Chelsea travel to the Molineux to take on relegation-battling Wolves in the second match of game week 30.
In one of the weirdest turn of events for Chelsea the whole season, Frank Lampard, who started as the Everton manager, is back as the caretaker manager for the rest of the season. Who saw that coming?
Chelsea has a lot going on for them at the moment. Almost an entirely new squad barring some players, no certainty about the next gaffer, and being in the 12th spot in the Premier League, it’s hard to guess the feelings inside the Chelsea dressing room.
With the UCL fixture against Real Madrid in sight and nothing to fight for domestically, it’s not hard to calculate the chances of Chelsea taking their next PL fixture with much seriousness.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, on the other hand, are fighting for their lives.
The Wolves had expected a change of fortunes with the arrival of Julian Lopeteyui, but that has been far from being the case.
Do not let their 14th place on the league table deceive you. Lopetegui’s men are just a point above the relegation zone, barely surviving with 9 games to go. If anything, a 3-pointer night against a Premier League Goliath might be their key to survival.
Form
Neither team can look at their past results to reflect upon.
Chelsea has been winless in their last three fixtures. Their latest outing against Liverpool was a stalemate that ended with a scoreline of 0-0. The Blues’ did everything right except finishing their chances in what was one of the most frustrating games of the season.
Wolves has been in equally poor form, something that has been a constant throughout the season. Winless in their last three games as well, Wolves’ last victory could be dated back to over a month ago when they beat Spurs 1-0. They shared the spoils against fellow relegation battlers in Nottingham Forest in their latest outing.
Last 5 Results
Neither team comes into the fixture with its head held high. On one hand, Chelsea has dropped points in 3 of their last five games, having won 2 and lost 1. Wolves on the other have won 1, lost 3, and drew 1.
Chelsea: 12th
Draw: 0-0 vs Liverpool
Loss: 0-2 vs Aston Villa
Draw: 2-2 vs Everton
Win: 3-1 vs Leicester
Win: 2-0 vs Dortmund
Wolverhampton: 14th
Draw: 1-1 vs Nottingham
Loss: 2-4 vs Leeds
Loss: 1-2 vs Newcastle
Win: 1-0 vs Tottenham
Draw: 0-2 vs Liverpool
Team News
With the UCL quarterfinal tie against Madrid mid-week, expect some rotation from the Chelsea squad. N’Golo Kante might be rested for the game.
Though Benjamin Mendy has cleared the fitness test, it’s unlikely that the Senegalese will bench Kepa in goal.
Armando Broja, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Thiago Silva are still ruled out. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might be a surprise feature if he passes a late fitness test.
Midfield ace Ruben Neves will be a key absentee for Wolverhampton this matchday. The Portuguese will be serving his suspension alongside fullback Jonny Castro.
Kaladjic remains sidelined with injury, whereas the duo of Boubacar Traore and Hee-Chang Hwang might face late fitness tests.
Probable Line-Ups
Chelsea –
Kepa (GK), Chilwell, Koulibaly, Fofana, Reece James, Fernandes, Kovacic, Felix, Mount, Sterling, Havertz
Wolves –
Jose Sa (GK), Gomes, Killman, Dawson, Semedo, Lemina, Gomes de Silva, Nunes, Moutinho, Lomba Neto, Jimenez.
Head To Head
Given the difference in quality between the two sides, Wolves are surprisingly close to Chelsea when it comes to their head-to-head record.
Chelsea has won 44 games against Wolverhampton, whereas the latter has secured 40 wins against The Blues. 30 encounters have ended in a draw.
Chelsea won its last encounter against Wolves earlier this season when the London side beat the latter 3-0 earlier this season with goals coming from Havertz, Pulisic, and Broja.
The last time Wolves managed to secure all three points against Lampard’s men was in December of 2020 when Wanderers beat Chelsea 2-1, credit to a last-gasp Pedro Neto winner.
Where Will The Game Be Decided?
Fans will be hoping for their interim gaffer to address Chelsea’s problems up top. Under the management of Frank Lampard, Chelsea has got everything that a side needs to deal with a relegation-battling club.
If Havertz and Co finally decide to dawn their shooting boots, the trip to Molineux shall be a cakewalk for the Blues.
Predictions
With the trip to Santiago Bernabeu in sight, rotations are expected from Lampard’s Chelsea.
That said, despite their recent struggles, we believe Chelsea have got what it takes to come out on top against a lowly Wolverhampton.
Keeping the key absentees for Wolves and expected rotations from Chelsea, do not expect this fixture to be the spiciest this weekend.
Chelsea 2-0 Wolves
Odds
Wolverhampton to win: 3/1
Draw: 5/2
Chelsea to win: 19/20
Chelsea is the favorite to secure 3 points with a probability of 49.4%. A draw is the next favorable outcome with a probability of 28.6%. Wolves coming out of the game with 3 points is the least favorable outcome with a probability of 23.8%.
- By BET365. At the time of writing.
Kickoff Time:-
The action kicks off at 2:30 PM GMT at Molineux Stadium.
