The latest football results have been contrasting for Chelsea and Wolves. While the West Londoners enjoyed back-to-back wins under their new manager Graham Potter, Wolves have decided to relieve Bruno Lage of his duties after a disappointing start to the season.
Chelsea had only one point by their name after their first two matches in the Champions League Group E before they faced their strongest opposition in the group, current Serie A champions AC Milan. But the Premier League side rose to the occasion and condemned Milan to a 3-0 defeat in front of a raucous Stamford Bridge crowd.
The fantastic win against Crystal Palace a few days before the Milan match might have given the Blues belief for the crunch clash. Conor Gallagher, who became a Crystal Palace fan favourite during his loan spell with the Eagles, came off the bench to break the deadlock and Chelsea the win. It was three crucial points for the Blues as they climbed to the fifth position in the table after a difficult start to the season.
Wolves decided to start anew after falling to a 2-0 defeat to West Ham. Bruno Lage left the team in 18th position after 8 games, with only six points under their belt. Julen Lopetegui, who has recently been let off by Sevilla, has emerged as the likeliest replacement. But an agreement might not be reached before the Wolves travel to London on Saturday. So, Steve Davis and James Collins will temporarily take charge of the team.
Wolves have been a tricky side for Chelsea in recent years. Since July 2020, Wolves have been on an unbeaten run against Chelsea.All of their last three games ended in draws. Last time around, the teams played out a two-all stalemate.
N’Golo Kante will not be in the matchday squad as he recovers from a thigh injury. Wesley Fofana will not be involved as well after sustaining an injury in the Milan match. So, Trevoh Chalobah is likely to feature in the Chelsea backline. Jorginho and Marc Cucurella might also make it to the first XI.
Diego Costa will return to Chelsea for the first time since leaving the club in 2017. The Wolves medical team will assess Hwang Hee-chan before the game to decide whether or not he should be involved.
Wolves are not the most confident team in the division right now, but a change of management could ignite a spark in them. They have the squad quality to test Chelsea’s mettle. Chelsea are still adopting to life under Graham Potter, but the big win against Milan will keep their spirits up ahead of the game. So, we say 2-1 for the hosts.
