Wolves are on the road for the third successive match and are looking to get back on track at Stamford Bridge - here are all the talking points ahead of Monday evening.
1 | Roll Call
Vitor Pereira’s Wolves squad were given a boost ahead of the Newcastle match on Wednesday with the return of Matheus Cunha and Nelson Semedo following injury – however, the pair were not deemed fit enough to start and both had to settle for a place on the bench at St James’ Park. Both players have the chance to start at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening, although Pereira said the Brazilian did not train on Friday morning due to flu-like symptoms, he is hopeful to have Cunha back in time for Monday's trip to west London. The head coach also confirmed Toti will not be available for at least one week following the hamstring injury he sustained at the end of December, but Boubacar Traore is back in full training with the team and Sasa Kalajdzic nears a return to the grass.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will once again have to make do without three members of his first-team squad who have thigh injuries, in Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Omari Kellyman, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is also absent through a long-term injury and Mykhailo Mudryk is still suspended following an adverse finding in a routine urine test. In his pre-match press conference, Maresca confirmed there were doubts around the fitness of Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia who all didn't train on Friday, while Trevoh Chalobah is back in the squad after Chelsea recalled the defender from his loan spell at Crystal Palace.
2 | The Stat Pack
Goals
- Matheus Cunha | 10
- Cole Palmer | 14
Assists
- Rayan Ait-Nouri | 5
- Cole Palmer | 6
Biggest win
- Fulham 1-4 Wolves | November 2024
- Chelsea 8-0 Noah (ECL) | November 2024
Yellow cards
- Nelson Semedo | 6
- Marc Cucurella | 6
Clean sheets
- Josa Sa | 3
- Robert Sanchez | 4
The pitchside view of Rodrigo's second Wolves strike 🎥 pic.twitter.com/K29IFzqmuC
— Wolves (@Wolves) January 12, 2025
3 | Journey to Monday
Vitor Pereira will be conscious that the positive start he made to the Wolves head coach role mustn’t fade away after back-to-back 3-0 defeats in the Premier League. In Newcastle United, there is no team in greater form currently, and Wolves had their chances at St James’ Park on Wednesday, but found the Magpies in a more clinical mood. It was a similar case against Nottingham Forest, but on both occasions the Old Gold were beaten 3-0. Wolves did beat Bristol City in the FA Cup, and claimed a late point at Tottenham Hotspur on their last trip to London in late December, and a positive result will be the target at Stamford Bridge to get back on track.
Chelsea needed a late Reece James free-kick to rescue a point against Bournemouth in the week. That draw meant the Blues are now without a Premier League win in five matches, after hitting great form prior to Christmas. Enzo Maresca’s side drew with Crystal Palace to begin 2025 and lost at Ipswich Town on their final outing of 2024. Fulham took the three points away from Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day and the West Londoners drew at Everton before that. Their last Premier League win came at home to Brentford on 15th December. Chelsea did at least beat Morecambe in the FA Cup last weekend, but will also be keen to get back to winning ways in the league on Monday evening.
4 | The Cunha show last February
Arguably the finest outing of last season came at Stamford Bridge, where Wolves won for the first time since 1979. They had to do it from behind too, after Cole Palmer had slotted Chelsea in front. A couple of deflections from Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri shots – the second being credited as an Axel Disasi own goal – turned things around before the break, however. A barnstorming run by now Blues man Pedro Neto set up Cunha for his second and Wolves’ third, before the Brazilian was fouled by Malo Gusto, allowing him to complete his treble from the spot. Thiago Silva headed in a late consolation, but it was Wolves who claimed the Premier League double over their hosts.
Chelsea | Petrovic, Gusto (Gilchrist 81), Disasi, Silva, Chilwell (Badiashile 81), Caicedo (Jackson 63), Fernandez, Gallagher, Palmer, Sterling (Mudryk 72), Nkunku (Chukwuemeka 72).
Wolves | Sa, Semedo, Kilman, Dawson, Toti, Ait-Nouri (H Bueno 87), Lemina, Gomes (Doherty 90), Sarabia (Doyle 72), Cunha, Neto (Bellegarde 72).
