Wolves and West Ham have stood out as particularly poor starters to this season, but their meeting on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup should be an entertaining matchup.
West Ham have conceded eight goals in their first two Premier League outings, placing them dead last in the standings and putting severe pressure on manager Graham Potter.
Wolves haven’t fared much better to this point. A tough Bournemouth loss has put them just one place above the Hammers.
But Tuesday’s match should be an entertaining affair, if Wolves’ recent history in the competition is anything to go by.
There have been 17 goals in Wolves’ last four Carabao Cup ties
Wolves have had an early exit from the Carabao Cup in the last two seasons, but the games have been full of action.
Last season, Wolves beat Burnley 2-0 before falling to Brighton in a 3-2 loss.
The campaign before that started with a 5-0 thumping of Blackpool, followed by yet another five-goal thriller, this time with Ipswich emerging 3-2 winners.
Given the blank scoresheet at Wolves so far this season, it could be a chance for the front line to get up and running. Recent history suggests as much.
Wolves vs West Ham not likely to go to penalties
If there’s one thing fans don’t like, it’s a penalty shootout. Tactics and preparation count for nought as the fate of a team’s cup run comes down to the spot-kick, and to some extent, chance.
If that’s your disposition too, you’ll be happy to know that Wolves vs West Ham hasn’t ended in a draw in the last 19 meetings, since a Premier League clash at Molineux in 2010/11.
This game is vitally important for both teams, with morale at both clubs low after the opening two weeks of the season.
For Potter, it does seem like each loss is pushing him towards an exit, but even for Vitor Pereira, going out of the cup at the first time of asking could have some fans beginning to question his results.