Wolves travel to face Brighton on Saturday amid fan fury and a dismal run of results. Rob Edwards needs a spark in Wolves' final three games, but based on recent history, facing Brighton next could be the last thing he needs, as Wolves have struggled against the Seagulls in the Premier League era.
In 15 Premier League meetings between the two sides, Wolves have won just twice and have lost six. Their league record at the Amex makes for slightly more favourable reading, as Wolves have lost just one of their last six at Brighton, but that was a dreadful 6-0 battering under Julen Lopetegui in April 2023. The reality is that Brighton are unbeaten in their last eight league meetings with Wolves, winning five, and Edwards has his work cut out for him going up against Fabian Hurzeler's side.
The bore draw against 10-man Sunderland last week resulted in an angry Molineux that vented their fury towards Edwards, who charged straight down the tunnel at full-time. The head coach is under some pressure and needs some respite, but that will require a drastic change of fortunes away from home.
Wolves are still winless on their travels in the Premier League this season, and a defeat on Saturday would mean they have lost to all 19 top flight clubs this campaign, which has only happened once before to Sheffield United in 2023/24. The biggest issue against Sunderland was a lack of cutting edge, and Edwards has to find a way to address that, considering Wolves have scored just seven goals in 17 away games this season.
Tolu Arokodare is unlikely to be the answer to those woes, and while Adam Armstrong has had good moments, he needs a lot more support to avoid him being isolated again. Mateus Mane and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde could be chosen alongside him, and if Wolves want to cause Brighton any problems, they will need to be near-perfect on the transition after repelling attacks from the hosts.
And the Seagulls certainly will create chances for top goalscorer Danny Welbeck. The striker has netted 13 times in the top flight this season but surprisingly did not net against Wolves in the 1-1 reverse fixture back in October. It is only surprising because the striker has a knack for scoring against Wolves.
In the 35-year-old's long career, in which he has scored 90 Premier League goals, Wolves are joint second for clubs he has scored the most against in all competitions. Welbeck has scored eight goals against both West Ham and former club Manchester United and has scored seven against both Chelsea and Wolves. Against Wolves, his seven goals have come in just 17 games, with six goals in the Premier League and one in the Carabao Cup, putting Wolves firmly second on the list out of the four teams for goals per game ratio and marginally behind the eight goals he has scored in 19 games against United. Welbeck has also enjoyed his third most wins versus a single club against Wolves, winning 10 times and losing just three.
The omens, for Wolves, make for grim reading. But Edwards cannot afford to be weighed down by history and must instead find a way to put on a performance and snatch a result against a side focused on qualifying for Europe.
