Wolves v Chelsea preview: Lampard begins second Blues reign
That fortuitous point lifted them a little clearer of the relegation zone, but a three-match winless streak (D1, L2) is still worrying for the Molineux faithful.
A lack of goals continues to hurt Wolves, particularly as none of their last 12 Premier League (PL) home games were drawn (W5, L7) and on each occasion the side scoring first won, placing added emphasis on finding an opener.
Perhaps taking on a Chelsea side which has just sacked its second manager of the season could be the tonic they need as they’ve only lost one of the last four H2Hs they’ve hosted (W2, D1).
Chelsea began life without Graham Potter by drawing 0-0 against Liverpool on Tuesday, with the fact a point wasn’t even enough to lift them into the top half of the table showing just how far the Blues have fallen.
They’ve scored just 29 goals this PL season, their third-lowest tally after 29 league fixtures in the club’s history, so it’s painfully obvious where the new manager has to focus, with Frank Lampard taking over as interim boss until the end of the season.
Lampard will also have to work on Chelsea’s dismal away form, as their 3-1 win at struggling Leicester in their last PL road trip was their first in nine attempts (D4, L4), four of which saw them fail to score.
Having drawn a blank here last term (D 0-0), the Blues might not relish this trip to the West Midlands even if the return of N’Golo Kanté has added bite to their midfield at just the right time of the season.
Players to watch: Chelsea’s Kai Havertz scored his last four goals between the 40th and 80th minute, and although Daniel Podence scored an 83rd-minute equaliser for Wolves against Forest, four of his six PL goals this term came before half-time.
Hot stat: Wolves have received a league-high six PL red cards this term – four of them at home.
