Vitor Pereira had been handed a new three-year contract the day before the game but with the sale of key players, questionable recruitment and a horror run of results, a relegation battle seems inevitable. It means that Wolves are joint-fourth in the worst Prem starts ever
Starting with the hosts, while Cremonese might have only made their iconic Serie A return this season, the top-flight newcomers have enjoyed a remarkable start to proceedings. Rightfully receiving a string of plaudits from across Italy's elite this year, Davide Nicola's men find the mood in their camp at a famous high. In fact, the Lombardy-based outfit open this weekend's fixtures sat in bronze medal position and they will be confident of laying down another early marker here.
Starting with the hosts, while Boulogne might have made real history as they made their Ligue 2 return this season, it is no secret that Fabien Dagneaux's men are widely regarded as a leading relegation candidate this time around. Getting proceedings underway with a 1-0 defeat away at Nancy on August 15th, the Reds have drastically failed to deal with the leap up in opposition.
Slumping to consecutive 2-0 losses against St. Truiden and Anderlecht last month, Dender have lost all of their previous four straight Pro League appearances by an aggregate score of 8-1. Yet to record a single top-flight victory since opening up the new campaign, Saturday's hosts should also be concerned by their most recent showdown against the defending champions. Hit with a 4-1 drumming when they last met Les Unionistes back on March 1st, it should also be noted that Dender have failed to notch a single strike in Denderleeuw so far this season.
However, despite landing an eye-catching 3-1 victory outside of Hertfordshire on Saturday afternoon, the Scholars have once again drastically failed to find any kind of stability since opening up the 2025/26 campaign. Watching their FA Cup qualifying adventure come to an end earlier in the month as they eventually fell to a 2-0 loss at the hands of Hitchin, Max Mitchell's side have mustered just a single win from any of their first eight appearances across all competitions.
Burnley must avoid a repeat of the disastrous 2023/24 season, characterized by a relegation struggle and low points average, by fielding a more competitive squad.
Jose Mourinho expressed that he isn't looking to fight relegation, as he considers it more difficult than contending for titles, emphasizing his career phase for happiness.