It is a tense Saturday afternoon at Molineux, with both teams chasing very different goals. Chelsea arrive pushing for the top five. Wolves are staring at the drop. On paper, this looks one-sided. Football rarely listens to paper.
Chelsea are coming off heartbreak in midweek. A narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal ended their EFL Cup run, decided by a stoppage-time goal from a familiar face in Kai Havertz. Still, there were positives. Liam Rosenior continues to impress, winning six of his first eight games in charge and lifting Chelsea to fifth in the table, just one point off the top four.
Wolves are running out of hope. Two straight 2-0 defeats have dragged them further into trouble, now 18 points from safety. Goals have disappeared, confidence looks low, and the club is already preparing for life in the Championship. The worry for Wolves is that Chelsea have already beaten them twice this season and scored freely doing it.Form says Chelsea. Situation says Wolves are desperate.
Wolves vs Chelsea: Key Stats
Head-to-head: Wolves 6 wins, Chelsea 16 wins, 4 draws
Chelsea: Won their last 4 games against Wolves in all competitionsChelsea: Beat Wolves by 2+ goals in their last 3 league meetings
Wolves: Failed to score in their last 3 games in all competitions
Wolves: Won just 1 of their last 28 Premier League matches
Wolves: Conceding an average of 2.08 goals per home league game
Photo Credit (Getty Images)
What to Expect: Desperation vs Control
Wolverhampton Wanderers;
Wolves will try to keep it tight early. That has been the plan before, but execution has been the problem. They struggle to convert chances and often fall apart once they concede. Adam Armstrong may get another chance up front, but support has been thin all season. If Wolves are to survive this, they need a rare early goal to wake up the stadium.
Chelsea;
Chelsea will be patient. Rosenior’s side are comfortable waiting for the right moment, and they have match-winners all over the pitch. Palmer and Estevao should both start, with Joao Pedro leading the line after scoring five league goals in his last eight appearances. Chelsea do concede away from home, but they almost always score. One goal could open the floodgates.
Predicted Lineups
Wolves (3-5-2) 🟠: Sa; Mosquera, S. Bueno, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Andre, Mane, J. Gomes, H. Bueno; Hwang, Armstrong
Chelsea (4-2-3-1) 🔵: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
Players and Matchups to Watch
Cole Palmer: Back ready for 90 minutes. Chelsea’s main creative spark.
Joao Pedro: In form and confident. Wolves have struggled to deal with movement through the middle.
Matheus Mane: Wolves’ most active shooter. Needs to take his chances if they appear.
Enzo Fernandez: Late runs, big moments. Already proving decisive under Rosenior.
Odds Market on MSport
💵 Wolves to win: 5.07
💵 Chelsea to win: 1.73
💵 Draw: 4.26
💵 Over 2.5 Goals: 1.72
💵 Both Teams to Score (GG): 1.72
Wolves are fighting for survival, but the numbers are brutal. Chelsea are not perfect away from home, yet they usually find a way to score and control games like this.
Prediction: Wolves 0-2 Chelsea
