Nelson Semedo says Wolves will “do everything” to secure Premier League survival, as they prepare to face bottom club St Mary’s on Saturday.
Wolves recovered from 1-0 down to earn a 1-1 draw with Everton last Saturday, in their first of three matches without the suspended Matheus Cunha.
That result, coupled with defeats for Ipswich Town and Leicester City, saw Wolves edge six points clear of the relegation zone.
The Opta supercomputer gives Vitor Pereira’s side just a 5% chance of the drop, compared to Ipswich’s 96.7%, Leicester’s 98.3% and Southampton’s 100%.
Asked if Wolves’ players now believe they will stay up, Semedo said: “Of course, we believe a lot. We have to show this belief when we step on the pitch, and it’s what we’re going to do.
“We have 10 more games to play, and we’re going to give everything of ourselves to make sure that Wolves stay in the Premier League.
“It’s a long way to go, we know we have to keep working hard, we have to keep giving 200 per cent, because that’s the only way to win games and to stay in the Premier League.”
Southampton are fighting to avoid the ignominy of becoming the worst team in Premier League history.
They have one point fewer than Derby County had at the same stage of 2007-08, when they finished with just 11 points.
While Saturday’s game represents a golden chance for Wolves to pull further clear of trouble, Pereira is not thinking about it as a must-win.
“When we start to speak about finals, I think if you start to carry it on your back, this responsibility is a problem,” he said.
“In my experience, I prefer to think game by game. We could lose against a team on the bottom, or we could win if we play against a team at the top, because that is what happens in this league.
“This is why this league is the best one in the world.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton – Aaron Ramsdale
Southampton goalkeeper Ramsdale has conceded 48 goals in 20 Premier League games this season, an average of 2.4 per game.
Of all keepers to have played at least 20 times across a full campaign in the competition, only Wes Foderingham has recorded a higher average (2.6 – 79 in 30 games last season).
Wolves – Jean Ricner-Bellegarde
Bellegarde has enjoyed a new lease of life since Pereira moved him into a midfield role, and with Cunha still suspended, Wolves will rely on his creativity.
Only Cunha (34) has created more chances from open play for Wolves than Bellegarde (21) in the Premier League this season, despite the Frenchman only starting 14 of his team’s 28 games.
MATCH PREDICTION – WOLVES WIN
Having won their first two Premier League home games against Wolves in September 2003 and April 2019, Southampton have now lost each of their last four against them at St Mary’s.
Overall, Wolves have won each of their last six Premier League games against Southampton – their longest winning run against an opponent in the competition, and their longest in top-flight games overall since a seven-match streak against Burnley between 1974 and 2018.
Saturday’s hosts have lost each of their last eight home games in the Premier League by an aggregate score of 29-5.
In English top-flight history, only three sides have ever lost nine or more home games in a row within a single season: Birmingham City in 1985-86 (10), Wolves in 2011-12 (nine), and Watford in 2021-22 (11).
After winning their first two Premier League games under Pereira in December, Wolves have won just two of their last 10 (two draws, six defeats), but this is a major opportunity to pull clear of danger.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Southampton – 29.1%
Wolves – 45.2%
Draw – 25.8%
