Wolves vs West Ham | PL | 3.1.26 | Predictions and Match Thread

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Match Centre: 

Live data by Scoreaxis

Odds: 
WHU: 11/5
Draw: 15/8
Wolves: 8/5

 Pre-Match Press Conference: 
Wolves-discussion post-Brighton

 Match Preview: 
Analytics United 

 Watch-along:
Hammers Chat

Streams:

Sport+

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Well it's the first game of 2026, and arguably the most vital of the season to date.  For too long the striker who hasn't scored for 50 games, the team who can't keep a clean sheet, or the goalie who's never saved a penalty have looked at a fixture against West Ham as the perfect time to exorcise the demons, and there is no doubt Wolves will be thinking the same today.

Winless across the whole of the season so far Wolves will be eyeing this as there chance to get back in amongst the wins.  West Ham simply can't allow that to happen.

Not so much a 6 pointer, but more the freebie every other side has cashed in all already, losing here would hand the rest of the league 3 points over the Hammers.

Injury wise, there are some doubts.  Todibo injured hsi groin vs Brighton and is likely out, with Mavripanos to deputise.  Paqueta went off having done something to his back, and must be considered a notable doubt for this one, and KWP was also subbed off having picked up a knock vs Brighton.

This leaves the squad increasingly threadbare and could pose some unwelcome returns to the first XI for such a crucial game (Soucek..I'm looking at you!).

In better news, our first new signing of the year (Pablo Felipe) has travelled with the squad and we believe will be available for selection (though International Clearance remains unconfirmed).  Whilst the skids look to have hit the Traore deal, Castellanos looks likely to be available for Tuesday night....but of couorse none of this helps in this vital game.

We also desperately need Areola to re-up his game.  After a few good performances, the aerial demons returned against Brighton, and his distribution was as woeful as ever....for a guy that can over-arm the ball to the halfway line, why not do that instead of the aimless punts up field he seems to lack any directional control over?!

Anyway...

Predicted Line Up:

Areola

KWP    Mavropanos     Kilman     Scarles

Potts    Magassa

Bowen         Fernandes        Summerville

Wilson

Subs:

Hermansen, Myers, Golambeckis, Soucek, Rodriguez, Kante, Earthy, Paqueta, Pablo

I'd expect Paqueta to not be risked, but maybe be on the bench for emergencies in this one and Pablo to be looked at to come on for Wilson, despite speaking no English and having met most of the squad on the coach ride North.

KWP seems likely to recover (thank heavens) but Todibo seems very unlikely.  Will be interesting to see if Wilson starts the game, or he brings in Soucek.  Whether Earthy or Irving makes the bench will also be interesting to see.

Predicted Score:

I unfortunately can see any of the results possible in this game.  We're under strength, talk is their performances have been better than their outcomes suggest, and we have such a soft underbelly.  But defeat here is unthinkable, and we simply have to find a way.  I'm going for the dream debut for Pablo getting the late winner and becoming an instant hero.

Wolves 2 : West Ham 3 (Wilson, Bowen, Pablo)

COYI

[ragingbull]

Why rush through the striker signing and not play him?

[Massive Attack]

I weirdly think I’m more inclined to renew if we go down. More real fans albeit in that stadium. Saying that, I think I’ve been once this season, caveated by having a new born and consequently two under two briefly! 

 

 

Some good news this season at least. Congratulations to a newborn Hammer who's in for a lifetime of misery no doubt.

[Sweep]

There's so much going on behind the scenes here that we don't know about. Something stinks. I know everyone will say the board. But they've spent a lot of money. These players are fucking dreadful for 30, 40 million a pop. I'm undecided about Nuno but he's definitely not to blame for the squad. 

We have to go down to rebuild, I don't think there's any other way to get around it unfortunately.

 

Clearly spent all year trying to cut the cost of the payroll after dropping out of Europe and make the squad younger. 

Can understand that, but today I was looking at the midfield and thinking they need a grown-up in there in a game like this.

Then there's all the crap that follows Paqueta and players falling in and out of favour with the constant changes of manager.

It's all a bit of a shambles. Only real blessing is the young lads are getting experience.

[Mad Dog]

Still 10 years exactly after leaving Upton park for a world class stadium with a world class team has worked out well

[Tomshardware]

Not much more to add, been supporting us long enough to have seen it all before sadly.   Got tickets to the FA Cup game and will go and hope to enjoy it, hopefully we play a young side and give them experience in anticipation of next season in the second tier.   

