Although Ait Nouri wasn’t anywhere near as prolific in the fouls market last season compared to this one, we believe there’s definitely a large enough sample size to go off when looking at this year’s patterns.

So far this season, Ait Nouri has averaged a remarkable 2.32 fouls per 90, picking up three yellow cards in the process. The Algerian international has sinned exactly least twice in each of his five games despite twice coming off with around half an hour to spare.

He’ll come head to head with Mohamed Salah who needs no introduction in the goals market, however has been just as effective in winning fouls. His average of 1.63 drawn per match suggests he could be a real thorn in the side of Wolves in general, but Ait-Nouri in particular.

By extension, another fantastic selection is Mohamed Salah to draw 1+ fouls. The Egyptian has been taken out at least once in five of his six games this season, contributing to his 1.63 league average.

He comes up against Wolves who have committed the second most fouls in the league, averaging an astounding 15.6 per match. They’ve committed at least 13 fouls in all of their league games and considering the threat Salah poses, he could be top of their hit list.

The aforementioned Ait-Nouri has stood out as one of the prime suspects, sinning twice in every game and struggling against some of the league’s top wingers. Salah will provide a similar test and counting on just a single slip-up seems like a no-brainer.

Another fantastic candidate in the fouls market is Dominik Szoboszlai who has more than proved his worth in the last year or two. He finished his first Premier League campaign with an average of 1.24 per 90 but has since upped his game, sinning eight times already this season.

Across all competitions, Szoboszlai has featured in eight games so far this season, slipping up at least once in all bar one. The exception was Liverpool’s straight-forward win against Milan at the San Siro meaning this selection has also been a winner in every league game.

Wolves are averaging 12 fouls drawn per game and given that Szoboszlai will be operating in the heart of the Liverpool midfield, it’s likely he’ll find himself in and amongst the majority.

Liverpool’s surprise star package has been on fire this season, already racking up five goals and an assist in the league.

Amongst Liverpool players, only Salah is averaging more than his 1.99 shots on target per 90 whilst just six players in the league boast a higher figure. One of the most notable improvements in his game this year has been his shot accuracy with 62% of his shots finding the target, compared to just 34% last season.

Diaz tested the keeper in both of his clashes with Wolves last season and it’s safe to say that their defence doesn’t look any better now than it did then. They’re averaging 5.6 shots on target conceded per 90 with Chelsea and Newcastle both hitting them for six and Arsenal for eight. They’re rock-bottom of the Premier League and few are expecting them to put up too great a resistance against Arne Slot’s men.

Wolves have been getting away with what they can in the league this season, with only West Ham trumping their average of 15.6 fouls per 90. They’ve also picked up the second most yellow cards (17) indicating this is no coincidence.

Gary O’Neil’s side have committed 13+ fouls in each of their five league games, conceding 18, 17, and 16 in their respective most recent three.  It should also be noted that last time out, Wolves’ 16 fouls were accompanied by six yellow cards against Aston Villa.

In charge of this affair will be Anthony Taylor amidst plenty of controversy with regards to his refereeing of recent matches. In particular he received a lot of criticism for his handling of Bournemouth v Chelsea; a game in which he gave out a Premier League record 14 cards. Scandals aside (and that is far from the only one), the experienced referee is averaging over 23 fouls awarded per game this season which adds a further boost to this selection.

Mac Allister has gotten off to a fast start for Liverpool this season and has emerged as a preferred option of Arne Slot who’s opted to start the Argentine international in every game so far.

In four of his five starts, Mac Allister has drawn 2+ fouls which comes as no surprise given the number of duels he’s involved himself in; 63 so far – an average of 12.6 per 90. A natural consequence of that is fouls committed and fouls drawn which explains why he’s also conceded 1+ fouls in each of his appearances so far.

As previously mentioned, Wolves have been in the referee’s bad books this season and their average of 15.6 fouls per match implies great value here. Joao Gomes, who is expected to meet Mac Allister in the centre of the park, has been their most frequent sinner, averaging 2.66 per 90.

Undoubtedly Wolves’ biggest threat, Cunha has been on top form in the shots on target market, averaging 1.46 per 90 and firing off at least one in four of his five games this season. His ability in the market is evidently not limited to matches against weaker sides given that he’s tested the Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Aston Villa keepers all at least once.

Liverpool’s defence is tight but they still concede opportunities and it’d be a surprise if Cunha doesn’t at least get a couple of half-chances. The travelling side have conceded at least two shots on target in each league game this season with the most in one match coming last time out against Bournemouth, where they allowed six.

To put Cunha’s significance into perspective, his six shots on target represent just under a third of Wolves’ total this season despite him playing under 70% of their minutes. Even if Wolves’ chances are unlikely to come thick and fast, Cunha is without doubt their most likely candidate for a shot on goal.

There are plenty of reasons to suggest there will be a significant gulf in quality between the sides on Saturday but perhaps the most evident is their respective league positions. Liverpool sit in second having recorded four wins from five; a stark contrast compared to Wolves who are bottom of the pile and yet to register a win.

Taking a deeper dive into some of these performances, it stands out that all of Liverpool’s six wins this season have been by a margin of two or more goals as have each of Wolves’ losses to Arsenal, Chelsea and most recently Aston Villa.

Equally, this selection would have won in each of the last three clashes between Wolves and Liverpool – the results of which have been 2-0, 3-1 and 2-0 once more. There’s little reason to suggest this occasion will significantly differ and if anything it’s probably more likely to be a wider margin as opposed to a smaller one.