Chelsea vs Wolves Match Preview
Two teams seeking their first Premier League wins of 2025 meet at Stamford Bridge on Monday, when Wolves manager Vitor Pereira wants the visitors to improve their decision-making in attack after successive 3-0 defeats in the elite at Newcastle and at home against Nottingham. Forest.
“It’s the last run, pass, shoot,” Pereira explained, after analyzing a brawl at St James’ Park last Wednesday in which Wolves had more attempts on target than the Magpies.
“[It’s] the camera angle, the positions in which we must appear. [players] take the ball and go to the line, [they] You have to know that in all these positions, there will be someone to score. And this is something we need to improve together.
The Portuguese, who scored seven goals and seven points in his first three games after taking over from Gary O’Neil on December 19, observed that Chelsea were “a team to win the league” ahead of their current five-game losing streak. victory, which continued with a 2-2 home draw against Bournemouth six days ago.
Monday night football in the capital. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/urcKvWx7Mn
– Wolves (@Wolves) January 18, 2025
Blues top scorer Cole Palmer scored inside the first 17 minutes for the third time in four league matches, but only a superb 95th-minute free-kick from Reece James saved Chelsea from defeat.
“He can be even more important,” manager Enzo Maresca said of the former England player, adding that James “can be ready” for Wolves as the captain continues his comeback from a hamstring injury.
“We know how good he is. It’s not about whether he scores goals or how many minutes he lasts, it’s about managing his situation. What we don’t want is for us to go back and have him hurt again.
A victory would move Chelsea into fourth place, one point ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle. Wolves start above third-bottom Ipswich Town on goal difference and four points behind fifth-bottom Everton.
Prepare for the wolves. 👊 pic.twitter.com/uL7KvkdoO6
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 18, 2025
Chelsea vs Wolves team news
Palmer is the fourth highest scorer in the Premier League having scored 14 times this season. Maresca therefore hopes the England international will recover from a problem which prevented him from training on Friday.
Defender Levi Colwill and midfielders Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez are also doubts after missing the session. Wesley Fofana could miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, and compatriot Benoit Badiashile won’t return from a thigh problem until next month.
Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall remains out through injury and Mykhailo Mudryk’s failed drugs test remains under investigation by the Football Association, preventing the winger from appearing in court.
Centre-back Trevoh Chalobah could feature after being recalled from his loan spell at Crystal Palace, and winger Pedro Neto – signed from Wolves for an initial £51.3million in August – could replace Noni Madueke after signing to recover from an illness.
A busy week at Cobham Training Centre! 📍 pic.twitter.com/b2zcpHzUfW
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 18, 2025
“They compete with each other and help us,” Maresca said of the two men, calling Neto’s impact “fantastic” since his arrival. “If we play from the start and we play 10 minutes, we want to have the same intensity of both.
“I try to explain to them that from one game to another the decision is different… what we need from them is to win games, to score and to make an assist.”
Wolves striker Matheus Cunha has 10 league goals and four assists, making the Brazilian’s absence from training with flu-like symptoms a major concern for Pereira.
“He’s a little ill, but I hope he’ll be on the pitch” said Pereiragiving an insight into the discussions he shared with the 25-year-old about his defensive and out-of-possession work.
The latest edition of #CHEWOL 🎞️ pic.twitter.com/Lkj0qrCVLR
– Wolves (@Wolves) January 19, 2025
“He can create magic in the moment and create something special…but he has to engage in every moment, every moment of the game.
“If we lose the ball, he has to give the first example to others that he runs to get the ball… that’s the behavior and personality of top players. This is what I demand of him.
Among Pereira’s defenders, Yerson Mosquera will miss the rest of the season and the game will come too soon for Toti Gomes.
Midfielder Boubacar Traoré and striker Sasa Kalajdzic are working to recover from serious injuries, as is winger Enso Gonzalez.
A hat-trick from Cunha on our last visit to Stamford Bridge ✨
⏪ #CHEWOL | @MNEGlobal pic.twitter.com/RJuRfkSKM7
– Wolves (@Wolves) January 19, 2025
Expected Chelsea line-ups against Wolves
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
Wolves: Its; Doherty, Bueno, Agbadou; Semedo, André, Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Guédés, Cunha; Larsen Beach
How to watch Chelsea vs Wolves: TV, live stream
Kick-off will be at 8:00 p.m. UK time, with live coverage on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event and Ultra from 6:30 p.m.
Fans wanting to connect online can use the Sky GO app on a wide variety of devices.
Noni completes hat-trick against Wolves. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/DVyoxlaRK9
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 19, 2025
Statistics
- In 11 of the last 13 In Chelsea’s home games, the goal total was over 2.5
- In 9 of the last 11 Chelsea home games in the Premier League, total goals were under 3.5
- In the last 4 Chelsea home matches in the Premier League, the total goals were over 2.5
- In 5 of the last 6 Chelsea matches in the Premier League, the total goals were under 3.5
- In 3 of the last 4 In Chelsea’s home games, the goal total was over 3.5
- In the last 10 In Wolverhampton’s away matches, the goal tally was over 2.5.
- In 17 of last 19 In Wolverhampton matches, the total number of goals was more than 2.5
- In 15 of the last 17 Wolverhampton Premier League matches, total goals were over 2.5
- In the last 8 In Wolverhampton’s away matches in the Premier League, the total goals were over 2.5
- In 6 of the last 8 Wolverhampton’s away matches in the Premier League, total goals were over 3.5
Prediction
There have been at least three goals in five of the last six editions of this match, including a 4-2 away win at Wolves on February 4 and a Chelsea win 6-2 away on August 25 it was their first under Maresca.
The level of involvement of either top scorer has particular potential to decide this match: unsurprisingly, Palmer scored one and set up three of the goals in this match, along with Cunha, who had scored a hat-trick following Palmer’s opener in the previous encounter, briefly drawing Wolves level at Molineux.
Palmer vs. Wolves. 🐺 pic.twitter.com/RowlRecQsm
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 19, 2025
Cunha scored one and set up another in a 2–0 home win over Manchester United when he last played more than 45 minutes, and Palmer started all of Chelsea’s league matches , including six assists.
Talismen aside, goals haven’t been a problem for these teams. Only Tottenham have topped Wolves in the bottom nine, while Chelsea have scored more times than anyone except Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.
So the problem is at the other end: Chelsea’s only clean sheet in their last seven league matches was against an Everton side known for their lack of threat, and Wolves have scored nine goals in their last four matches in all competitions.
With a tricky match at City on Saturday (5:30 p.m. GMT), it is imperative for Chelsea to win in the league for the first time since December 15 – perhaps with a 3-1 victory.