Chelsea vs Wolves match preview
Two teams looking for their first Premier League wins in 2025 meet at Stamford Bridge on Monday, with Wolves manager Vitor Pereira keen for the visitors to improve their attacking decisions after back-to-back 3-0 Premier League defeats to Newcastle and at home to Nottingham Sum.
“It’s the last run, the pass, the shot,” explained Pereira, after analyzing the blowout at St James’ Park last Wednesday in which Wolves had more attempts on target than the Magpies.
“[It’s] shooting angle, positions in which we should appear. When [players] have the ball and go to the line, [they] he must know that in all these positions there will be someone who will score. And that’s something we have to improve together.”
The Portuguese, who has overseen seven goals and seven points in his first three games since succeeding Gary O’Neill on December 19, noted that Chelsea are “the team to win the league” ahead of their current five-game winless run, which followed up with a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth six days ago.
Monday night football in the capital. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/urcKvWx7Mn
— Vukovi (@Vukovi) January 18, 2025
Blues top scorer Cole Palmer scored in the first 17 minutes for the third time in four league games, but only Reece James’ superb 95th-minute free-kick saved Chelsea from defeat.
“He can be even more important,” manager Enzo Maresca said of the former England international, adding that James “can be fit” 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, it’s about managing his situation. What we don’t want is for us to go away again and for him to get injured again.”
A win would put Chelsea in fourth place, a point above Manchester City and Newcastle. Wolves start above third-placed Ipswich Town on goal difference and four points behind fifth-placed Everton.
Preparation for Wolves. 👊 pic.twitter.com/uL7KvkdoO6
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 18, 2025
Chelsea vs Wolves team news
Palmer is the Premier League’s fourth-highest scorer after scoring 14 goals this season, so Maresca will be hoping the England international can recover from the problem that kept him out of 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, while fellow centre-back Benoit Badiashile will not return from a thigh problem until next month.
Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall remains sidelined through injury and Mikhail Mudryk failed a drug test and remains under investigation by the Football Association, preventing the wing from appearing.
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 £51.3m in August – could replace Noni Madueke after recovering from illness.
Busy week at Cobham Training Center! 📍 pic.twitter.com/b2zcpHzUfW
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 18, 2025
“They compete with each other and help us,” Maresca said of the pair, calling Neto’s performance “fantastic” since he arrived. “If someone plays from the beginning and the other plays for 10 minutes, we want to have the same intensity from both.
“I try to explain to them that from game to game the decision is different… what we need from them is to win games, score and 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 is a little sick, but I hope he will be on the field. Pereira saidgiving an insight into the conversations he shared with the 25-year-old about his work in defense and out of possession.
Last edition #CHEW 🎞️ pic.twitter.com/Lkj0qrCVLR
— Vukovi (@Vukovi) January 19, 2025
“He can create magic in a moment and create something special … but he has to be committed at all times, every moment of the game.
“If we lose the ball, he has to set the first example for the others to run to get the ball again … that’s the behavior and personality of top players. That’s what I demand from 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 Traore and forward Saša Kalajdžić are recovering from serious injuries, as is winger Enso Gonzalez.
Cunha hat-trick in our last visit to Stamford Bridge ✨
⏪ #CHEW | @MNEGlobal pic.twitter.com/RJuRfkSKM7
— Vukovi (@Vukovi) January 19, 2025
Chelsea vs Wolves expected lineups
Chelsea: Sánchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
Wolves: With; Doherty, Bueno, Agbadou; Semedo, Andre, Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Guedes, Cunha; Strand Larsen
How to watch Chelsea vs Wolves: TV, Live Stream
Kick-off is at 20:00 UK time, with live coverage on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event and Ultra starting at 18:30.
Fans who want to tune in online can use the Sky GO app on a range of devices.
Noni scores a 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 matches, the total number of goals was over 2.5
- IN 9 of the last 11 Chelsea’s home games in the Premier League, the total number of goals was under 3.5
- IN last 4 Chelsea’s home games in the Premier League, the total number of goals was over 2.5
- IN 5 of the last 6 Chelsea’s matches in the Premier League, the total number of goals was under 3.5
- IN 3 of the last 4 In Chelsea’s home games, the total number of goals was over 3.5
- IN last 10 Away from Wolverhampton, the total number of goals was over 2.5
- IN 17 of the last 19 In Wolverhampton’s matches, the total number of goals was over 2.5
- IN 15 of the last 17 Wolverhampton matches in the Premier League, the total number of goals was over 2.5
- IN the last 8 Wolverhampton on away games in the Premier League, the total number of goals was over 2.5
- IN 6 of the last 8 Wolverhampton on away games in the Premier League, the total number of goals was over 3.5
Prediction
There have been at least three goals in five of the last six editions of this fixture, including Wolves’ 4-2 away win on February 4 and Chelsea win away 6-2 on August 25th it was their first under Maresco.
The level of involvement of either top scorer has particular potential to decide this contest: unsurprisingly, Palmer scored one and set up three goals in that game, with Cunha, who 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 games, including six assists.
Talismans aside, goals have not been a problem for these teams. Only Tottenham have outscored Wolves in the bottom nine, while Chelsea have scored more times than anyone other than Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.
The problem, then, is at the other end: Chelsea’s only clean sheet in their last seven league games came against an Everton side known for their lack of threat, while Wolves have scored nine goals in their last four matches in all competitions.
With a tough game against City coming up on Saturday (17.30 GMT), it is imperative for Chelsea to win in the league for the first time since December 15 – perhaps with a 3-1 win.
