Chelsea will be on the road this weekend as they travel to the West Midlands to take on Gary O’Neil’s Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium.
Enzo Maresca’s tenure as Chelsea manager has been eventful so far. After a tough start with a loss to Manchester City on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 Premier League season, the Blues bounced back with a 2-0 win against Servette in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off on Thursday. Despite some positive moments, Maresca faces the challenge of managing an overinflated Chelsea squad, and he will be hoping to see some departures in the final days of the transfer window.
Wolves, on the other hand, are seeking their first victory of the season. O’Neil’s side put up a commendable fight against Arsenal last weekend, staying in the game until Bukayo Saka’s late goal sealed a 2-0 defeat. With Chelsea’s inconsistencies, the hosts will be optimistic about getting points on the board this weekend.
Wolves vs Chelsea: Key Details
- Location: Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England
- Date: Sunday, August 25, 2024
- Kick-off Time: 14:00 BST / 09:00 ET / 06:00 PT
- Referee: Darren England
- VAR: John Brooks
Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Matches)
- Wolves: 3 wins
- Chelsea: 1 win
- Draws: 1
Current Form (All Competitions)
- Wolves:
- Arsenal 2-0 Wolves (17/08/24)
- Wolves 0-1 Rayo Vallecano (10/08/24)
- Wolves 3-0 RB Leipzig (04/08/24)
- Crystal Palace 3-1 Wolves (01/08/24)
- Wolves 3-1 West Ham (28/07/24)
- Chelsea:
- Chelsea 0-2 Man City (18/08/24)
- Chelsea 1-1 Inter (11/08/24)
- Real Madrid 2-1 Chelsea (07/08/24)
- Man City 4-2 Chelsea (03/08/24)
- Chelsea 3-0 Club America (01/08/24)
Wolves Team News
Wolves will be without Nelson Semedo, who is serving the second game of his suspension following a red card in the final match of the 2023/24 season. Matt Doherty is expected to continue at right-back. The team will also miss long-term absentees Enso Gonzalez and Sasa Kalajdzic. However, Matheus Cunha, who made a substitute appearance against Arsenal after recovering from a pre-season knock, is likely to start on Sunday.
Wolves Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sa; Doherty, Mosquera, Toti, Ait-Nouri; Lemina, J. Gomes; Hwang, Cunha, R. Gomes; Larsen.
Chelsea Team News
Enzo Maresca is expected to field a strong lineup similar to the one that faced Manchester City last weekend. Reece James remains suspended, serving the second of his four-game ban, although he has recovered from a minor injury. Cole Palmer, who appeared to have suffered a hamstring issue in the midweek win against Servette, is expected to be fit for Sunday’s match. Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, and Raheem Sterling are among the notable absentees as Maresca looks to trim his squad.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Lavia; Palmer, Nkunku, Neto; Jackson.
The match promises to be a closely contested affair as Wolves look to secure their first points of the season, while Chelsea aims to build momentum under their new manager.
Prediction
While Chelsea’s quality might give them the edge, Wolves at home are never an easy opponent. A closely contested match is expected, with both sides having their moments.
Predicted Score: Wolves 1-2 Chelsea
