Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
Few people would have expected that both Wolves and Chelsea would be in the bottom half of the Premier League four games in. But both of these teams have struggled with form in the 2019/20 season, and Saturday’s match will give them a chance to address the problem.
Chelsea welcomed Frank Lampard to the head coach role with plenty of fanfare. While the team have shown plenty of spark, they have struggled to maintain their firepower throughout a full 90 minutes. Their recent 2-2 home draw with Sheffield United revealed Chelsea’s struggles with consistency, and they will find an away match at Wolves even trickier.
Wolves should really be troubling the top six, but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have only picked up four points from four games. Only bottom-placed Watford are also without a win in this season’s Premier League. All of which means that Wolves will have everything to prove at Molineux on Saturday.
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Chelsea Prediction: Wolves 1-1 Chelsea
We can expect Chelsea to once again start the match firing on all cylinders. Frank Lampard’s team always look exceptional in the first 20 minutes, but they often seem to lack the ability to get a winning result.
Wolves always present a tough challenge at Molineux, but Chelsea have enough talent to get at least one goal. Tammy Abraham is now looking like a pretty good striker, plus Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic are starting to fit in the new-look Chelsea team. However, Chelsea’s defensive frailties might mean Raul Jimenez could pick up a goal on Saturday.
Our recommended tip: 1-1 Correct Score
Both of these teams have quality players and they were only four places apart at the end of last season. On paper, Chelsea should have the upper hand, but home advantage means that Wolves present a formidable challenge.
Wolves held Manchester United to a tough 1-1 draw in August, and it’s easy to see a similar result happening on Saturday. Chelsea have only won against Premier League newcomers Norwich so far this season, and they could lack the fluency to dominate a tricky Wolves team. As a result, this match looks equally weighted and we can see it heading to a tight 1-1 draw.
Previous matches
The last time that these two teams met ended up as a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. Wolves were leading thanks to a Raul Jimenez goal, but Chelsea’s Eden Hazard scored the equaliser in injury time.
But the prior game at Molineux saw Wolves walking away 2-1 winners. This match saw Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota getting their names on the scoresheet, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored for Chelsea. Despite this, Chelsea have a narrow advantage in these head-to-head battles with 41 wins compared to 39 victories for Wolves. There have been 27 draws between these two sides.
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Players to watch: Raul Jimenez & Mason Mount
Raul Jimenez was tipped by Wolves’ legend Steve Bull to become the club’s Premier League top goalscorer by Christmas. The Mexican striker has picked up two goals from four Premier League games this season, and Jimenez is looking confident after signing a £32 million permanent deal with Wolves. The 28-year old has a pretty good scoring record against Chelsea, and he will be looking to add more to his tally on Saturday.
Although Chelsea will be feeling the loss of Eden Hazard, they can take some comfort in the fact that Mason Mount is shaping up to be a great player. The 20-year old looked good in England’s win over Bulgaria, and he’s already struck the net twice for Chelsea this season. It looks like Lampard is playing Mount as a second striker behind Abraham, and the youngster should be capable of helping Chelsea pick up some important points this weekend.
