Wolverhampton Wanderers

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

"Stay the course" was Gary O'Neil's message ahead of Wolves' clash with Liverpool.

He has also written about "scrapping for everything" while still wanting to keep Wolves' style in Saturday's programme.

The confidence remains at Molineux and O'Neil said to the media on Friday he did not expect to be talking positively throughout the entire season.

Wolves' winless start is magnified by the fact it comes at the start of the season while O'Neil said it had been suggested to him it had been the hardest opening - in terms of opposition - for any Premier League team.

Although, with a goal difference of -9 already having conceded 14, Wolves have not made it easy for themselves. The calamitous second half against Chelsea springs immediately to mind.

Performances against Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and Aston Villa have been promising and with better finishing or without individual mistakes Wolves would have more points.

They need to find a way to convert positive spells into consistent displays and while victory over Liverpool would be a shock it is clear O'Neil believes his team have it in them.

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

All kick-off times BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries:

• Arsenal v Leicester

• Wolves v Liverpool

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week six, he takes on Maximo Park singer Paul Smith, whose latest album, Stream Of Life, is out on Friday.

Wolves host Liverpool at 17:30 on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Wolves have not been as bad as their results suggest but I suspect the fans' patience is wearing a bit thin with their manager, Gary O'Neil.

That is slightly unfortunate, and unfair, because overall he did well last season, but the way Wolves ended the last campaign poorly and have started this one the same way does not help him, clearly.

This game probably won't do much for his cause, either. It is hard to look past a Liverpool win, based on their firepower and their strength off the bench.

They wiped the floor with Bournemouth last week and, while this will be closer, I still think Liverpool will win it.

Smith's prediction: 0-2

This is going to be harder for Liverpool than you might expect on paper against the bottom team. Results have not gone Wolves' way but they have been playing OK and they will put up a good fight here.

There is something that makes me think they can get a draw but we are in the predictions game here and I have to go with percentages.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

This time last year Wolves ended Manchester City's unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win at Molineux.

It ignited their own campaign and helped shape fan opinion about Gary O'Neil, who had only been in post under two months.

Wolves already had a win, at Everton, under O'Neil but it is hard not to look at the comparisons ahead of Saturday's visit of Liverpool.

Another big team rolls into town, expected to win, with Wolves struggling to assert themselves.

Winless and bottom of the Premier League they are under the spotlight again after a difficult start, although there is little internal panic.

They pushed the Reds close last season, going ahead before losing 3-1, and their home record against the traditional big six was impressive.

On Friday, O'Neil played down any links between the City win and any possible victory on Saturday, especially as he deals with a virus which has swept through the squad and left key men doubtful.

Having lost defender Yerson Mosquera, most likely for the season, following a serious knee injury, it is another issue which the head coach would have wanted to avoid.

Defender Alfie Pond, 20, who captained the Under-21s to a 4-1 win over Leeds on Monday, could be given a Premier League baptism with the defence already stretched but Wolves have triumphed in adversity before and will have to again.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves' squad has been hit by a virus before Liverpool's Premier League visit on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Dan Bentley was ill last week and several of his team-mates are now major doubts for the Molineux clash.

Boss Gary O'Neil, whose side are winless and bottom of the table, did not reveal who could miss the game, but said some players will need to be assessed on Saturday morning.

"There is quite a bit of illness at the moment, there are a few who will need a check on how they are feeling," he added. "Quite a few missed training today [Friday].

"Some of the lads will struggle for tomorrow, whether they don't quite make it or are not fit enough to start. Sometimes it can clear up in 24 hours.

"We are hopeful that all of the guys who have had something over the last couple of days will be fine. But, as the doctors told me, at this stage it's difficult to give a definitive answer."

Defender Yerson Mosquera is expected to be out for the season with a serious knee injury so 20-year-old Alfie Pond, who made his full debut in the Carabao Cup defeat at Brighton last week, could start against the second-placed Reds.

Struggling Wolves are one of six teams looking for their first win of the season, but O'Neil added: "I'm not fazed at all. I'm looking forward to the next part of it.

"First thing is you have to accept where you are. So we accept where we are at this moment and then we fight with everything we have to improve it.

"We have to get the group in the best spot possible for Liverpool and then give absolutely everything to try and improve our points tally."

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Liverpool (kick-off 17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On Yerson Mosquera's knee injury, which has ended his season: "He's OK. He's a great kid and I'm absolutely devastated for him because of the energy [he brings]. No matter how things go each week he gives absolutely everything and he always attacks things and does things in the right way. It's a big loss to us. It's a big blow to the team but it brings an opportunity to others. Alfie Pond, for instance, is now a step closer. He has a chance."

