Preview and Prediction
It is the battle of the wounded teams. Both Wolves and The Blues suffered an unlikely defeat last weekend and in this midweek fixture they are looking to bounce back immediately. Wolverhampton’s campaign this season is rather disrupted with the unbalance squad after selling Diogo Jota and the long injury of Raul Jimenez. They are currently stuck on the 12th of the table. Chelsea has been in a similar condition as they are slipped to the fourth or even lower if Leicester could secure three points.
The teams’ updated news
Wolverhampton was beaten 0-1 at home by Aston Villa last weekend. They were frustrated to break the deadlock, mainly due to the solid form of Villans’ defence line and the top form of their Argentina goalie, Emiliano Martinez. The only goal of the match was netted by Anwar El-Ghazi’s late penalty.
Chelsea, on the other hand, lost 0-1 to Everton by an early penalty which was well-executed by The Iceland international Gylfi Sigurdsson who occupied James Rodriguez’s role. The Colombian is currently still injured. Frank Lampard’s men were rather unlucky as both their two long-range shot only hit the posts while the Toffees were barely making producing decent chances.
Possible tactic
Nuno Santo might be opting for more defensive formation as his current 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 does not seem to work well. They have gained negative results, two losses respectively since Raul Jimenez’s absence. Wolves’ best formation at the moment is 5-4-1 by leaving Daniel Podence as the targetman upfront while Adama Traore could be operating as wing back. In the midfield, Pedro Neto will the anchoring their attack covering the suspended Joao Moutinho and accompanied by Adama Traore, Romain Saiss and Lenandre Dedoncker..
Frank Lampard is still likely to deploy 4-3-3 formation with the transition to 4-2-3-1. Timo Werner and Mason Mount are the best option at the front to accompany Tammy Abraham. Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi are all still ruled out for this fixture.
Players to watch
Without the Mexican sesation Raul Jimenez on the pitch, Nuno Santo has to rely on Pedro Neto as the main forward. The 20-year old Portuguese has netted three goals and made two assists in EPL. Another key man to watch is the former Barcelona man, Nelson Semedo.
In Chesea, their new signing Timo Werner has bagged seven goals and provided four assists in all competitions so far. Another notable name to focus on is the left wing back, Ben Chillwell registering two goals and assists each.
Wolves vs Chelsea Prediction
Both teams might have the same objective, to seal a victory. Nuno Santo’s men will be in jeopardy if their attacking issue remains unchanged as The Blues’ attacking line excel at pace. Olivier Giroud could come off the bench to break the deadlock. A narrow win for Timo Werner and Co seems more likely.
Betting odds
Frank Lampard’s men are certainly the favorite. They are backed to win at 3/4, whereas Rui Patricio and Co’s win market is at 9/2. The odds for a draw result are at 3/1.
