Chelsea vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Prediction: The Blues Uncertain Up Front

Noni Madueke, Chelsea's mainstay in front lines (photo: x @NoniMadueke_)

JAKARTA Enzo Maresca's Chelsea will host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening January 20] or Tuesday morning WIB, in a match that has the potential to determine ticket hunting for the Champions League and the struggle to stay in the Premier League.

Chelsea are currently in sixth place in the standings with 37 points, only one point adrift of Newcastle United in fifth place. Meanwhile, Wolves are in 17th place with 16 points, the same as Ipswich Town who are in the relegation zone.

Chelsea entered this match after a disappointing 2-2 draw against Bournemouth who was hit by an injury crisis last Tuesday. Reece James' 95th-minute equalizer saved them from defeat.

Even though Chelsea had been predicted to be a title competitor, they are now 13 points behind leaders Liverpool. In the last five matches in the league, Chelsea have yet to record a win, with three draws and two defeats.

One of Chelsea's main problems is the lack of sharpness in front of goal, scoring only four goals in the last five games. However, their total 41 goals this season are still the fourth best in the league.

On the defense side, Chelsea are also less solid, recording only four clean sheets in 21 Premier League games this season. They conceded seven goals in the last four league games.

However, Chelsea's home record this season is quite impressive. Of the 15 games at Stamford Bridge, they won 10 wins, four draws, and only one defeat. One of their big wins of the season was a 6-2 win against Wolves at Molineux in August 2024, where Noni Madueke scored a hat-trick.

Meanwhile, Wolves came with a 3-0 loss to Newcastle United on January 15. Despite creating five big chances in the game, they failed to score.

Vitor Pereira's manager, who won his first two games with Wolves, is now facing pressure after picking up just one point from the last three games.

However, Wolves are not without threats on attack. With 31 goals in the Premier League, they became the most prolific team of the nine bottom teams, except for Tottenham Hotspur. However, their biggest weakness was defense, with 48 conceding, making them the team with the worst defense in the league.

Chelsea will lose a number of key players in this match. Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana's centre-backs are ruled out, while Levi Colwill is still in doubt. If Colwill recovers, he is likely to have a duet with Trevor Chalobah, who has just been recalled from a loan spell at Crystal Palace.

Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer are also in doubt of appearing, but both will most likely remain due to their vital roles in the team. Moises Caicedo almost certainly performed in midfield, supporting the attack line filled by Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson.

In Wolves' camp, midfielder Boubacar Traore cannot be played, so Andre and Joao Gomes are expected to be duets in midfield. Mid-back Toti Gomes and Yerson Mosquera are also absent, so Matt Doherty, Santiago Bueno, and Emmanuel Agbadou will be the main options in the back lines.

In attack, Wolves lost winger Enso Gonzalez and striker Sasa Kalajdzic, while Matheus Cunha, who was sick, will most likely lead the front line.

This match will be an important test for both teams, with Chelsea wanting to end their winless trend and Wolves struggling to get out of the threat of relegation.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1):Sandez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-2-1):Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Agbadou; R Gomes, Andre, J Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Hwang, Cunha; Larsen