Chelsea vs Wolves Preview and Prediction
Chelsea vs Wolves Match Preview
Chelsea will host Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday, February 4. The hosts are 10th and the visitors are 11th, meaning the winner will take the higher position.
The Blues enter this game on the back of a decent run of form, having secured six wins in their last 10 games across competitions. The other four games were three defeats and a goalless draw against Aston Villa in the 4th Round of the FA Cup. Chelsea suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield in their last league game. However, with three clean sheets in their last five, they will look to bounce back and put in a solid performance in the next game.
Wolves, on the other hand, enter this contest on the back of a slightly worse run compared to their next opponents. They have won five of their last 10 games, losing twice and drawing three times. Having progressed to the 5th Round of the FA Cup with a routine 2-0 win over West Brom, Wolves fell to a 4-3 defeat at home against Manchester United in their last league game. However, the team will take the positive of scoring three goals and will look to shut up shop at the back next time.
On that note, let’s take a look at the team news for both sides.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino has faced defensive shortages since becoming manager. He will be without defensive trio of Wesley Fofana (ACL), Reece James (hamstring) and Marc Cucurella (ankle) for the long-term. Academy graduates Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill, too, will miss the game.
Meanwhile, midfield pair Lesley Uguchukwu and Romeo Lavia are yet to return from their hamstring injury layoffs. Striker Nicolas Jackson could also face a late injury test before this game to check if he is fit to play.
The Blues have no players facing the risk of suspensions, neither do they have players away on international duty. Pochettino will likely make one change to the XI that faced Liverpool, with Christopher Nkunku coming in for Noni Madueke after scoring a lovely goal, albeit for consolation.
Predicted XI: Dorde Petrovic (GK), Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell (C), Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku.
Wolves
Manager Gary O’Neil will be without two players who are away representing their countries. Hwang Hee-chan (South Korea) and Boubacar Traore (Mali) will be unavailable for selection so long as their nations keep progressing in their respective tournaments.
Apart from that O’Neil is likely to stick with the same XI that faced Manchester United last time around. However, Rayan Ait-Nouri could make his way back into the XI at the expense of Matt Doherty, with Nelson Semedo shifting over to the left flank.
Pablo Sarabia could also get the nod after his goal from the spot kick, with the unconvincing Jean-Ricner Bellegarde likely to make way for the Spaniard.
Predicted XI: Jose Sa (GK), Max Kilman (C), Craig Dawson, Toti Gomes, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Mario Lemina, Tommy Doyle, Nelson Semedo, Pedro Neto, Pablo Sarabia, Matheus Cunha.
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Chelsea vs Wolves Head-to-Head & Prediction
Last 5 Games H2H (PL)
- Wolves 2-1 Chelsea (12/23)
- Wolves 1-0 Chelsea (04/23)
- Chelsea 3-0 Wolves (10/22)
- Chelsea 2-2 Wolves (05/22)
- Wolves 0-0 Chelsea (12/21)
As you can see, meetings between these two sides have gone in favour of either team without much of a pattern. However, Wolves have won two of the last five, while Chelsea have won just one. The teams have shared two draws, with one seeing four goals while the other was goalless.
There is no doubt about either team’s ability to score goals, it’s their ability to prevent goals is what has been their downfall. Wolves have been strong at home against the Blues but have never won a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge in their history.
This gives Chelsea the upper hand, along with the fact that they will be eager to put the pain of the 4-1 defeat against Liverpool to rest. Considering both teams saw five or more goals in their last games, this could be another PL goal-fest.
Prediction: Chelsea 3-2 Wolves.
Betting Tips
- Over 4.5 Goals: Yes.
- Wolves to Score: Over 1.5 Goals.
- Christopher Nkunku: Anytime Goalscorer.
Odds
- Chelsea Win: 1.65
- Draw: 4.25
- Wolves Win: 5.50
Chelsea vs Wolves Timings & Telecast
- Date & Time: Sunday, February 4th at 2:00 PM (GMT)/ 7:30 PM (IST).
- India: Star Sports Network, Hotstar app & website.
- UK: Sky Sports.
- US: Peacock Premium.
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