[cup of tea]

I weirdly think I’m more inclined to renew if we go down. More real fans albeit in that stadium. Saying that, I think I’ve been once this season, caveated by having a new born and consequently two under two briefly! 

 

I’m with you, the premier league is so overrated and I’m sick of mid table mediocrity every season. It will be fun playing Saturday/Tuesday.

 

 

Not had a ST for 8 years. I will get one for the Championship. Looking forward to it.

[Mad Dog]

Agree

[twoleftfeet]

I weirdly think I’m more inclined to renew if we go down. More real fans albeit in that stadium. Saying that, I think I’ve been once this season, caveated by having a new born and consequently two under two briefly! 

 

 

I’m with you, the premier league is so overrated and I’m sick of mid table mediocrity every season. It will be fun playing Saturday/Tuesday.

[threesixty]

This to me is only as bad as Fulham & Brighton at home.

THEY were the games we absolutely had to win, and he tried to draw both. Getting 1 point feom those 2 games, not playing a striker in either, sealed our fate. It put so much pressure on today's game, and the players folded under it.

Who's going to start the 'Team from the Championship' tbread?

 

 

Yes cos Wilson was the answer like today right... oh...

 

You are so fucking thick.

The alternative didn't work either, did it?

The point is, whether it worked or not, we had to TRY to win those home games. By not starting a striker, we went out to draw 0-0

If you do that at home to Fucking Fulham and Brighton, then a result like today is the fruits of that mentality.

You won't understand any of this, because you're clinically mental.

 

 

And with your logic we played with a dedicated striker for 90 minutes and got spanked 3-0 by the bottom team. You are saying that if you dont have a striker on the pitch at all times you are not trying to win a game of football. 

Forgetting that conceding the midfield by having less numbers in it than your opposition can also lose you games. Also, having a striker that can not press effectively for a full 90 because they are not fit enough can also lose you games. Everything is a trade off.

The point is the forward players he had on in those games should have won us the game. It doesnt matter if we had a striker on or not, we had the chances and we failed to finish.

The conclusion most normal people come to is there is no silver bullet for us. There are just trade offs. We were literally a kick in Mav's head and a hand ball away from 3 points at Brighton. How does that fit your narrative then?

[Ron Eff]

I weirdly think I’m more inclined to renew if we go down. More real fans albeit in that stadium. Saying that, I think I’ve been once this season, caveated by having a new born and consequently two under two briefly! 

[honky cat]

There's so much going on behind the scenes here that we don't know about. Something stinks. I know everyone will say the board. But they've spent a lot of money. These players are fucking dreadful for 30, 40 million a pop. I'm undecided about Nuno but he's definitely not to blame for the squad. 

We have to go down to rebuild, I don't think there's any other way to get around it unfortunately.

[cup of tea]

Look at the player scores for both teams

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/li ... tHamUnited

[Mad Dog]

Bookies agreed we'd get a  beating today, and they're not wrong about relegation.

We. Are. Fucked.

Thanks nuno, thanks potter, thanks lopetegi, thanks moyes, thanks especially to sullivan gold and brady, without whom we wouldn't be in thia position today 

Next season getting beaten again in a half empty 62k stadium ia gonna be "fun"

[Eerie Decent]

This to me is only as bad as Fulham & Brighton at home.

THEY were the games we absolutely had to win, and he tried to draw both. Getting 1 point feom those 2 games, not playing a striker in either, sealed our fate. It put so much pressure on today's game, and the players folded under it.

Who's going to start the 'Team from the Championship' tbread?

 

 

Yes cos Wilson was the answer like today right... oh...

 

 

You are so fucking thick.

The alternative didn't work either, did it?

The point is, whether it worked or not, we had to TRY to win those home games. By not starting a striker, we went out to draw 0-0

If you do that at home to Fucking Fulham and Brighton, then a result like today is the fruits of that mentality.

You won't understand any of this, because you're clinically mental.

[cup of tea]

We are now 1/4 on to be relegated with Forest next at 9/2. For all the optimistic people out there the bookies rarely get it wrong.

The 3 at the bottom now are the 3 going down

Oh, and Forest will beat us next to make sure the job is done barely into 2026

[Ron Eff]

We should have tried to pay them another £40m to take Kilman back and play him against us today. 

