Chelsea vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers Prediction, 7/26/20
Still fighting for a top-four finish in the Premier League, 4th-placed Chelsea will host 6th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose own top-six status is yet to be guaranteed as well. Kick-off - at 11:00 AM ET on Sunday, July 26.
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Chelsea Lose Thriller Versus Reds
The second defeat in the last three games (W1 L2) was on the cards for Chelsea, who dropped a 5-3 decision against newly-crowned champions Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday. In a thriller of a game, during which both teams exchanged 50% of ball possession and 10 shots each, the Blues were trailing 3-0 before making it a one-goal game (4-3) with 17 minutes remaining, only for the Reds to bury their fifth in the 84th minute. Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham, and Christian Pulisic all scored for Chelsea, who have dropped to the 4th place in the league (W19 D6 L12), but still need just a point from their last outing of the season to qualify for the Champions League next year.
With 15 goals in the Premier League this season, English striker Abraham tops his team’s scoring chart. Goalie Kepa Arrizabalaga, meanwhile, sits 21st in the EPL with 55 saves. He has posted eight clean sheets in 33 outings during the ongoing campaign and concedes a marker every 63 minutes on average. Chelsea has netted the 3rd highest amount of league goals this season (67) while registering the 2nd highest number of shots per game (16.6%). The team is 3rd in ball possession (57.8%) and 2nd in passing accuracy (85.3%).
Wolves Beat Crystal Palace
The ambition to finish in the top-six of the Premier League this season remained firmly on track for Wolverhampton Wanderers, who extended their current unbeaten run to three fixtures (W2 D1) following a 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace at Molineux Stadium on Monday. Daniel Podence headed home the 41st-minute opener before Jonny Otto banked his second snipe of the season midway through the second half. With 59 points in the league, the Wolves have bettered their last season’s return by two points and currently sit 6th in the standings (W15 D14 L8), one point above 7th-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Mexican forward Raul Jimenez leads Wolverhampton with 17 Premier League goals. Portuguese shot-stopper Rui Patricio, meanwhile, occupies the 12th place in the EPL’s goalkeeper chart with 90 saves. He has picked up 13 clean sheets in 37 contests this season and gives up a goal every 88 minutes of play. The Wolves have scored the 8th highest quantity of strikes during the current campaign (51) while delivering the 7th highest amount of shots per game (12.3). The team is 10th in both ball possession (49.0%) and passing accuracy (79.5%).
Prediction
Chelsea are unbeaten in all five of their Premier League home contests against Wolverhampton Wanderers (W4 D1), but will not find it easy this time hosting the Wolves, who are still fighting for a top-six finish in the league, with 7th-placed Tottenham Hotspur trailing them just by a single point and is more than likely to bank all three points against sorry Crystal Palace in a parallel fixture. Having said that, the Blues are fine with a draw here to qualify for the Champions League next season, while Wolverhampton’s desperation to earn a victory will definitely result in an even matchup.
Best bet:
Draw (+265)