• On illness within the squad: "There is quite a bit of illness so there will have to be a check on some with how they are feeling. [Dan] Bentley is fine now. There's a virus going around, the doctor has been busy this week trying to help the lads feel a little bit better. Quite a few missed training today. We'll see how we are tomorrow."

• O'Neil added on Toti Gomes' injury: "We'll test him [Toti] again in the morning. He's trained but he's not fully fit. There is another day to go and he is getting closer. In an ideal world we'll probably leave him longer, but we'll see."

• On Alfie Pond: "I know all about Alfie Pond, obviously, he is one our players. I think I would be lying if I said that I expected him to be in and around Premier League starts this season. He was on loan to Stockport last year, didn't play a lot so it's a big step even in training for him to be in and around it."

• On the club's tough start to the season: "It's no secret we are on a tough run of results. Enough has been made already by myself and by you guys [press] around the toughness of the fixtures. It is what it is. There's a real focus on us and let's go and win a home game. Let's go and win a game in front of our fans. Let's fight, scrap and make it difficult."

• On the team's resilience: "When you are losing games it becomes tougher to win them. They are a resilient group and at Aston Villa they gave absolutely everything. They made some errors and we made some mistakes and we got punished. But not through a lack of effort, resilience and togetherness. I know sometimes it can look different to that from the outside but I can guarantee you, 100%, that there is no lack of togetherness, resilience and desperation to get over the line."

• On Liverpool manager Arne Slot: "He is excellent, coaching wise and the way he sets his team up. It's not a surprise to me that he has started well. Liverpool is very well run and very well organised, there's no real mess there to go in and fix. He has gone into a well run football club with a good squad and he's a good coach."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown has been speaking to the Football News Show about the teams who have struggled to get points on the board so far.

Everton

"Sean Dyche understands the pressure. He is comfortable in his surroundings, he’s got broad shoulders but the pressure is starting to mount. The supporters are grumbling, but they need to try and relax.

"I think the next two home games [against Crystal Palace and Newcastle] are key."

Leicester City

"There is rumblings regarding the manager and the style he is going to have to try and play. It is a totally different ball game in the Premier League."

Wolves

"What is surprising everyone is how good Wolves were last season compared to their start this term. It was an incredible run from Gary O’Neil. He has lost players [over the summer] and I think he needed a bit more support in the transfer window. We can all see that he will be disappointed.

"They have a tough game against Liverpool next, so it does not get any easier."

West Ham

"Getting beat 5-1 by Liverpool is not a true reflection of them. Early on in the game they had several chances. Even into the second half when they were 2-1 down, there was a couple of good opportunities. They brought on Kudus, Paqueta and Antonio so there were several changes.

"But what was disappointing, is that they went down to 10 men with Alvarez having the second yellow card and then it was capitulation. That is what the manager did not need.

"They did not seem to have the gritty style what West Ham have had. Julen Lopetegui wants to be more attractive, more aggressive, at the top of the pitch and that is not coming to light at this moment in time. There is a lot of work to do and the pressure is mounting. West Ham fans wanted the change [of manager] but it is going to take him a little bit of time."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It never rains but it pours, certainly for those at Molineux this week.

Yerson Mosquera's serious knee injury, which has almost certainly ended his season, is crushing for the 23-year-old but adds to Gary O'Neil's concerns amid a difficult start.

You do not have to tell anyone at the club about the ramifications. They could ill afford to lose anyone at the back, not least a defender who was poised to become a key man for the campaign.

The immediate issue, though, is to earn the first win. That five other sides in the Premier League are also winless is unlikely to provide much comfort for O'Neil, but it at least means Wolves are not adrift at an early stage.

Saturday's visit of Liverpool, with O'Neil holding his news conference later on Friday, does not make things much easier. Yet there is calm at Wolves.

Chairman Jeff Shi said this week: "The nature of our jobs is to find a way to improve and do better in the next game. We are moving forward with the plan and everyone knows their roles.

"It's not a time to be over-optimistic or negative. It's a normal time, like in any season, and from our point of view this is all going to plan and we must not deviate."

Come back to this page later for all the key lines from O'Neil

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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There has been a lot of conversation this week about "dark arts" in football following the draw between Manchester City and Arsenal on Sunday.

Realistically, everyone who has watched football for longer than one game has seen things they would perceive as "dark arts"; whether it is a player always going down winning free-kicks to take the sting out of the game, kicking the ball into row Z when there was no multi-ball system or time-wasting on goal-kicks.

