Mark Lawrenson recently discussed the current situation at Newcastle United, with more than two months of the season already passed. Newcastle is set to face Wolves in an important match at Molineux.
Eddie Howe’s team, who had an impressive nine-match unbeaten streak, suffered their first defeat to Dortmund on Wednesday night. Lawrenson shared his thoughts with Paddy Power ahead of the Wolves vs. Newcastle game. He mentioned that Wolves are showing improvement and seem hard to beat, and he predicts a draw with a score of 1-1.
However, Lawrenson’s claim that “Wolves are looking good” raises questions about what exactly that is based on. While he doesn’t discredit Wolves, their recent performance may not be as impressive as it seems. In their last seven games across all competitions, Wolves have won only two, drawn two, and lost three, scoring 11 goals and conceding 13. On the other hand, Newcastle has been in excellent form, winning six, drawing two, and losing one in their last nine matches, with 22 goals scored and only four conceded.
Although Newcastle’s recent defeat to Dortmund may seem disappointing, it was a closely contested match, and they were somewhat unlucky to lose. In terms of both underlying form and actual results, Newcastle has been performing exceptionally well.
Wolves have had a four-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, but they might have relied on some luck. In their last three home games, they managed only six shots on target but scored four goals, including a win against Manchester City where they had just one shot on target. They also had a bit of fortune when defeating Bournemouth, as their winning goal came late and after Bournemouth had a player sent off.
Considering the recent performances of both teams, a draw, as Lawrenson predicted, might be a lazy option. While Wolves shouldn’t be underestimated, if both teams perform at their recent average level, it’s likely that Newcastle United will come out on top.