Wolves are bracing themselves for battle at Molineux on Sunday as Manchester City come to visit the West Midlands.
Gary O’Neil’s side will be the underdogs against the champions, who are yet to be beaten this season.
Contrastingly, Wolves are yet to win this term, having gained just one point from their opening seven Premier League games.
It’s going to be incredibly tough for the hosts to secure a result against Pep Guardiola’s squad however, as seen last season, the Old Gold mustn’t be ruled out.
- READ MORE: Wolves next 10 Premier League fixtures difficulty ranked compared to early relegation candidates
Dave Edwards questions Jorgen Strand Larsen impact vs Man City
The Old Gold got the better of Man City last season in similar circumstances to where O’Neil’s side stand this term.
It’s imagined that Wolves will need a miracle to get three points on Sunday although, with last year in mind, the hosts should remain confident.
Former Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards previewed the game in his column for Express and Star, where he reminisced on the 2023/24 result.
“What Wolves did terrifically well in this game is they had Matheus Cunha as a lone striker who would drop down on the base of the City midfield and he would harass and press the Man City midfield which caused turnovers,” Edwards wrote.
“The two counter-attacking players alongside Cunha were Hwang Hee-chan, who got the winning goal, and Pedro Neto – he was the difference.”
The Welshman focused on the front line trio of Matheus Cunha, Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto, leading him to question whether Wolves’ new striker Jorgen Strand Larsen can provide a similar threat.
“Jorgen Strand Larsen has been doing the job as the number nine. Can he do the same as what Cunha did that day? That is one of the big questions.
“He has the workrate, but with Neto missing, Wolves are missing that pace on the counter-attack so they will have to find a way.”
Strand Larsen provides a physical presence going forward that was absent last term however, as Edwards alluded, with Neto missing and Hwang set to miss out due to injury, can the Norwegian be enough to worry the champions?
Wolves have to seek inspiration from last season
The summer signing has shown glimpses of his potential in the Premier League, but he offers a completely different profile to the forwards that led Wolves to the win over City.
Wolves expert Liam Keen dubbed Strand Larsen a ‘passenger’, offering sympathy for the 24-year-old who he believes has been isolated in attack.
It’s been proven that if the Old Gold can get the summer arrival into the game, he can be of great influence but, O’Neil’s game plan would have to change to get the better of City.
Wolves know they are capable of beating Guardiola’s side, last season’s result was not a fluke although as times have changed, so must the manager’s tactics, with focus being on the threat the front line can pose.