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Chelsea travel to the Molineux to take on a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers side as midweek Premier League action begins. The Blues will be knowing full well that a blip here could turn the title challenge into a near impossible quest, especially with a game against Pep Guardiola's side on Saturday.
The Blues will now be looking to make it three wins out of three before they host the league leaders over the weekend.
Here's all you need to know ahead of the game.
Kickoff information
Date: 6 December 2018
Kickoff: 19:45 (local time), 01:15 (IST)
Venue: Molineux Stadium
Team news
Wolves
On the back of an accumulation of five yellow cards, Wolves talisman Ruben Neves will miss out on this fixture. A few tactical changes could be expected from Nuno Espirito Santo but otherwise, the hosts have a full squad to play with.
Trending
Chelsea
Maurizio Sarri stated that Mateo Kovacic and Marcos Alonso have minor back issues, but they will be in contention. Rotation can be expected, especially with the home fixture against Manchester City around the corner.
Probable line-ups
Wolves (3-4-3): Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Saiss, Vinagre; Jota, Costa, Jimenez
Chelsea (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Barkley; Willian, Morata, Hazard
Form guide
Last 5 matches (in all competitions)
Wolves: L-L-D-L-L
Chelsea: W-W-L-D-W
Head-to-head
Chelsea wins: 41
Wolves wins: 38
Draws: 26
Key players
Wolves
Joao Moutinho's ability to sit back and play as a watchdog is impressive. He will play as a deep-lying midfielder, block channels and prevent counter attacks. The former AS Monaco man's best attribute is how well he reads the situation and pace of the game.
Also to mention, with scintillating performances against both Manchester teams, the Portuguese has proved that he is a big-match player.
Chelsea
Kepa Arrizabalaga has fit into the system and the city of West London like a duck to water. A lot of talk has been going on about the 'Sarrismo' and Chelsea's activity in front of goal, but the Spanish shot-stopper deserves a mention.
He was excellent against Fulham as he kept his side in the game when they weren't at their fluent best. With Chelsea vulnerable to set-pieces at times, the onus will be on Kepa to ensure another victory for the Blues.
Prediction
It will be a really tough encounter, given the fact that Sarri might tinker his backline due to the home game against Manchester City on Saturday. A new line of defence might struggle as they haven't been exposed to any league action. However, with Wolves' current form and confidence not on their side, we can expect Chelsea to churn a result out.
Predicted score: Wolves 1-3 Chelsea
