Match Preview - Chelsea vs Wolverhampton - Will The Blues Regain Their Form?
Wolves come to Stamford Bridge after a demolishing loss at the start of the season, spearheaded by a Noni Madueke hat-trick
The Blues are looking to regain their form after dropping out of the Premier League's top four, and what better way to do so than by repeating their commanding performance from the first half of the season? The last time the two teams met, Noni Madueke was not the kindest visitor. After sharing his thoughts on the city of Wolverhampton on Instagram (and it was not a stellar review of the city), he scored three goals in the second half, bringing home three points.
Wolverhampton enters this game after back-to-back 3-0 defeats against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. Prior to this game, they sit just above the relegation zone, with the saving grace of having scored two goals more than Ipswich Town.
Tactical Preview: Set Pieces, Dribblers and Goals
There are some key issues in Wolves’ squad this season that Chelsea could aim to exploit. First, Wolverhampton is extremely vulnerable to set pieces. No other team in the Premier League has conceded more goals from set pieces than Wolverhampton, who lead this statistic with 15 goals allowed.
Although Chelsea is not a set-piece powerhouse, they have had some highlights this season, namely Cole Palmer’s iconic free kick against Brighton and Reece James’ equalizer against Bournemouth. The opening goal against Wolverhampton came from a Nicolas Jackson header, who was left unmarked at the far post during a corner kick. While these rare occasions of scoring from set pieces are welcome additions to Chelsea’s goal tally, they are not the team’s most reliable scoring method.
However, there is one key strength that Chelsea has which can be masterfully utilized in this game. If we look at the 6-2 victory, we notice some obvious patterns. All three of Madueke’s goals were identical. Wolverhampton conceded the same type of goal twice from the right wing. Additionally, Joao Felix’s goal came after a Pedro Neto cross, which found him with ample space in the box.
Defending down the wings is an area where Wolverhampton struggles, both against individual players who are capable dribblers and against crosses. Wolves have faced 331 crosses in Premier League matches this season. Chelsea might look to exploit these vulnerabilities through individual skill, aiming to put Noni Madueke or Jadon Sancho in one-on-one situations where they can bypass their opponents, deliver crosses, or draw fouls in dangerous areas.
Offensively, Wolves excel at winning the ball and launching counterattacks, with seven goals coming from such situations. They are highly effective in challenges, successfully reclaiming possession with 256 tackles, ranking them 5th in the Premier League. The Blues, on the other hand, have struggled to defend transitions and have often lost possession in ways that lead to dangerous situations for Robert Sanchez. After all, Chelsea leads the league in conceding penalties, tied for the top spot with Ipswich Town and Wolves.
It will be both hard and important for The Blues to maintain their defensive solidity and not give away the ball cheaply. Rest defense will be important to prevent the Wolves from counterattacking, and it will be a tough challenge, since Romeo Lavia is a doubt for this game.
Team News and Absences
During the pre-game press conference, Enzo Maresca shared an update on injuries for the Wolverhampton game. Here are the main points:
Cole Palmer is a doubt for this game, as he sustained a kick in the ankle in the first half against Bournemouth. He skipped training on Friday and he will be assessed.
Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez are also doubts for Wolves. Romeo Lavia has seen some action against Bournemouth, but came off after 60 minutes, with Enzo Maresca carefully managing his minutes.
Trevor Chalobah might be back in the starting XI, since Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile remain absent and Axel Disasi had disappointing performances.
What are the Stakes?
This being the last game of Round 22 of the Premier League, looking at the table, we can see the importance of this game for both teams. For Wolves, three points would start putting some distance between them and the relegation zone. At this moment, they are tied with Ipswich Town at 16 points and they sit just above the relegation zone.
Chelsea meanwhile has fallen off the top 4 positions, with Newcastle sitting one point ahead in 5th spot after a commanding 1-4 loss against Bournemouth. A victory here would bring Chelsea back into the 4th spot, two points ahead of Newcastle and Manchester City.
Predictions
Chelsea are the big favourites here, coming on top in 64.4% of OPTA simulations, while Wolverhampton does so in just 16.8%. Chelsea never lost against Wolverhampton in recent history when playing at Stamford Bridge, but the Wolves’ latest win was a 4-2 victory last season at Molineux.
The game between the two is a high-scoring one, with five out of the last six games ending in over 2.5 goals, but it also is a high intensity and physical game. Four out of the last five encounters ended with over 4.5 yellow cards.
So, expect action, with a possible win for Chelsea, who looks to go back into the Premier League top 4.