Chelsea will hope to continue their recent winning run when they welcome a manager-less Wolves to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The Premier League continues this weekend with Gameweek 10 of the 2022/23 season. The action will begin later than usual, with Chelsea kicking things off by playing hosts to Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
Chelsea’s 2022/23 campaign has been typically topsy turvy, with the change in ownership not making much of a difference to the volatility. Graham Potter has replaced Thomas Tuchel at the helm at Stamford Bridge. And the Blues have clinched back-to-back wins in the past week after playing out a 1-1 draw with Red Bull Salzburg in Potter’s maiden outing.
On the other hand, Wolves, like Chelsea, have endured a dramatic start to the 2022/23 season. Bruno Lage, who had enjoyed a decent debut campaign with Wolverhampton Wanderers, is no longer at the helm at Molineux. Steve Davis will take interim charge against Chelsea, with his team in the relegation zone heading into Gameweek 10.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Chelsea drop two points to Wolves. Francisco Trincao and Conor Coady scored two late goals after a brace by Romelu Lukaku had put the Blues in front. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Watch Graham Potter preview our game with Wolves LIVE! https://t.co/0eeXpRoKRl
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 7, 2022
Graham Potter has a new injury concern hampering his preparations this weekend. Against Wolves on Saturday, the Chelsea boss will be without two first-team players due to different fitness issues.
Wesley Fofana is the latest absentee for Chelsea after sustaining a knee injury against AC Milan earlier this week. But the Frenchman’s issue is not as bad as initially feared, although he might be out for a month. The other player likely to be unavailable against Wolves is N’Golo Kante, who does not have peak fitness yet.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been solid between the sticks in his recent outings. And the Spaniard should start ahead of Edouard Mendy again, with Chelsea lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of Kepa. Trevoh Chalobah should be the benefactor from Fofana’s absence, starting alongside Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly at the back.
Reece James has been sensational for Chelsea this season, and the Englishman is an automatic pick as the right wing-back. Marc Cucurella should get the nod on the opposite flank after recovering from an illness. The duo should flank Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in the middle of the park.
Conor Gallagher might have fancied his chances after a superb cameo last week against Crystal Palace. But Jorginho will don the captain’s armband for Chelsea against Wolves. Finally, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should spearhead the Chelsea attack, with Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount starting alongside him in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Kepa; Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Cucurella; Mount, Aubameyang, Sterling
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Steve Davis has a plethora of roster issues to contend with ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The interim Wolverhampton Wanderers manager will be without six first-team players against Chelsea on Saturday.
Ruben Neves is the major absentee for Wolves, with the Portuguese international serving a suspension due after accumulating five yellow cards. Nathan Collins is also suspended and will be unavailable for two more games. Meanwhile, Chiquinho is a long-term absentee due to a knee injury.
Raul Jimenez (groin), Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) and Pedro Neto (ankle) are also on the sidelines, leaving Davis short of attacking options. But there is some good news, with Hwang Hee-chan fit enough to take on Chelsea after resuming training this week.
🚨 Wolves have confirmed that Pedro Neto is going to need surgery after picking up an injury and will miss the World Cup 🐺❌pic.twitter.com/TdIlJW3dmE
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 7, 2022
But Hwang might not make the starting eleven, with former Chelsea striker Diego Costa expected to spearhead Wolves’ attack. Costa will likely line up alongside Goncalo Guedes and Daniel Podence in the final third, with Adama Traore and Hwang being options on the bench.
Boubacar Traore might benefit from Neves’s absence. The Malian midfielder will likely sit at the base of the midfield unit, with Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes starting alongside him in the middle of the park.
Nelson Semedo will hope to start after Bruno Lage overlooked him earlier in the season. The Portuguese international will likely start as the right-back, with Jonny moving to the left flank. Toti should pair up with Max Kilman at the heart of Wolves’ defence, with Jose Sa starting between the sticks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Sa; Semedo, Toti, Kilman, Jonny; Nunes, Boubacar Traore, Moutinho; Guedes, Costa, Podence
Key Stats
- Chelsea are without a win in their last four Premier League games against Wolves (D3 L1), with each of the last three meetings ending level. Wolverhampton Wanderers are winless in their last nine away league outings versus Chelsea (D4 L5) since a 2-1 victory in March 1979. They have failed to score in six of these nine visits to Stamford Bridge.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers have won just one of their last 15 Premier League games (D5 L9), beating Southampton 1-0 last month. Since the start of April, Wolves have earned fewer points than any Premier League side to have featured in both campaigns (11).
- Wolves have not scored more than once in any of their last 11 Premier League games since a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in May. They are the lowest scorers of any Premier League side this season (3) and are the only team yet to score after half-time so far.
- Saturday’s clash will be Graham Potter’s first Premier League home match as Chelsea boss. None of the last 14 managers to take charge of the Blues in the competition have lost their first home game (W10 D4) since Graham Rix and Ray Wilkins did so in joint-caretaker charge against Leicester City in September 2000.
Player to Watch
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Aubameyang has finally started showing signs of settling down at Chelsea, producing a decent display against AC Milan earlier this week. The former Arsenal captain has proven he can still make his mark at the highest level, which bodes well for Chelsea.
The veteran striker now needs to perform consistently to ensure a successful season for the Blues. Wolverhampton Wanderers will be tricky customers, and Aubameyang’s experience might boost Chelsea’s prospects this weekend.
Prediction
Chelsea 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Chelsea finally showed this week that Graham Potter’s methods are having a positive effect. But Wolverhampton Wanderers will approach the game to absorb the pressure, thus presenting a different challenge for the hosts.
The Blues have struggled to beat the Midlands outfit in the last few games, and the visitors’ defensive outlook might frustrate them. But Chelsea should have enough qualities to eventually clinch a crucial win over Wolves. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 victory for the west Londoners, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang making his mark again.
