Quick Read
- Wolves have matched the longest winless start in Premier League history: 17 games.
- Liverpool face multiple absences, including Isak (broken leg) and Salah (AFCON).
- Wolves are expected to refresh their squad in January, but survival remains unlikely.
As 2025 draws to a close, the Premier League’s festive fixture between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers feels less like a contest and more like a collision of two contrasting realities. For Liverpool, it’s a chance to extend their momentum and push back into the top four. For Wolves, it’s yet another daunting hurdle in a season that is quickly becoming infamous for all the wrong reasons.
Wolves arrive at Anfield carrying the weight of a record-breaking winless start to their Premier League campaign. After their defeat to Brentford, Rob Edwards’ side has now matched Sheffield United’s 17-game drought from the 2021 season. With only two points from 17 matches and a 16-point gap to safety, the numbers alone paint a bleak picture. But the details tell an even grimmer story: Wolves have scored the fewest goals (9) and conceded the most (37) in the league, suffering ten consecutive defeats. Their only respite came in draws against Tottenham and Brighton, but such moments have been rare and fleeting.
Liverpool, meanwhile, enter the match on the back of three straight wins across competitions, including a hard-fought victory over Tottenham that came at a cost. Alexander Isak, the hero of that night, suffered a broken leg after a reckless challenge by Micky van de Ven and is now sidelined until at least April. Conor Bradley, another key contributor, remains a doubt after missing training due to a fitness concern. The squad is stretched thin, with Wataru Endo, Joe Gomez, and Giovanni Leoni all unavailable through injury, while Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards. Even Mohamed Salah, usually a fixture in the Liverpool attack, is absent as he leads Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Yet, Liverpool’s depth and resilience have kept them afloat. Hugo Ekitike, whose form has been electric with five goals in his last three league matches, now stands on the brink of making club history. Should he score again, he’ll become the first Liverpool player apart from Salah to net in four consecutive Premier League games since Sadio Mane in 2019. Florian Wirtz, a summer signing, finally registered his first direct league involvement with an assist for Isak, suggesting that the club’s recruitment may bear fruit even amid adversity.
For Wolves, adversity has become the norm. The January transfer window, typically a lifeline for struggling teams, offers little comfort. As reported by The Athletic, the club’s business will be less about plugging specific gaps and more about refreshing a squad that seems exhausted and out of ideas. With several players away at the Africa Cup of Nations, including Emmanuel Agbadou and Tawanda Chirewa, and injuries mounting—Toti Gomes (hamstring), Rodrigo Gomes (groin), Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (hamstring), Marshall Munetsi (calf), Daniel Bentley (ankle), and Leon Chiwome (knee)—Edwards faces a selection headache that few managers would envy.
Even the possibility of selling key players like Jose Sa and Hwang Hee-chan is on the table, as the club looks to balance its books and reshape its future. West Ham’s interest in Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has struggled for form and missed a crucial penalty in their last outing, hints at the kind of upheaval Wolves may face in the coming weeks. The club’s financial position is stable enough to allow for new signings, but with survival in the Premier League looking increasingly out of reach, any arrivals will be aimed more at building for next season than pulling off a miracle escape.
The tactical outlook for Saturday is just as stark. Liverpool have dominated Wolves in recent years, winning 16 of their last 17 league encounters. Anfield has become a fortress during the holiday period, with the Reds victorious in 25 of their last 31 festive fixtures at home. Wolves’ last triumph in this setting dates back to 2010—an era that feels worlds away from their current struggles.
Team news for both sides reflects the attritional nature of the modern game. Liverpool’s likely lineup features Alisson in goal, Bradley (if fit), Konate, Van Dijk, and Kerkez in defense; Jones and Gravenberch anchoring the midfield; Gakpo, Mac Allister, and Wirtz supporting Ekitike up front. Wolves, shorn of several starters, will rely on Sa; S Bueno, Mosquera, Doherty; Hoever, J Gomes, Andre, Krejci, Wolfe; Arokodare, and Hwang. The margins are thin, and the odds are stacked heavily in Liverpool’s favor.
So what does this fixture really mean? For Liverpool, it’s an opportunity to consolidate their resurgence and prove that their depth can withstand the rigors of a long season. For Wolves, it’s a test of character and a glimpse into a future that may soon involve rebuilding in the Championship. The January transfer window looms, but as The Athletic and Sports Mole point out, the present is fraught with uncertainty and disappointment.
When history looks back on Wolves’ 2025 campaign, this period may be seen as a turning point—not in the direction fans hoped for, but as the moment when reality forced a reckoning. The numbers are stark, but the human cost—players struggling for form, coaches searching for solutions, and supporters clinging to hope—will linger long after the final whistle at Anfield. For Liverpool, the test is one of resilience amid adversity. For Wolves, it’s about survival—not just in the league, but as a club with pride and purpose.