[Sir Alf]

Is the reason Nuno dud not brimg his staff because after Loppy and Potter, Sullivan would not pay for another coaching team? Its peanuts compared to relegation so Im certain that is why.  And sadly it seems Nuno is nothing without the coaches that gave always been with him? That said, we do also gave a very weak squad in terms of whats needed for the PL and lack of pace and strength still an enormous issue in key areas like CBs and even centre mid today. 

We shiuld probsbly start planning for the championship but suspect Sullivan womt give up his “golden goose” just yet and expect a few players to come in but not make the difference needed

[Massive Attack]

I can’t see us winning another game under this bus driving tramp.

The players have all given up.

 

Like some of us, they don't believe in him. Felt that a while back that the players don't buy in to his gutless defensive Football and deicision making. They get it just as much as I do.

 

I agree with this assessment of Nuno’s football. But I would add that these players are utterly shit, too. I genuinely doubt that many managers would get a tune out of them.

The club is suffering from the abysmal decision-making and oversight of one person: David Sullivan. You might add his Ozempic crony, but she would leave with him anyway.

I’ll reiterate. The club is in a football death loop: bad owner appoints bad managers who buy bad players who play badly. Sullivan has tried to assume more and more control of the club - especially since his business partner died. Incredibly, the decrepit old cսnt now rates himself as a quasi-manager, director of football and owner. He’s taken control of managerial appointments, transfers etc.

Long-term, there’s really only one way out of that.

 

 

The last 2 managers have been a total catastrophe with much the same players that both Moyes and Lopetegui had but neither did anywhere near as bad as their results and could actually get the occasional tune and win out of them. And in Lopetegui's case he was assigned to get the Team playing not just results so had more to contend with in his brief than just results that the other 3 were given. I would never say these are a quality bunch of players but I do strongly believe we should be getting more out of them. Now for someone new...

[threesixty]

This to me is only as bad as Fulham & Brighton at home.

THEY were the games we absolutely had to win, and he tried to draw both. Getting 1 point feom those 2 games, not playing a striker in either, sealed our fate. It put so much pressure on today's game, and the players folded under it.

Who's going to start the 'Team from the Championship' tbread?

 

 

 

 

Yes cos Wilson was the answer like today right... oh...

[Mad Dog]

Half?  I fully expected it

[Sweep]

I half expected us to lose because we can't seem to buy a win, they have looked half decent in recent games against Man U and Arsenal, multiple starters out, and it's a typical type of away game where we don't really turn up...but.....I never expected us to lose quite like that.

We looked a bad championship team. Areola was the only one who was decent.

If ever a game was crying out for us to keep it tight to let their nerves jangle and fans turn, it was this one, so we gave them a goal after three minutes - ffs.

Need new players in and starters back.

Only glimmer of survival is the points gap hasn't moved. Need Tuesday's game to be snowed off.

That said, if going down meant seeing the back of this ownership...

 

[David LE]

This to me is only as bad as Fulham & Brighton at home.

THEY were the games we absolutely had to win, and he tried to draw both. Getting 1 point feom those 2 games, not playing a striker in either, sealed our fate. It put so much pressure on today's game, and the players folded under it.

Who's going to start the 'Team from the Championship' tbread?

Brighton and Bournemouth away for me.

 

 

 

 

[SJS]

With the games we have had in recent weeks any decent manager would have seen us out of relegation places and a few points clear of bottom 3. 

Having said that, a win Tuesday and the table doesn't look horrific and potentially still salvageable, but not with Nuno at the helm. So, a change is needed and its usually the manager that goes and not the owners, unfortunately. 

[gpike]

This is on  Sullivan and the board. They have assembled a bunch of gutless soft as butter players. A few injuries, or our better players missing is enough for us to be the worst team in the division. I think Nuno started the only team he could today but with two reserve full backs and Kilmen and the Greek disaster in the middle we will concede on any attack. 
Can't see anyway back from this. 

[Eerie Decent]

This to me is only as bad as Fulham & Brighton at home.

THEY were the games we absolutely had to win, and he tried to draw both. Getting 1 point feom those 2 games, not playing a striker in either, sealed our fate. It put so much pressure on today's game, and the players folded under it.

Who's going to start the 'Team for the Championship' tbread?