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CHELSEA v Wolves: Preview

Date: Monday 20th January 2025

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

Tonight’s game sees us play host to Wolves and it isn’t a game without pressure.

Chelsea dropped two points from winning positions in their first 17 league games under Enzo Maresca, but have lost seven points in their subsequent four games, so I hope they signed a pre-nup agreement with this particular union.

Yet again on Tuesday night we failed to capitalise in the ascendency and need a better script because it’s too predictable now. The wait for changes to be made when games are getting away from us is equally expected and whether its stubbornness or a lack of a plan B, you can see how Leicester’s title stumble last year raised questions around the manager. As it turned out, we rescued a point thanks to Reece James but we shouldn’t ever have been in that position (and for the record, should have been playing against 10-men after Cucurella’s hair pull).

Chelsea have gone from 2 to 13 points behind the league leaders and currently sit 6th in the table after the weekend’s games, a point behind both Newcastle and Manchester City who have played a game more. Wolves meanwhile start the evening in 17th place, level on points with Ipswich who took a proper battering against City yesterday. The visitors’ away form is mixed but if Matheus Cunha has packed in the Lemsip over the weekend, he’s the player who could turn their fortunes against our defence.

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MANAGER’S VIEWS

Going into tonight’s game, Enzo Maresca, says “It’s not the same manager, it’s not the same idea, you can see. So I don’t think the last game there can be important for us or them. It’s a new game, it’s a new manager, it’s a different way to attack, a different way to defend. Hopefully, we can be ready the same way we were for the last game and get the three points.”

Wolves manager, Vitor Pereira, meanwhile, says “They are a team that maybe five games away was a team to win the league. Now, because they are not getting the results, they have the same players, the same manager, top players a top manager. They are a team that has identity as a team, they play in the style where they have a model game, and we must go there with our identity and the things that we try to work every day, trying to increase every day.

I’m not a coach that if I lose a game, I would change my mind. I’m a coach to create an identity, to increase the level, to increase the level to play in the same style, in the way to have intentions. We go to face Chelsea, trying to play our game. Of course, in the other side, we’ll face a team with quality, with top players, and against top players, you cannot consider the spaces and the time to play in the way that they like.”

SQUAD NEWS

For Chelsea, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana remain out, and Mykhaylo Mudryk is suspended. Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia all missed training on Friday and are doubts.

For Wolves, Sasa Kalajdzic and Yerson Mosquera are long-term absentees, whilst Toti Gomes (hamstring) isn’t expected to be back until next week. Matheus Cunha (illness) is a doubt but Boubacar Traore has returned to training and Mario Lemina is available for selection.

TEAMS

CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Sanchez; Gusto, Acheampong, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

WOLVES (Possible line-up): Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Agbadou; R Gomes, Andre, J Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Hwang, Cunha; Larsen

LAST SEASON

Chelsea 2-4 Wolves (4th February 2024)

CURRENT FORM (PL)

Chelsea: WDLLDD

Wolves: LWWDLL

OTHER STUFF

  • Chelsea won the reverse fixture 6-2 at Molineux in August.
  • Wolves won this fixture 4-2 last season.
  • Chelsea are without a win in five leagues games.
  • Chelsea have the lowest proportion of points won at home (43%) in the top flight this season.
  • Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet at home in the league this season.
  • Wolves earned seven points from their opening three matches under Vitor Pereira but have subsequently suffered successive 3-0 league defeats.
  • Wolves have lost their opening two games of the calendar year by three or more goals.
  • Wolves have gone 22 league games in London without keeping a clean sheet.

PREDICTION

Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-1 Wolves

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