Wolves travel to Anfield knowing defeat against Liverpool could cement one of the bleakest starts in English league history. Rob Edwards’ team have collected only two points from 17 Premier League matches,
sit 16 points from safety, and Opta’s supercomputer gives Wolves a 99.9% probability of relegation this season.
If Wolves lose on Saturday, they will draw level with Newport County’s 1970-71 fourth-tier side for the fewest points after 18 league fixtures. The only top-flight club to reach 18 games without a win remains Bolton Wanderers, who failed to win any of their opening 22 matches in the 1902-03 campaign.
Analytical models heavily favour a Liverpool win. Opta’s projections rate Liverpool as 78.8% likely victors, with a 12.9% chance of a draw and only 8.3% for Wolves. The visitors therefore face both daunting numbers and difficult form trends as they attempt to halt a historic slump.
Liverpool’s record in festive Premier League fixtures underlines that imbalance. The club have won 17 of their previous 20 league games played between Christmas and New Year, drawing two and losing one. Liverpool are on a run of five straight victories in that period, with the only defeat coming against Leicester City in December 2021.
Festive Reds pic.twitter.com/6pPGZns4UwLiverpool FC (@LFC) December 24, 2025
Anfield has been especially reliable for Liverpool at this time of year. The team have lost only one of their last 32 league games there between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, winning 25 and drawing six. That single defeat was inflicted by Wolves, managed then by Mick McCarthy, in December 2010.
Current form also leans strongly towards Liverpool. Arne Slot’s side are unbeaten in six matches across all competitions, with four wins and two draws. That sequence follows a difficult stretch of nine defeats in 12 games, during which Liverpool managed only three wins, but recent results suggest a clear recovery in confidence.
Squad availability is a concern for the hosts, though. Liverpool lost Alexander Isak to a broken leg during the 2-1 victory over nine-man Tottenham. Slot outlined further injury doubts, saying: "Conor [Bradley] will be 50-50. He's not training with us today, not tomorrow, so Friday we will see exactly where he is and whether he can be in the squad. Joe [Gomez] won't be available, Wataru [Endo] won't be available, and Cody [Gakpo] is a bit similar to Conor. "
Premier League Liverpool vs Wolves players to watch and goal trends
Liverpool may again look to Hugo Ekitike for attacking inspiration. Ekitike has scored in three consecutive league appearances, hitting five goals during this stretch. Another goal on Saturday would make Ekitike the first Liverpool player other than Mohamed Salah to score in four straight Premier League games since Sadio Mane achieved that feat in February 2019.
Wolves’ main forward focus remains Jorgen Strand Larsen, whose confidence appears fragile. Strand Larsen has gone eight Premier League matches without scoring, the longest barren period of the player’s time in the competition. The Norwegian missed a late penalty in the 2-0 home defeat to Brentford, was booed by some supporters, and has been linked with a January move to West Ham.
Premier League Liverpool vs Wolves historical sequences and records
Longer-term trends underline the scale of Wolves’ challenge. The club have lost 24 of their last 27 away league fixtures against reigning top-flight champions. The only wins in that sequence came at Everton in April 1971, Liverpool in January 1984 and Manchester City in October 2019, underscoring how rarely Wolves upset champions on their own ground.
Wolves’ broader Premier League run is equally bleak. The side are winless in 21 league outings, with three draws and 18 defeats. Only Derby County with 32 matches between 2007-08, Sunderland with 26 between 2002-05 and Southampton with 22 between 2023-24 have produced longer winless streaks in Premier League history.
Defeats have mounted across the calendar year as well. Wolves have lost 24 league games in 2025. Only four clubs have recorded more Premier League losses in a single year: Ipswich Town with 26 in 1994, Aston Villa with 25 in 2015, Bolton Wanderers with 25 in 2011 and Southampton with 25 in 1993.
2 - Wolves have the joint-fewest points ever by a side in their first 17 matches of a season in English league history (2), alongside Newport County in the fourth tier in 1970-71 and Sheffield United in the Premier League in 2020-21. Toothless. pic.twitter.com/cjCktrrQvNOptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 20, 2025
Premier League Liverpool vs Wolves pressure on Rob Edwards and squad mindset
Edwards accepts that shifting the mentality inside Wolves’ camp cannot happen through simple words. "Especially at home, you can see there's a difference, Edwards told reporters. There's an edginess and a nervousness around and if there's a mistake or something goes against us, that does affect the atmosphere, and in turn, it's affecting the lads. They're not robots, it's impossible for them to just not hear it, and because it's been going on for so long, it has affected them, there's no doubt about it. We can be in all of the games, like we have been, but then if something goes against us, then it can turn things significantly. It's really difficult to just be able to go, 'Have some belief and confidence lads, and go and change it'. The only way we can do that is by continuing to work really hard. "
Edwards also notes that Wolves often stay competitive before setbacks occur. Individual errors or marginal events tend to shift momentum quickly, which then spreads anxiety through supporters and players. That pattern has contributed to the club’s joint-lowest 17-game points total in English league history, alongside Newport County and Sheffield United.
As Wolves head to Liverpool with their season already shaped by grim statistics, the fixture offers both threat and opportunity. A positive result against one of the Premier League’s strongest festive performers would ease growing pressure, while another defeat would deepen their place in the record books for unwanted reasons.
