Chelsea will travel to the Molineux to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers as they aim to build upon their Carabao Cup success against Newcastle United.
Chelsea will travel to the Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in what is just the second ever game to be played on Christmas eve in the Premier League era. The only other game to take place was in 1995 when Leeds United defeated Manchester United 3-1.
The Blues are on a high after securing their spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals after the penalty shootout win over Newcastle United. Mauricio Pochettino will be keen to push on and salvage what he can from what is a poor Premier League campaign so far.
Chelsea are currently in the tenth spot in the league, a mere three points ahead of their opponents this Sunday. While a win will draw Wolves level with their more illustrious opponents, it could prove to be yet another nail in Pochettino’s coffin.
The Blues have barely looked like a side that has invested lavishly and appear to lack cohesion. There is much work to be done at Stamford Bridge, and a win at the Molineux would significantly boost confidence and morale.
A trip away to Wolves has not brought Chelsea much joy in recent years, and they are winless in their last three trips to the Molineux. In fact, all four of the club’s league wins at the venue have come under different managers. Pochettino will hope to add his name to that tally.
Gary O’Neil’s men have been quite unfortunate this season with respect to results and have done well to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone despite the lack of transfers and a general apathy from the officials.
They will prove to be dogged opponents at home and could very well catch Chelsea off guard. It promises to be an intriguing game as the festive season hits the air. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how these two sides will line up and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Gary O’Neil’s side might be in mid-table but remain a formidable side, especially at home. He has galvanized the Pack and has made them a difficult opponent to face.
The Wolves boss also same bearing an early Christmas gift to his customers by revealing that star attacker Pedro Neto is in contention to play a role against Chelsea. The 23-year-old is the home side’s best attacker, and his return will fill the fans with hope ahead of the busy run of games.
However, it is not all good news, as Joe Hodge is still ruled out with a shoulder injury, while Jonny Otto is in exile falling a training ground bust-up. The 3-5-2 formation should once again do the trick with Jose Sa in goal.
He should be protected by the back three of Max Kilman, Craig Dawson and Toti Gomes. Nelson Semedo and Rayan Ait-Nouri should function as the wing-backs with the trio of Mario Lemina, Joao Gomes and Jeanricner Bellegarde holding fort in the middle of the park.
Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan should get the nod upfront with Pablo Sarabia and Neto coming off the bench when needed. Hwang recently penned a new deal till 2028 and will be eager to give the home fans something to cheer about.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti Gomes; Semedo, Lemina, Joao Gomes, Bellegarde, Ait-Nouri; Cunha, Hwang
Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino has not enjoyed the best of starts to life at Chelsea and has a huge squad to work with. He appears to be slowly yet steadily making his presence felt but the illusions fell away in a rather surprising tirade in the pre-match presser.
The Argentine is likely to rotate his squad ahead of the busy schedule and will hope to end Chelsea’s three game winless streak at the Molineux. The Blues have several players ruled out such as Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, and Robert Sanchez all unavailable.
Enzo Fernandez is also suffering from a hernia and will miss out, while Levi Colwill is struggling with fatigue. While the former will miss out, the latter is expected to still play a role given the club’s dearth of available options at left-back.
Christopher Nkunku is expected to once again play a role off the bench, while the trio of Noni Madueke, Lesley Ugochkwu and Romeo Lavia could all come in given that they are back in training.
A 4-2-3-1 formation appears to be the way forward with shootout hero Djordje Petrovic in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Malo Gusto, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, and Levi Colwill.
Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher should form the double pivot, with the trio of Mykhaylo Mudryk, Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling pushing forward. Nicolas Jackson is likely to retain his spot with the Blues being unwilling to risk Nkunku until he is fully fit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Silva, Badiashile, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson
Key Stats
- Should Wolves win, it will be the first time since 1975 that they will have gotten the better of the Blues in consecutive games.
- Chelsea are winless in their last three trips to the Molineux.
- This is Chelsea and Wolves’ first Christmas Eve fixture since 1966. The Blues lost to Liverpool that night while Wolves defeated Derby County.
- Should Wolves score on the night, they will match their club record for consecutive games in which they have scored at home to 16. The current run of 16 games was achieved in 1969/70.
- Wolves are on a six-game unbeaten streak in the league at the Molineux, their longest such run since 2019.
Player to Watch
Christopher Nkunku
The Frenchman is a prolific goalscorer who could be the solution to Chelsea’s striking woes. He is likely to start on the bench given the lack of match fitness. However, given that Nicolas Jackson is far from prolific, there is every reason to believe Pochettino will bring on Nkunku in the second half.
The 26-year-old has the ability to bring the Chelsea fans early Christmas cheer. Gunning the Wolves down in their own backyard will be a solid way for the Frenchman to announce his arrival in the Premier League.
Prediction
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Chelsea
While Chelsea have the better quality players and also strength in depth to boot, Wolves are a different animal at home and have adopted the siege mentality under Gary O’Neil. It promises to be a hard fought game with little festive generosity on show. Both teams will be expected to share the spoils in what is a venue that will prove difficult for several top sides to visit.