Premier League GW18 - Wolves vs Chelsea

Wolves vs Chelsea | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Christmas Eve saw Wolves and Chelsea square off in a holiday football spectacular at Molineux that promised drama, excitement, and vital points in the Premier League rankings. The scenario was set for an exciting match as both clubs sought to leave their imprint on the holiday matchup.

Molineux Stadium | Picture Credits: Lime Venue Portfolio

Wolves:

Only once before, on Christmas Eve in 1995, a Premier League match took place; Leeds United defeated Manchester United 3-1. Gary O'Neil's Christmas wish list will be topped with three points as Wolves attempt to recover from their 3-0 loss to West Ham last week. Although the hosts have only triumphed once in their last five Premier League games (three losses, one draw), they have already defeated Tottenham and Manchester City on this field in 2023–2024. If Wolves win, they would go up to level with Chelsea in 10th position in the table, surpassing Brentford, Fulham, and Bournemouth!

Chelsea:

Chelsea, on the other hand, is eager to go on following their thrilling victory over Newcastle United on Tuesday in the EFL Cup quarterfinal. Mykhailo Mudryk's stoppage-time goal tied the game at one, but the Blues advanced on penalties. The last time Mauricio Pochettino's team lost five straight away Premier League games was under Claudio Ranieri in 2000. Despite this, a win here would close the gap to teams like Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Brighton, who have all dropped points recently.

Starting XI:

WOLVES (3-4-3):

Jose Sa; Toti Gomes, Craig Dawson, Maximilian Kilman; Nelson Semedo, Mario Lemina, Joao Gomes, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Hwang Hee-chan, Matheus Cunha, Pablo Sarabia.

WOLVES SUBS: Matt Doherty, Santiago Bueno, Hugo Bueno, Sasa Kalajdzic, Tommy Doyle, Dan Bentley, Ty Barnett, Tawanda Chirewa, Owen Hesketh.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1):

Djordje Petrovic; Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill; Conor Gallagher, Lesley Ugochukwu; Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling; Armando Broja.

CHELSEA SUBS: Benoit Badiashile, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Christopher Nkunku, Ian Maatsen, Romeo Lavia, Lucas Bergstrom, Alex Matos.

First Half Tussle: Chances and Near Misses

Both sides entered the game eager to win three points. Chelsea wanted to make up for their recent troubles away from home after winning their EFL Cup quarterfinal. Conversely, Wolves sought to recover from a disheartening loss to West Ham. Chances came and went in a hotly contested first half, with Sterling and Hwang failing to capitalize on their chances. Both teams were tied at zero points at the end of the first half, which set the stage for a fierce second half.

Second Half: Lemina's Set-Piece Brilliance - Wolves Break the Deadlock

Set-pieces were overrun by Wolves as the second half erupted. Sarabia's well-placed corner reached Lemina's head in the 51st minute, and the striker headed delicately into the bottom-left corner. The moment Wolves took a 1-0 lead, Molineux erupted. The tale developed with Lemina's grace and Sarabia's accuracy, resulting in a moment that the Wolves' devoted will never forget.

Wolves persisted in posing a danger, and substitute Doherty delivered the game-winning punch in the ninetieth minute. Doherty failed in Badiashile's attempt to clear as Hugo Bueno's cross caused havoc in the Chelsea defense. Molineux was ecstatic when Doherty calmly finished with a sidefooted finish. With a 2-0 lead, Wolves were about to celebrate a triumphant victory.

But the drama was far from ended. In the ninety-sixth and last minute, Nkunku headed in a precise cross from Sterling to spark a late comeback by Chelsea. Though there were nervous moments for the Wolves supporters, their club persevered and won 2-1, a crucial victory.

When the final siren went off at Molineux, Wolves defeated Chelsea 2-1 to win the match. Three important points were celebrated for Christmas by manager Gary O'Neil, adding to Wolves' remarkable number of victories this year. The hosts had a spectacular evening thanks to Lemina's set-piece skill, Doherty's key score, and a strong defensive effort.

Table Shuffle: Wolves Level with Chelsea

With the victory, Wolves moved up to 11th position in the Premier League standings, leveling the score with Chelsea. The thrilling second part of the season is set up by Wolves' Christmas present. Chelsea will play Crystal Palace while Wolves are ready for their next matchup against Brentford.

Wolves gave their supporters a festive football treat on Christmas Eve when they defeated Chelsea in a hard-fought match. Molineux will resound with the sounds of Lemina's header and Doherty's cool finish as Wolves enjoy a victorious Christmas extravaganza. This match will go down as an exciting part of the 2023–24 Premier League season as the football community gets into the holiday mood. To all football fans, happy holidays!

Both teams were at 0-0 during the first half | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Lemina's goal broke the deadlock for Wolves and gave them a 1-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Doherty's goal doubled Wolve's lead to 2-0 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Nkunku scored a late goal for Chelsea | Picture Credits: Premier League Website