A rejuvenated Wolves welcome fellow mid-table side West Ham to Molineux in the Premier League on Tuesday evening, seeking back-to-back home wins.
Wanderers came out on top last time out in the Premier League, defeating Leicester 4-3, before salvaging a last minute draw at Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth round to earn a replay.
Raul to the rescue! pic.twitter.com/c8kaUCnaq5
— Wolves (@Wolves) 27 January 2019
Sitting one point off their opponents, West Ham were put to the sword at Bournemouth in their last Premier League match before suffering a shock cup exit at the hands of League One's bottom side AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.
Enjoying comfortable campaigns, both will see this as an opportunity to help cement their top 10 position.
Where To Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Tuesday 29 January |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 19:45 (BST) |
| Where Is It Played? | Molineux Stadium |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | Sky Sports Live Score |
| Referee? | David Coote |
Team News
Nuno Espirito Santo will be without defender Willy Boly, who is serving the last of his three-match suspension. Romain Saiss is set to deputise at the back once more, whilst Leander Dendoncker could be handed a third straight start.
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini could ring the changes for this trip after mixing his selection up for the Hammers' loss at Wimbledon.
AFC Wimbledon go through.#WIMWHU #COYI pic.twitter.com/jZYjwj6TUE
— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) 26 January 2019
Declan Rice, Marko Arnautovic and Felipe Anderson are expected to be recalled. The London outfit have been plagued by injuries of late, but welcomed back Ryan Fredericks and Javier Hernandez at the weekend.
Predicted Lineups
| Wolves | Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Saiss; Vinagre, Neves, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Jonny; Jota, Jimenez. |
| West Ham | Fabianski; Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble, Rice, Antonio, Nasri, Anderson; Arnautovic. |
Head to Head Record
The sides have met on 62 occasions, with West Ham recording 29 wins to Wolves' 19, whilst 14 have ended in stalemate.
Wanderers claimed maximum points in the corresponding fixture in September, as Adama Traore snatched a stoppage time winner to give the Midlands side a first top flight win since their promotion.
Recent Form
Sitting in eighth on 32 points, Santo's side have certainly lived up to expectation in their first Premier League campaign since 2011/12.
Defeating the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham, they're faring considerably better than fellow promoted sides Cardiff and Fulham, who find themselves in the bottom three. The form of top scorer Raul Jimenez has been integral whilst Diogo Jota's upturn in form could be crucial after netting a hat-trick on matchday 23.
West Ham have collected 19 points from a possible 30 in their last 10 games to stave off any languishing relegation worries, as they look to improve on last term's 13th place finish.
The Hammers were handed a boost this week with talismanic striker Arnautovic signing a contract extension amid interest from China. Netting seven in 16 outings, the Austrian is four goals shy of equalling his entire tally achieved in 2017/18.
Here's how each side has fared in their last five fixtures.
| Wolves | West Ham |
| Shrewsbury 2-2 Wolves (26/01) | Wimbledon 4-2 West Ham (26/01) |
| Wolves 4-3 Leicester (19/01) | Bournemouth 2-0 West Ham (19/01) |
| Manchester City 3-0 Wolves (14/01) | West Ham 1-0 Arsenal (12/01) |
| Wolves 2-1 Liverpool (07/01) | West Ham 2-0 Birmingham (05/01) |
| Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace (02/01) | West Ham 2-2 Brighton (02/01) |
Prediction
Despite their questionable defensive records, both sides have demonstrated their attacking quality this term.
Wolves' 3-5-2 setup has often enabled them to overload the opposition, but the Hammers can break on the counter attack through the likes of Arnautovic, Anderson and recently recruited Samir Nasri.
Separated by a solitary point, it will be an enticing but tight affair under the lights.
Prediction: Wolves 1-1 West Ham
Source : 90min