England Premier League
Sunday 24th December 2023
Kick off at 1pm GMT
Venue: Molineux Stadium
Match Preview:
If the objective for Wolves this season is to finish in the top half of the table they are not doing a bad job and are just three points shy of that target. The problem with the club is their lack of consistency and they have lost 3 of their last five games. Last weekend Wolves lost their 8th game of the season as they were soundly beaten 3-0 away to West Ham.
At this moment the club could push on but there is also a real danger of them slipping down the table and doing so quickly given that three teams are within three points of them. At home Wolves have earned 12 of their total haul of 19 points and lost just twice from 8 games. The encouraging news is that they are undefeated at home since September although three of their last five games here have ended in draws, the clubs last home game finished in a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea are in 10th place and if they lose here Wolves would join them on the same points. The Blues who are a staggering 17 points behind the league leaders have had an awful season when you compare their expenditure but there have been glimmers of hope. Indeed, like their hosts, consistency has been a problem but Mauricio Pochettino’s side should come into this game with some confidence.
The Blues have won their last two matches in all competitions after beating Sheffield United 2-0 in the league and then knocking out Newcastle in the EFL Cup on penalties to reach the semi-finals. The Newcastle win was important and would have raised spirits given that with a few minutes to go they were going out and that was a home match. It was a much needed boost- can the players and squad carry this feeling through to this game? On the road Chelsea have lost 50% of their games so far and current form has been poor as they have lost their last 3 in a row with defeats against Newcastle, Manchester United and Everton. This means that the club's last away win was against Tottenham six weeks ago.
Team News:
Wolves: Jose Sa will be assessed for a shoulder injury. Pedro Neto is more of a doubt to return due to his hamstring injury and is rated at just 50/50. Joseph Hodge also has a shoulder injury and is out and not due back for another month. Jonny is unavailable.
Chelsea: Romeo Lavia is nearing a return but has some fitness issues and remains a doubt to be ready for this game. There are a whole host of long term and ongoing injuries for the club and the following remain out with no fixed return date; Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Lesley Ugochukwu, Trevoh Chabolah, Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka. Robert Sanchez is out for at least six weeks with a knee injury and Marc Cucurella is expected to be out until March with an ankle injury.
Wolves vs Chelsea Head to Head:
Last season Wolves won this match 1-0.
There have been 3 draws from the last five meetings.
Wolves have remained unbeaten against Chelsea at home for the last three games.
Wolves vs Chelsea Prediction:
Look around and Chelsea can be had at evens for this game and we will take that on. It is true that the Blues have underachieved this season but winning their last two games in all competitions will be a boost for the club and they look favourites to reach the EFL Cup final too, perhaps there is more to look forward to as the season progresses for the Londoners. Wolves have made life difficult here for the Blues in recent seasons and let’s not forget that Chelsea are currently on a poor record away from home, but the quality is there, the players just need that confidence and the Newcastle win in midweek may give them that extra boost.
We do expect a good competitive game, and Chelsea will need to dig deep but we will back them to win and we will also back the goal market as Chelsea’s defence still looks leaky away from home. This is a good opportunity for the Blues to bridge the current 5 point gap to West Ham and start to slowly move up the table.
Wolves vs Chelsea Betting Tips:
Chelsea to beat Wolves at 2.00
Anytime goalscorer: Christopher Nkunku at 3.00
Anytime goalscorer: Cole Palmer 3.30
Over 2.5 goals at 1.80
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