Wolverhampton Wanderers take their Championship best 61 points to Barnsley on Saturday afternoon. The two sides are having far different season.
Wolves are running away with the Championship and sit 11 points better off than nearest rivals Derby. Barnsley on the other hand are just above the relegation zone and a home loss to Wolves could see them sucked into the bottom three.
It has been more than two months since Wolverhampton Wanderers last suffered a defeat in the Championship. Nuno Espirito Santo's men have won 10 and drawn two in their last 12 league games. Wolves have scored 25 goals during their undefeated run while allowing just five goals at the other end. Wolves' defence has been stellar keeping eight clean sheets.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' 23-year-old Brazilian star Leo Bonatini leads the team in goals this term. His 12 strikes in 26 games has carried the West Midlands side to the top of the table. Bonatini is facing a cold spell, however. The forward hasn't scored a goal since December 4. His loan will end in the July, but Wolves have already made a January move to make up for Bonatini's lack of strikes. Wolves pulled off a coup with the purchase of Spanish striker Rafa Mir for £2 million. His purchase not only shows the West Midlands club's financial power, but the team's plans for the future.
Mir played sparingly against Swansea at the weekend in the FA Cup and nearly scored on his debut. Wolves held their own against the Premier League side as they drew 0-0. The draw shows just how difficult Wolverhampton is to beat currently.
While Wolverhampton Wanderers have had success from the start of the Championship season, the same can't be said for Barnsley. The Reds have allowed the seventh most goals in the league (37) and the team has scored the fifth fewest this term (27). Since the middle of November, Barnsley have been in freefall. The Reds were winless in 10 straight matches, and it included a run of five straight defeats. New Year's Day saw Barnsley finally win as the team defeated Sunderland. However, an FA Cup loss to Millwall at the weekend put the thoughts of a winning streak in all competitions to bed.
Barnsley's players have had the sale of the club and shake up in the front office lingering over their heads since August. It looks like that could be over, so the players can get on with their business. Leading goal scorer Tom Bradshaw, eight goals this term, is being linked with a transfer away from the club. Bradshaw could be out of the squad and on his way to any number of teams that are currently lining up for his services by the time Saturday's fixture kicks off.
The last time Wolves faced Barnsley, Wanderers came away with a 2-1 win. The game featured three goals in the final 10 minutes of the game. Wolves' performance against the Reds on that September afternoon was far less like the team's current dominating form.
Wolverhampton Wanderers should see off the challenge of Barnsley and continue their march to winning the Championship. With a league low 20 goals allowed, Wolves should keep their second straight clean sheet.