Bottom club Wolves host a Burnley team buoyed by their win over Leeds last weekend.
Despite sitting bottom of the Premier League table with just two points after the opening eight games, it is not all doom and gloom for Wolves.
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Vitor Pereira’s side are without a league win since April, when they defeated Leicester 3-0 in a run of six successive victories. Since then, they have lost to two of the newly promoted sides this season, with the third – Burnley – as their next opponents.
There is increasing pressure on Pereira, with the Portuguese currently the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked – despite signing a new contract a month ago.
But this situation is nothing new for Wolves. At this stage last season, they had only one point in eight games under Gary O’Neil. They picked up eight more points in as many matches before Pereira was brought in, with Wolves going on to avoid relegation and finish 16th.
Since the start of the Premier League era, 13 teams have picked up two points or fewer in their first eight games of a season. Five of those avoided relegation – including Wolves last season.
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The highest finish for one of those teams came in 2008-09, when Tottenham recovered to come eighth.
[BBC]
Pereira has called the Burnley match a “must win” for his side but he has continued to back his players – and himself.
“Honestly, if for one minute I feel my players are not with me, it’s finished. For me, that’s the end,” he said.
“It’s painful and I’m worried but I see a team connected mentally with good spirit, with character, trying their best to change the situation.”
In the previous two Premier League seasons, all three promoted sides went on to get relegated each time. But there is a different feeling around this season’s newcomers, who have the highest combined points tally (29) of any promoted trio in the past 10 seasons.
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Sunderland began this round of fixtures in seventh, with Leeds and Burnley earning two wins each.
Burnley may only be 17th with seven points, but Scott Parker’s side have faced some heavyweight opposition in Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham. They have also beaten both of their fellow promoted sides with 2-0 wins at Turf Moor.
Their record on the road, however, is another matter. Burnley have lost all four of their away matches this season, conceding 13 goals.
[BBC]