These are things we see all the time but our perception of it is dependent on the context of a game. You always see some version of it somewhere, and you hope your team would be doing the same thing if in the same situation - because why should you do something that would benefit the opposition you are against?

It is the same as going down a bit more easily to win penalties - some people will say "this guy is a cheat", but then on the other side of their mouth, if it is something that could benefit them, they say "he has tried too hard to stay up, he needed to go down there".

You can have rulings, Ifab can get involved to change this and that, but there will always be a way to push the rules to their limits.

What we saw with Arsenal in that game, where David Raya sat down to get some treatment while the teams gathered, we have seen those moments before. It is not just new to Arsenal - other teams do it.

It is always based on certain moments. You do get more frustrated if it happens against you, but when you need to do it, you encourage people to do it. That is one of the beauties of football - the way you see things is always going to be down to perception, context and just whether you think it is benefiting you or not.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Phil Cartwright

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The news that Yerson Mosquera's season is almost certainly over has added to the sense of the walls closing in on Wolves even at this very early stage.

This is wretched luck for the player himself. For the second time since arriving at Wolves in 2021, injury has terminated his season in September, costing him an ideal opportunity for months of development at his highest level yet.

It is also poor fortune for the club, further restricting Gary O'Neil's defensive options, although the feeling that they had taken a risk by failing to find a senior replacement for Max Kilman was already widespread.

But it is too late to pick over transfer window decisions now.

O'Neil's switch to a four-man defence rather than a wing-back system has been a regular discussion point but the injury to Mosquera does not necessarily shut off the option for a return to three central defenders.

Should O'Neil want to revert to it to stem the flow of goals conceded, when Toti returns he would be a natural choice to Craig Dawson's left, while Santiago Bueno, Matt Doherty or Nelson Semedo could play to his right.

At Villa Park, however, the tactical options were not really the issue. Wolves were rolling along happily enough for an hour in their current shape. The problem may be tricky to identify and therefore tricky to fix.

Yes, Wolves were leading – and through a very well-taken goal – but in the second half you could sense in the stadium that they were growing less confident.

After the equalising goal, it was hard to escape the feeling that only one team seemed to believe they could win - and they duly did.

This "losing mentality", as Mario Lemina called it recently, appears to have a hold on Wolves. Shaking it off it is harder than talking about it, although that is probably the first step.

Succeeding in the Premier League with – in relative terms – middleweight financial resources requires such clubs to occasionally upset the odds.

Wolves have done this many times since promotion, but they must be convinced in their own minds they can do it again - for a whole game, not just a part.

Waiting for apparently easier games to come along will not be enough.

Listen to full commentary of Wolves v Liverpool at 17.30 BST on Saturday on BBC Radio WM (all frequencies)

Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and Wolves were not blind to their needs before the transfer window closed.

Yerson Mosquera's serious knee injury, which is likely to end his season, leaves the squad even more stretched in a crucial defensive area.

A replacement for Max Kilman after his move to West Ham was key even before any injuries, but restrictions and availability hampered Wolves.

After being beaten by Ipswich to the signing of Dara O'Shea, they looked at defenders, including Aston Villa's Diego Carlos but a deal never progressed from the exploration stage given the potential cost.

West Ham's Nayef Aguerd also rejected a move to Molineux before heading on loan to Real Sociedad.

Other defenders in the Premier League were considered, so it was not for the want of trying or any lack of recognition of what they needed.

Boss Gary O'Neil has always been ready to play the cards he is dealt, although now his hand is weaker.

Liverpool come to Molineux on Saturday with Wolves still bottom and winless - although performances point to deserving better.

The crucial thing for O'Neil and his staff now is to continue to navigate the squad through a tough time and ensure morale does not dip.

No internal panic buttons are being pressed and O'Neil feels reassured, but he is also sensible enough to recognise the sooner the wins come the better.

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Remember the iconic show Red Dwarf? There's an episode featuring the despair squid, and that's exactly how I feel! Totally sapped of joy and hope, I wonder if that’s how the players feel to.

Losing to Villa sure stings, and we saw a whole host of problems in this game but the real blow is watching Yerson Mosquera go down with an injury. Missing scoring opportunities is annoying, but the defence's stability is a bigger concern. Without Mosquera, the back four is in disarray, and shifting to a back three isn't straightforward. Wolves have gone 17 Premier League matches without a clean sheet, the squad is already thin in defence and more reshuffling could lead to bigger problems.

Mosquera is expected to miss the rest of the campaign. This situation leaves Wolves in a tough spot and underscores their failure to bring in a proven centre-back during the transfer window. Fans were aware that replacing Max Kilman was necessary, but the club risked relying on the current squad at least until the January window.

