Wolves chase historic Premier League survival after back-to-back victories
Wolverhampton Wanderers are targeting an unprecedented escape from Premier League relegation after securing consecutive victories to narrow the gap to safety to 12 points.
The Molineux outfit currently sit at the bottom of the table and must make top-flight history to retain their eight-year status.
Despite impressive recent league wins against Aston Villa and Liverpool, they remain significantly adrift with a vastly inferior goal difference.
According to Opta, the West Midlands club still face a 99.9% probability of dropping into the Championship at the end of the season.
A statistical mountain to climb
No team in the Premier League era has ever recovered from such a significant deficit at this advanced stage of the campaign.
West Ham United previously set the benchmark in the 2007-08 season when they survived after being eight points from safety after 30 matches.
Leicester City famously provided another blueprint in 2014-15 by winning seven of their final nine fixtures to escape the drop zone.
To simply draw level with Nottingham Forest and West Ham in 17th and 18th place, the strugglers require a minimum of four victories while hoping their rivals fail to register a single point.
Edwards sparks Molineux revival
Manager Rob Edwards has undeniably injected fresh belief into the squad since replacing Vitor Pereira in November.
Following a difficult start of eight consecutive defeats, the former Middlesbrough boss has guided his team to 13 points in their last 12 league outings.
This recent points tally matches the return of top-half teams like Brighton and Newcastle United over the exact same period.
A dramatic improvement in work rate has underpinned this revival, with the team collectively running an average of 7.8 kilometres more per match.
Building crucial momentum
The physical transformation was evident when they outran Arsenal during a spirited 2-2 draw, covering over 114,000 metres collectively.
Defensive solidity has also improved, highlighted by restricting a misfiring Liverpool attack to just 0.62 expected goals during Tuesday’s 2-1 triumph.
Although the Reds quickly gained revenge with a 3-1 FA Cup victory on Friday, the domestic league focus remains absolute.
Another vital victory against Brentford next Monday would provide essential momentum as they attempt the impossible.
