Wolverhampton Wanderers hosted Newcastle United last weekend. Their previous three encounters in the Premier League ended in an identical scoreline: 1–1. The last time it happened was between 2003 and 2010, when both teams yoyo-ed between top-flight football and the Championship or lower. Funnily enough, last Sunday’s match ended in another 1–1. It means that neither of them have beaten each other in a league match since December 2018.
The match was dull, to be fair. This was somehow expected, though, due to both teams nature to rely on counter-attacks rather than aggressively attacking for the majority of the game. In terms of expected goals (xG), Wolves just made 0.88 from 15 attempts, while Newcastle only got 0.41 from five shots. This tactical analysis will examine the tactics both teams used and how they influenced the outcome of the match.
Lineups
Nuno Espírito Santo opted for his preferred 3–4–3 in this game. The trio of Willy Boly, Conor Coady, and Max Kilman started at the heart of the defence while Nélson Semedo and Romain Saïss gave support from the flanks. Up top, talisman Raúl Jiménez led the attack and flanked by the duo of Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence. Wolves’ bench was filled with names like Fernando Marçal, João Moutinho, and former FC Barcelona man Adama Traoré.
In the opposite side, Steve Bruce went for 5–3–2. The midfield trio consisted of Ryan Fraser, Jeff Hendrick, and former Major League Soccer star Miguel Almirón. Up front, new recruit Callum Wilson was given the license to spearhead the attack alongside Allan Saint-Maximin. Players like Andy Carroll, Joelinton, and Sean Longstaff had to start the match from the dugout.
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