Wolves have been adjusting to a back four formation, which requires the right players for success. Bueno struggled when he was substituted during the Villa match. It's tough stepping into that role mid-game, but he might not be ready to handle a back four effectively. Gary O’Neil might consider switching to a back three, but with only three senior centre-backs, they would lack sufficient cover on the bench. It's a conundrum.

While Wolves played well for 45 mins they yet again failed to kill off the game. Surely Liverpool will be licking their lips with glee at the thought of playing us next week.

The characters of Red Dwarf always find a way out of hopeless situations, let’s hope Wolves can too!

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

Dave Azzopardi from the Talking Wolves podcast says Wolves fans "were very spoilt" after they returned to the Premier League and believes the atmosphere at Molineux could become "toxic" if the club remains winless by October.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Azzopardi said the club's successes after getting promoted from the Championship have led to extremely high expectations, which are difficult for the club to maintain.

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Aston Villa and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Villa fans

Rudgey: Unai Emery showed his genius again! For 60 minutes, Wolves had the measure of us but our substitutes and tactical tweaks turned the game. Seeing Gary O'Neil's face at full-time as he shook hands with Emery said it all - when the game changed, he couldn't keep up. We can now get results even when we're not at our best. Exciting times!

Simon: Surely Jhon Duran deserves to start soon? Ollie Watkins scored but he looks off his game after the Euros. We huffed and puffed in the first half against a Wolves team with no natural finisher, but it shows how deep the Villans can dig to pull it out of the bag! It says a lot about the coach and his well assembled squad.

Leona: Villa showed the mentality required to overcome Wolves after giving away a goal due to repeatedly bad defending. Ross Barkley played a blinder and his input helped turn the result around. Surely Duran has to start the next game? I still feel Villa are better playing in a 4-4-2.

Thomas: Another great win for Villa. A poor first-half performance but we came alive in the second half and Duran scored again! We move on to Wycombe on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup and hope to get through to the fourth round.

Wolves fans

Alan: We better hope that there are three worse teams than us because at the moment, relegation beckons. Too early to panic after a hard run of fixtures? The excuse brigade is still failing to accept the facts. Is it too soon to start the Gary O'Neil out discussion?

Mark: Really frustratingly disappointing once again. We had a dominant first half, an awful second half and we were an absolute mess defensively. I'm afraid we are in serious trouble. If the mindset of the manager and his players is that the fixtures will eventually get easier, they are sadly mistaken. There are no easy games in the Premier League. The Championship beckons.

Glyn: Great first-half display but again no Plan B for the second half. We knew that Villa would change things, but we didn't and couldn't react as we don't have the quality of game-changing players that our opposition have. There is no plan B and I'm getting worried.

Norman: We are having a bad run at the moment, but I see them getting out of this bad run. I have all the confidence in our manager. In the owners? That is a different question and I'm not going to go there. It is the team that means more to me than the owners. I have supported them for over 64 years and I still find when we lose most upsetting.

Gary Lineker presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester United

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves have lost back-to-back league fixtures against Villa for the first time since 2003-04.

A win over one of their arch-rivals could have been the spark they needed to turn their form around.

Gary O'Neil's side have just one win across their past 15 Premier League matches - including 11 defeats - their worst run for more than two years.

However, with matches against Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle, it is fair to say their opening fixtures have been particularly tough.

Their only point this season came at Nottingham Forest, and they were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Brighton in midweek.

Frustratingly for Wolves, they had the measure of their opponents for 70 minutes, winning the ball back with a high press - a tactic which resulted in Matheus Cunha's opener.

But the visitors were ultimately made to pay for their wasted chances.

Meanwhile, defender Yerson Mosquera was taken off on a stretcher with a knee injury in the second half.

A day to forget for the visitors.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa have now gained six points from losing positions in the Premier League this season; the joint-most of any side alongside Manchester City. While Wolves have dropped six points from such positions, with only Everton (8) having dropped more.

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil, speaking to Match of the Day after today's loss: "The first half we played very well. No team comes here and wins at a canter. It was not like they were banging the door down. But when we need to fight we need to do it better. The lads are finding out the hard way you cannot play well for a bit.

"It’s disappointing we have come up short. That [second] goal has to be stopped as does the first goal. We need to make sure the fixtures, we have some really tough ones coming up, we need to find a way to fight and scrap.

"We’re not going to dominate games against Aston Villa and Liverpool. We need to behave and act like a team scrapping for everything. We have to make sure we are better when it gets tough."

On the injury to Yerson Mosquera, who was carried off on a stretcher: "It doesn’t look good at this moment. It’s a big blow for us."

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