Paul Merson has now given his verdict for ‘cup final’ showdown in Sunderland vs Wolves

Paul Merson has delivered his prediction for Wolves’ upcoming match against Sunderland.

The Old Gold are hoping to secure their first Premier League win of the campaign, but history against Sunderland paints a bad picture.

The struggles of Wolves this season have been well documented, and with just two points from seven games, this is an absolute must-win.

Ahead of the match, Paul Merson has likened the game to a ‘cup final’ and has had his go at predicting the score.

Paul Merson predicts Wolves to give Sunderland a tough game but still fall short

Paul Merson is not backing Wolves to win and suspects that Sunderland will pick up all three points.

It is not the news fans will want to hear, but it provides Vitor Pereira’s side with a chance to prove their doubters wrong.

Merson said via Sportskeeda, “If Sunderland win, they go 12 points clear of Wolves. That lead will take some catching, especially if you’re a team like Wolves, who are still searching for their first win of the Premier League season!

“When you think of it, Wolves have been a bit unlucky this season. They took the lead and conceded late equalisers in each of their last two games against Tottenham and Brighton, respectively. I don’t think they are a million miles off it, so this is still a dangerous game for Sunderland.”

“I’m going to back Sunderland here only because of the result they got against Aston Villa, despite going down to 10 men. They are solid at home, and I expect them to keep things tight at the back and nick a win in the process.”

In the end, the pundit predicted a 1-0 win for Sunderland.

• READ MORE: Three bold predictions for Sunderland vs Wolves

It will be a closely contested tie, and Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris believes his side will need to score two to win.

A loss for Wolves makes life much more difficult

Despite Sunderland’s good form, they are still early contenders for relegation, and Wolves going 12 points behind would be a disaster.

The Old Gold have avoided the drop in the past seasons due to the newly promoted sides being worse than the rest of the Premier League, but that does not appear to be the case now.

Victory against the Black Cats, followed by a win against Burnley, would shift the entire mood around Molineux and could be the catalyst for a run of good results.

Let’s hope the Wanderers get the job done.