As Chelsea seek their third consecutive victory in all competitions, they will have a unique challenge facing Wolves under caretaker manager Steve Davis. Wolves are 18th in the league and have scored the fewest goals so far this season with three in eight matches. This should boost Chelsea’s confidence to see off their opposition, but with managerial shifts anything can happen, especially when the match will see a former Chelsea player return to Stamford Bridge.
Diego Costa made 120 appearances for the Blues scoring 59 goals and assisting 23 more but over his time with the club, they won the Premier League twice along with the league cup. The 2017 Premier League triumph with Costa is the last domestic title that the blues have won. The Blues are arguably still trying to replace Costa’s presence leading the line, but Graham Potter will hope that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goals in back to back matches will show that Chelsea’s January signing can help carry the team.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 8 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
- Location: Stamford Bridge — London
- TV: None | Live stream: Peacock
- Odds: Chelsea -255; Draw +360; Wolves +750 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton
Storylines
Chelsea: The Blues can breathe a little easier now that news has emerged that Wesley Fofana’s injury isn’t as bad as first feared. The young center back has a knee strain so he could feature before the World Cup but Potter won’t push things considering his injury history. N’Golo Kante has returned to training but isn’t ready to feature yet while Carney Chukwuemeka could be fit for selection after an illness kept him out of the last few matches. With Chelsea playing so many matches, it will also be important to see if Christian Pulisic can earn more playing time because if he doesn’t play versus Wolves, it’s hard to see when Potter will start the American.
Wolves: Injury blows keep coming for Wolves as Pedro Neto will likely be out through the World Cup due to undergoing ankle surgery. He’ll join Sasa Kaljdzic and Chiquinho as the long term injuries but there are also suspension issues to deal with. Ruben Neves filled in at center back last time out due to Nathan Collins already missing after a straight red card, but Neves picked up his fifth yellow card of the season and will also be suspended against Chelsea. Hwang Hee-Chan will be fit for selection but Raul Jimenez won’t be which could pave the way for a Costa start atop the line.
Prediction
With Wolves struggling this season, things won’t get any easier with a trip to Stamford Bridge. The Blues will hang quite a crooked number in the match. Pick: Chelsea 3, Wolves 0
KVSP