Chelsea vs Wolves: Match Preview, Predictions, and Lineups

Chelsea Aim to Break Winless Streak Against Wolves
Chelsea will host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening, seeking to end a dismal run of five Premier League games without a win. The Blues, once in contention for the league title, now face the challenge of securing their spot in the Champions League qualification places after recent disappointing results against Everton, Fulham, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth.

Wolves, meanwhile, enter the clash desperate for points as they battle to escape relegation. Under new manager Vitor Pereira, the Midlands side has shown glimpses of improvement despite suffering consecutive league defeats.

The reverse fixture in August saw Chelsea dominate Wolves 6-2 at Molineux, thanks to a hat-trick from Noni Madueke. Pereira’s men will be eager to avenge that loss and deliver a stronger performance.

Match Details

• Location: Stamford Bridge, London, England
• Date: Monday, 20 January 2025
• Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
• Referee: Simon Hooper
• VAR: Matt Donohue

Recent Form (All Competitions)

• Chelsea
  • Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth (14 Jan)
  • Chelsea 5-0 Morecambe (11 Jan)
  • Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea (4 Jan)
  • Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea (30 Dec)
  • Chelsea 1-2 Fulham (26 Dec)
• Wolves
  • Newcastle 3-0 Wolves (15 Jan)
  • Bristol City 1-2 Wolves (11 Jan)
  • Wolves 0-3 Nottingham Forest (6 Jan)
  • Tottenham 2-2 Wolves (29 Dec)
  • Wolves 2-0 Man Utd (26 Dec)

Chelsea Team News

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has several injury concerns ahead of the game. Key players Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, and Enzo Fernandez remain doubts and will undergo late fitness tests. Long-term absentees Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are unavailable, with Fofana likely out for the season.

In midfield, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is sidelined, while Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended following a failed drugs test.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

Wolves Team News

Vitor Pereira will be encouraged by Matheus Cunha’s return from suspension, though the forward was unable to impact Wolves’ 3-0 defeat to Newcastle. Defenders Toti Gomes and Yerson Mosquera remain unavailable, with Mosquera ruled out for the rest of the season.

Boubacar Traore is nearing a return but remains unfit for Monday’s match, while Enzo Gonzalez and Sasa Kalajdzic are long-term absentees.

Predicted Wolves Lineup (3-4-3)
Sa; Doherty, S. Bueno, Agbadou; Semedo, Andre, J. Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Guedes, Cunha, Strand Larsen

Chelsea vs Wolves Prediction
Chelsea’s unpredictability in recent weeks has made them a challenging team to back with confidence. However, Wolves’ defensive struggles and Chelsea’s desire to end their winless run could give the home side the edge. Expect a high-scoring encounter with Chelsea narrowly claiming victory.

Prediction: Chelsea 3-2 Wolves