When Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United face off at Molineux on Sunday, the Magpies will be looking to strengthen their bid to be taken seriously as a top-six contender. But it was not so long ago that Wolves themselves were the 'best of the rest' in the top flight.
Loyal viewers of the league were impressed when Wolves returned to English football's promised land in 2018. The Old Gold stormed their way to seventh and qualified for the Uefa Europa League. As triumphant returns go, it was something quite special. At a time when the dominance of the top six left the rest of the league with compromised aspirations, Wolves did the unexpected and it was so refreshing.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side proved that they belonged and their rapid rise was no fluke as they went on an impressive run to the quarter-finals in Europe and left all the clubs outside the top six believing that they too could reach that same feat in the near future despite the financial gap.
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Fast forward a few years and Newcastle appear to have smashed through that particular ceiling with an expectation that they will soon be joining the elite group Wolves tried so hard to trouble. Following the Magpies' takeover last year, it won’t be long before they are the favourites for every competition they’re involved in. But despite their incredible wealth, they have been extremely smart with their recruitment, having only signed three players for high-profile transfer fees: Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman and record acquisition Alexander Isak.
It has been a calculated approach and they have filled the gaps where they desperately needed strengthening, adding quality in the process. They did this without having to splash millions on established global stars - that will come in time. For now, they are slowly building towards their end goal, but we have already seen signs of progress.
In last week’s 3-3 draw with Manchester City, for much of the game Newcastle were by far the better team and Pep Guardiola’s side are regarded by some as the best in the world. Eddie Howe’s players went head-to-head with them in a way that few teams are able to do, and by doing so have shown that they are already at a stage in their evolution to compete with the best in England.
You can already see that there is a well-balanced side that Howe has put together and although he has made some excellent additions to his squad, the work he has done on the training ground with players who had struggled to get going at St James’ Park has been imperative, turning them into integral cogs in the Magpie machine. You just have a look at the renaissance Joelinton has had under Howe’s guidance. He's gone from a faltering forward to one of the best midfielders in the league.
With the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea having shaky starts to the season, Newcastle might have an opportunity this year to realise their European dream earlier than anticipated. They are unbeaten after three games (W1 D2) but if they continually deliver performances to the same level as they did against the reigning champions then they will win a lot of matches.
St James’ Park was just shy of a full house for the City match and the crowd were raucous and constantly getting behind the players. It had a huge impact on the players and it will carry on throughout the season. Usually when a team concedes so early to City, like they did, it would be so easy to lose focus and crumble. The fans however immediately lifted the players and within minutes they were on top and pushing City back. In fact, if you were new to football, you’d have believed they were the current champions.
There is still a way for Newcastle to become the finished article, but it might not be as far away as we first expected following the takeover. There is a spark between the fans and players that hasn't been seen in years and there is a skilled manager at the helm, bringing in players that make a difference whilst also improving players that he already has at his disposal. These factors are already seeing Newcastle surpass the bar set by Wolves and the established big six of the Premier League will be looking over their shoulders.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
