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Chelsea will entertain Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Stamford Bridge in a mid-table Premier League clash on Sunday.
The hosts saw their winning run in the league come to an end after three games earlier this week as they lost 4-1 to league leaders Liverpool on Wednesday. Christopher Nkunku bagged the consolation goal for them in the 71st minute but Luis Díaz restored the Reds' three-goal lead eight minutes later.
The visitors also suffered a defeat in their midweek clash against Manchester United, ending their four-game unbeaten run. Pablo Sarabia, Max Kilman, and Pedro Neto scored late goals in the second half but Kobbie Mainoo scored his first-ever Premier League goal in the seventh minute of injury time to help United to a 4-3 win.
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The hosts are in 10th place in the league standings with 31 points from 22 games. The visitors have 29 points from 22 games and are in 11th place, so, a win in this match might help them displace the Blues from the 10th place in the table.
Chelsea vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have crossed paths 116 times across all competitions since 1906. They have contested these meetings closely with the hosts having a narrow 44-42 lead in wins and 30 games ending in draws.
- The hosts have just one win in their last seven league meetings against the visitors, with three games ending in draws and three wins for the Wolves.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers registered a 2-1 home win in the reverse fixture in December, which was their second win in as many league meetings against Chelsea.
- After four consecutive losses in their travels between November and December, the visitors are unbeaten in their last two away games.
- The Blues are unbeaten in their last 10 home games across all competitions, recording eight wins.
Chelsea vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Prediction
The Blues suffered their first loss after three games in their midweek clash against Liverpool and will look to return to winning ways in this home game. They are unbeaten in their last five home games in the Premier League, recording four wins on the spin.
They are unbeaten at home against the visitors since 1979. They have kept nine clean sheets in 12 games in that period and are strong favorites. While Mauricio Pochettino continues to have a lengthy absentee list for the reception of the Wolves, Nicolas Jackson is back from the 2023 AFCON and is an option for the match.
The Wolves saw their seven-game unbeaten run, which began with a 2-1 home win over Chelsea in December, end last week in their midweek clash, though there was little to complain about in their narrow 4-3 loss.
Fortunately, there are no fresh injury concerns for head coach Gary O'Neil for the trip to London as Hwang Hee-Chan and Boubacar Traore are the only two absentees due to their international commitments.
Considering the Blues' current home form and their impressive home record in this fixture recently, they are expected to eke out a narrow win in what should be a closely contested match.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Chelsea vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Chelsea to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Pedro Neto to score or assist any time - Yes
