Wolves finally have perfect chance to prove they aren't Premier League relegation contenders

Suffice to say, the 2024/25 season has got off to a slow start for Wolverhampton Wanderers. So far, they have won none of their opening six Premier League fixtures, drawing one and losing five. Furthermore, they have also suffered a defeat at the hands of local rivals Aston Villa along the way.

They currently sit at the foot of the league table with just a single point, having scored six and conceded 16. Their unfortunate tally of goals conceded means they have the leakiest defence in the Premier League so far this season. In short, things are looking rather bleak.

Despite this, Wolves supporters needn’t despair quite yet. While their first few games have given them little to celebrate, it’s important to remember that their fixture list has been daunting so far.

They have squared off against teams such as Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, all of whom currently sit in the top four. Additionally, they have yet to play any other teams around the relegation zone.

As such, a less strenuous run of fixtures will soon await Gary O’Neil’s men - which would give them an excellent opportunity to put in some strong performances and get some much-needed points on the board.

What are Wolves’ next five Premier League fixtures?

Wolves are set to take on Brentford away next - this will be a difficult game, given the Bees’ current form. After this, they’ll face Manchester City - the less said about that, the better.

After that, they will play Brighton, who have not won in their last four Premier League games. Then, at the beginning of November, Wolves will have two crucial games against Crystal Palace and Southampton.

Both the Eagles and the Saints have looked very beatable thus far - especially Southampton, who sit just above Wolves on goal difference. Should Wolves win both of these, it would give them a huge boost in their fight for survival.

Is Gary O’Neil the right man for the job?

Several audiences have begun to point the finger at Gary O’Neil for Wolves’ current predicament, but we aren’t sure how fair this conclusion is. Wolves had a less than stellar summer transfer window, which saw Pedro Neto and Max Kilman - without two such important players around, the following season was never going to be easy.

O’Neil may lack experience for the gravity of the task ahead of him, but he has shown a strong tactical understanding for such a young head coach so far in his managerial career.

What’s more, Wolves also have plenty of players who are out with injuries at the moment. The likes of Boubacar Traore, Yerson Mosquera and Sasa Kalajdzic are all out of action as things stand - and they aren’t the only ones.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot jumped to O’Neil’s defence after their game, saying: “Wolves had a week to prepare and if you have a really good manager like Gary O’Neil, they’ll come up with a great game plan and they did.

“They absolutely don’t deserve to be last because they have had a very difficult future list. I’ve seen many games and in almost every game they’ve deserved a lot more. You could even argue that today because it wasn’t like we were completely better than them, they were in the game and doing a lot of good things.”