Raul Jimenez set for competitive Molineux return; Harry Kane decision closer to kick-off; follow Wolves vs Tottenham in our dedicated live match blog; watch free match highlights on Sky Sports digital platforms and YouTube channel shortly after full-time
Sunday 22 August 2021 13:05, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Wolves vs Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday; kick-off 2pm.
Bruno Lage's maiden home game as Wolves boss against Tottenham could see Raul Jimenez make his first competitive appearance at Molineux for nine months.
The striker returned after recovering from a fractured skull as Wanderers began the season with a 1-0 defeat at Leicester last weekend and is expected to keep his place in the starting line-up.
Defensive duo Yerson Mosquera and Willy Boly remain out with hamstring injuries, along with Pedro Neto, Jonny (both knee) and Daniel Podence (groin).
Tottenham will make a decision on whether or not to include wantaway striker Harry Kane after Saturday's training session as Nuno Espirito Santo returns to Molineux.
Record-signing Tanguy Ndombele will not be included as he continues to be frozen out by Nuno.
Cristian Romero should be OK after coming through his first 90 minutes since July in the Europa Conference League match against Pacos de Ferreira, but fellow defender Joe Rodon is injured.
Follow Wolves vs Tottenham in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after full-time.
If you hadn't been aware of any managerial changes of the past few months, you'd have been excused for thinking Wolves were still managed by Nuno Espirito Santo based on their defeat to Leicester last weekend. That isn't a bad thing, especially with Raul Jimenez back leading the line but Wolves do look in need of a fresh idea or two. I'm yet to be convinced they can break anywhere near the top half though. I'm happy to side with Nuno's new boys to kick on from where they left off last Sunday, although the 11/8 price with Sky Bet doesn't inspire me much.
One angle that interests me from a betting perspective is Eric Dier in the shots market. For some warped reason, the centre-back rates himself as a threat from attacking free-kicks within shooting range - probably based on his goal for England vs Russia in the 2016 European Championships. He has rarely been given a chance to showcase his so-called talents from range with Harry Kane grabbing the ball at every opportunity but now he's out of the picture for the time being, Dier, who took an attacking free-kick vs Arsenal in pre-season, is the most likely to step up for a pop. That, added to the threat he carries when attacking set pieces in the air, makes him a very interesting proposition to register one or more shots at 10/11 with Sky Bet.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2
BETTING ANGLE: Eric Dier to have one or more shots on goal (10/11 with Sky Bet)
After a blockbuster opening weekend of the Premier League we're gearing up to go again, with Arsenal vs Chelsea a headline fixture and set to feature the Blues' new striker Romelu Lukaku. Peter Smith is joined by Gerard Brand, Adam Smith, Nick Wright, and Ron Walker to look ahead to another big round of games...
PART 1: Will Romelu Lukaku fire Chelsea to a Premier League title challenge? And are Arsenal really in crisis? We assess both sides who go into a London derby in contrasting moods.
PART 2: Paul Pogba starred in Man Utd's win over Leeds with four assists - so how does Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keep getting performances like that out of him? And with Raphael Varane primed for his debut, do Man Utd now have all the pieces in place to become champions?
PART 3: Watford returned to the Premier League in style with a 3-2 win over Aston Villa on the opening weekend. We tell the story behind some of their new signings and examine their prospects this term. Plus we hear how a drive down the M6 was transformative for Brighton defender Shane Duffy…