Wolverhampton vs. Sunderland preview, h2h, team news: Arokodare to hurt Black Cats Europe hopes

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ match at Molineux on Saturday carries no remaining stakes as relegation to the Championship was confirmed on April 20, 2026, when Crystal Palace’s draw with West Ham mathematically sealed the end of eight consecutive years in the English top flight, Afrik-Foot reports.

The equation is entirely different for Sunderland, though, as the Black Cats need points to sustain any European ambition in a season that represents their return to the elite after eight years away.

The 5-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on Friday, April 24, was the worst result of the season for Sunderland: four goals conceded in the first 37 minutes, a blitz that knocked the side off their tactical and emotional footing.

With 46 points in 12th place and four games remaining, Régis Le Bris takes his team to Wolverhampton in need of a response.

Match preview

Wolverhampton‘s 2025-26 campaign will go down in history as the worst by any club in the modern era of the Premier League. Wolves recorded just three points in their opening 19 rounds, surpassing the historical record for the worst start to a season without a points deduction in the competition. Vítor Pereira was dismissed on November 2, 2025, with the side bottom of the table having lost eight of their first 10 games and drawn two.

Rob Edwards, appointed from Middlesbrough on November 12, 2025, built a defensive identity that produced some remarkable consequences. On February 27, Wolves beat Aston Villa 2-0 at home and, four days later, defeated Liverpool 2-1 thanks to André’s goal in the 94th minute, becoming the first club in a relegation position to defeat two consecutive top-five opponents in the Premier League. They were the club’s first back-to-back victories since April 2024.

The problem is that the momentum did not last. Wolves have failed to score in their last three Premier League matches, were thrashed 3-0 by Leeds United at Elland Road on April 18, and lost 1-0 to Tottenham at Molineux on April 25. With 23 defeats in 34 matches, the club have equaled the record set in 2011-12 as the campaign with the most defeats in a 38-game season in the competition’s history. Their 17 points amount to three wins, eight draws and 23 defeats.

Sunderland have enjoyed one of the most compelling returns of the season. Le Bris built an organized side that beat Newcastle 2-1 and Tottenham 1-0 in April, pulling to within four points of sixth place before the Forest fixture. The club returned to the Premier League after being relegated in the 2016-17 season and spent much of this campaign exceeding any realistic projection for a newly promoted side.

The recent defensive collapse, however, is a cause for concern. Sunderland conceded 27 goals between January 1 and April 27, a figure surpassed in that period only by Burnley (31) and Tottenham (30). The defense that arrived at Christmas having conceded just 18 goals all season has completely lost its solidity: the 4-3 defeat to Aston Villa in the final minute through Tammy Abraham and the 5-0 loss to Forest, both in April, have left a European finish looking distant with four games to play.

Head-to-head record

The first leg this season, played at the Stadium of Light on October 18, ended in a 2-0 victory for Sunderland, with the Black Cats dominating the contest from start to finish. It was the first meeting between the two clubs in the Premier League since the 2012-13 season, and the result reinforced the visitors’ historical advantage in this edition of the competition.

At Molineux, however, the record tells a different story. In 11 matches at the ground across all competitions, Wolves have won five, drawn five and lost just one. The goal difference stands at 15-9 in favour of the home side, and the most frequent result at this venue is a 1-1 draw, which has occurred four times. WhoScored notes that Sunderland have not won in any of their last seven away trips to Wolverhampton (four draws and three defeats), with all three defeats coming specifically in the Premier League.

In the broader picture, the two clubs have met 13 teams since 2004, with Sunderland narrowly ahead: five wins to Wolves’ four, with four draws. Sunderland have also kept a clean sheet in each of the last four direct meetings between the clubs across all competitions, a relevant statistic given that Wolves have failed to score in three consecutive matches.

Team news

Wolverhampton: Injuries and doubts

Back-up goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury, leaving José Sá as the only available senior goalkeeper. Ladislav Krejci, the Slovakian centre-back on loan from Girona, is a doubt with a back problem. If the Czech defender does not recover in time, Paraguayan Yerson Mosquera is expected to step into the side after serving a suspension across the past two matches.

Mosquera’s return is the only positive news for manager Rob Edwards ahead of the weekend. The squad remains severely depleted: Jørgen Strand Larsen was sold to Crystal Palace for £43m in February; Jhon Arias departed for Palmeiras; and the remaining players are young and largely lacking in Premier League goal-scoring experience.

Rodrigo Gomes and Tolu Arokodare, with three league goals each, lead the club’s scoring chart in a campaign that ends with 24 goals in 34 matches. Nigeria’s Arokodare carries considerable goal threat with six goals and two assists for Wolves in all competitions this season following his arrival from Genk last summer. The 24-year-old’s league goals came against Arsenal, Chelsea and Brentford, and he could be the one to shoot down Sunderland.

Probable Wolverhampton lineup (3-4-2-1): José Sá; Yerson Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, Hugo Bueno; Jackson Tchatchoua, João Gomes, André, Matt Doherty; Angel Gomes, Mateus Mané; Tolu Arokodare. Manager: Rob Edwards.

Sunderland: Injuries and doubts

The Black Cats’ wide attacking options are severely compromised. Bertrand Traoré (knee) is not expected to return until May 12, Romaine Mundle and Nilson Angulo are both carrying muscle injuries, and Jocelin Ta Bi (ankle) has recently returned to training but is ruled out for Saturday. With Simon Moore (wrist) also unavailable, Le Bris has no wide-forward options from the bench.

The most significant doubt surrounds goalkeeper Robin Roefs: the Dutchman, who was at fault for Chris Wood’s second goal in the Forest match, is being assessed for a muscular injury throughout the week. If he does not recover, Sunderland will be without both their first-choice goalkeeper and his immediate deputy, Moore is also out, which would force an improvised solution from within the squad. Le Bris has indicated that he does not intend to change the team’s shape in other areas of the pitch.

Probable Sunderland lineup (4-3-3): Robin Roefs; Trai Hume, Daniel Ballard, Omar Alderete, Nordi Mukiele; Habib Diarra, Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki; Chris Rigg, Brian Brobbey, Enzo Le Fée. Manager: Régis Le Bris.

Key players