Rob Edwards believes his Wolves team have shown the characteristics needed for the remainder of the season after their past two outings.
Wolves defeated Grimsby Town in difficult conditions at Blundell Park to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup before coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Arsenal.
Indeed, it was the first time in the history of the Premier League that a side that started the day at the bottom avoided defeat against the side that started the day at the top after being two goals behind.
And while Wolves have seemingly been assigned their fate of playing Championship football next year, Edwards said the mood in the squad had improved in recent weeks.
“I feel like we competed well, and I feel like there’s a good energy all around,” Edwards told reporters.
“Two good results and we showed good character in both and we will need that in abundance for the rest of the season.”
However, the Wolves boss did not underestimate the challenge of Crystal Palace, their next opponent in the Premier League next Sunday.
“They are good. They are playing in Europe for a reason. I know I said it in the first game: Oliver Glasner is a brilliant manager, he has done a fantastic job,” Edwards added.
“They have a lot of good players, so it will be a very difficult match, as always away from home.”
Sunday in the capital. COYW pic.twitter.com/syqgeeMmnH
— Wolves (@Wolven) February 20, 2026
Palace, meanwhile, have had a difficult week, with the Eagles drawing 1-1 in their first leg of the Conference League play-offs against Zrinjski.
It continued Palace’s poor recent run, with Glasner’s side managing just one win in their last fifteen games in all competitions.
And before facing Wolves, Glasner held another sensational press conference in which he suggested he was not good enough to turn around Palace’s fortunes. According to reports, the club’s board has opted not to sack the Austrian, who will leave at the end of the season.
Despite 22 points separating the two teams before kick-off, Glasner remains wary of the threat a resurgent Wolves side could pose to his team.
“When we played them away, I said before that they played better than all their results, but they were in a negative run and it was so tough for them,” he said.
“I still think they have a lot of good players. They showed it against Arsenal. They also showed a lot of belief after being 2-0 down and coming back.”
“They are now quite consistent in the way they play. Consistency always helps. They have brought back a few players from long-term injuries and are now more in the rhythm.”
“It’s a good mix of physicality in the back three and the striker, speed in the wing-back positions and two Brazilian internationals in midfield, so they’re a good team.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace – Jorgen Strand Larsen
Strand Larsen will face his former club, for whom he has scored 15 goals in 57 Premier League games, including one in 22 this season.
The last player to score for and against the same team in a single Premier League campaign (excluding own goals) was Henrikh Mkhitaryan in 2017/18 (Manchester United, then against them for Arsenal).
The Norwegian has already scored more goals in 180 minutes of top-flight football for Crystal Palace (two) this season than in 1,405 minutes for Wolves.
Wolves – Hugo Bueno
After scoring a stunning goal against Arsenal, which was his first in the Premier League, Bueno will be keen to offer an option to Wolves in the final third.
Against the Gunners, he won more matches (nine) and regained possession (10) more times than any of his teammates, while only Yerson Mosquera (75) had more touches than the full-back (71, level with Ladislav Krejci).
MATCH PREDICTION: CRYSTAL PALACE WIN
Palace have won their last five home games in the Premier League against Wolves. It is their longest winning run against an opponent in their top-flight history, while they last won six consecutive home league games (in any division) against Walsall between 1977 and 2004.
However, the Eagles are winless in their last eight home games in the top flight (D3 L5), their longest run at Selhurst Park since their first fifteen of the 1997-98 season (D4 L11).
Furthermore, only 37.5% of Palace’s Premier League points have come from home games this season (12/32). Only Tottenham (34.5%) have won a lower share at home this season.
Wolves, meanwhile, are winless in their last fifteen away games in the Premier League (D4 L11) and are the only side in England’s top four without a win in the away league this season (D4 L9).
They have also lost eight of their last ten Premier League games against Palace (W1 D1), while they have never beaten the Eagles in the league as they failed to keep a clean sheet (D2 L9).
And they often endured miserable journeys to the capital. Wolves have won just one of their eleven away league games against London since the start of last season (D2 L8), beating Fulham 4-1 in November 2024.
OPTA CHANCE OF WINNING
Crystal Palace – 61%
Draw – 20.5%
Wolves – 18.5%
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