 min: Jeers as Hall miscues. Anthony Gordon was not amused by the failure of Hall to find him.
25 min: More good vibes from Eric Peterson: “Make no mistake about Wolves; the three-game league unbeaten streak they’re on is not a fluke. They’ve been full value for each result. And Newcastle are vulnerable: no Dan Burn, no Fabian Schar, and Malick Thiaw coming off a game featuring a senseless early booking, two goal-creating errors, and a halftime trip to the bench.
“It’s one thing to tell yourself you’re better than your record, but right now Wolves know it, head and heart. And I can’t wait to see what Wolves are capable of for the rest of the season. If I’m in that dressing room, I’m looking around at my mates with a big goofy smile on my face and thinking, hey, we’re chasing history, guys.”
Anyone else feel inspired by that?
23 min: Anthony T gets in touch: “Hi, oh my, that pic of the Billy Wright Stand at Molineux. It hasn’t changed much in 32 years. I can see the exact spot I met a girl for my first ever proper date. I knew nothing about Wolverhampton and landmarks so being a football fan decided on Molineux and vaguely remembered there was a statue out front having seen it on Midlands Today so chose there. I was from the other side of the West Midlands. Still only time been there. The stand was brand new and so fancy looking at the time and it still looks amazing. The girl? Amicable split but for a while we were like Bull and Mutch. Wolves hate us (Villa) but I would love them staying in the top flight. There was one season our closest game was Sheffield United!”
22 min: Mane shows why he is so popular by finding space and then trying to release Arokodare. Not this time but the fans still sing the Zombie/Mane song.
21 min: Hugo Bueno sends away Mane, who gets the crowd off their feet. Bueno is then penalised for what looked like winning the ball from Tonali.
19 min: Newcastle have been dominating possession but Mosquera has just been on one of those runs – the word “buccaneering” comes to mind – from defence into attack. He’s a fun player to watch.
17 min: Chris Parasevkas has been in touch: “Approaching this game with a great degree of trepidation and uncertainty, given the marked improvement shown by Wolves under Rob Edwards and our continued woes on the road.
“Adding to my concern is an impending trip to the local record store, which is owned / run by a very knowledgable and friendly Wolves fan. Most visits end up with me spending hours talking to him about how the game’s gone (he always mentions Tony Green as his favourite player) before spending money I don’t have on LPs I’m simultaneously trying to Google. If we lose this I just know there will be some “gentle” Black Country “humour” awaiting me.
“Why do I spend the last hours of my Annual Leave on something bound to make me unhappy?”
Tony Green here? No 4.
16 min: It’s touched to Trippier by Hall, and Woltemade has his chance but can’t keep the ball down. That was a far better header. But not good enough.
15 min: That was a poor header from Woltemade. He’s a self-effacing sort, and admits he could be better in the air. But now he will be asked to get on the end of another Newcastle free-kick.
14 min: Gomes steals in on a Hall mistake, and then plays in Tchatchoua, whose cross is dangerous but cleared by Botman. The Botman calls anyone?
Newcastle break at speed and Barnes whips in a beauty of a cross. Woltemade really should have scored. It’s end to end…not a bad game so far.
12 min: Andre and Joao Gomes are the schemers looking for runners. The home crowd urge movement from the forwards.
11 min: Wolves don’t do much with the free-kick. The action is a bit more even than Eddie Howe would like. This does feel a very different Wolves than what we saw in the first half of the season.
10 min: Mosquera is everywhere, and now he robs Woltemade, plays a give and go and then is hacked down by Hall. That looked worthy of a yellow, but nothing given of that nature.
8 min: Mosquera steps forward to clear when a Trippier free-kick causes a bit more panic. The same defender aims a ball into the Newcastle box for which there are no takes and Mosquera asks why nobody seems interested.
6 min: Some panic as Hall zings in a pass to Barnes, and it takes Hugo Bueno to clear the danger. Barnes was uncharacteristically slow to react to that.
4 min: Lewis Hall’s kick swerves in dangerously but misses everyone. Sa takes his time over his goal kick. Tchatchoua goes on a run down the wing, and eventually Arokodare is offside.
3 min: Wolves pushing up in shape. They have been far better organised than under Vitor Pereira. They are asked to defend a corner early doors.
Away we go at Molineux
1 min: Sandro Tonali takes the ball deep as Newcastle attempt to pass their way through. Harvey Barnes gets an early touch from a Woltemade layoff. Good energy from the home fans. How long will that last?
Here’s Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining, with the Led Zep medley you will always hear in pre-match at Molineux.
The weather is so awful that Jose Sa, in bringing on a toddler as a sponsor, perhaps his own son, asked for a coat to put on the poor mite.
The weather in Wolverhampton is seasonably dreadful, gun metal skies opening.
Eddie Howe spoke to Sky Sports: ““With everything we have coming up this month it’s about players feeling good. I’m pleased with the team, I like the look of us.
“Hopefully that fatigue is gone and we are back to our best physically. Mentally they have been really good and I expect them to be. It’s a great month for us.
“They have done well in recent games, been very competitive. They have rhythm. For us the start of the game is going to be absolutely crucial.”
Rob Edwards spoke to the BBC about the Wolves revival: “It’s still early days but performances have steadily been getting better. It’s nice now that has been backed with results. Results feed confidence and belief.”
For Wolves, no Jorgen Strand Larsen in the starting lineup despite his hat-trick against Shrewsbury, and Andre into the team instead of Jhon Arias is the one change from the draw with Everton.
Kieran Trippier in for Lewis Miley among four changes in the Newcastle team. Nick Woltemade is back, with Yoane Wissa benched. Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes in, Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy out.
The teams
Wolves: Sa, Tchatchoua, Mosquera, S Bueno, Krejci, H Bueno, Andre, J Gomes, Mane, Hwang, Arokodare. Subs: Johnstone, Lima, Doherty, Agbadou, Wolfe, Lopez, R Gomes, Arias, Strand Larsen
Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Joelinton, Tonali, Guimaraes, Gordon, Barnes, Woltemade. Subs: Ramsdale, Wissa, Elanga, Willock, Murphy, Ramsey, Shahar, Neave, Miley.
Among the glints of light at Wolves, there is Mateus Mané.
Preamble
Wolves looked dead and buried but now, if relegation is still close to a certainty, there are signs of life. Newcastle, whose form had improved until being well beaten by Manchester City in the Carabao, find themselves up against a motivated opponent. Wolves are unbeaten in 2026, and the atmosphere at Molineux is much improved. Can it continue?
Kick-off is 2pm UK time. Join me.
