Predictions for Chelsea at Wolves: Put on some coffee, you might need it

Chelsea travel to Molineux Stadium for their first Premier League fixture against Wolves since January 2012. We predict you may want to grab an double espresso before tuning in to this one.

The Blues won their last Premer League game at Molineux 2-1 through goals from Ramires and Frank Lampard. Perhaps the real story of that game was how it was the last time Josh McEachran appeared in a Chelsea shirt. He replaced Juan Mata for the final seven minutes, and that was the last time he was seen. Well, except for all those subsequent games for Swansea, Wigan, Vitesse, Watford, Middlesbrough and Brentford.

“Fortunately,” Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ethan Ampadu did not make the trip, so we should not have to worry much about the wolves at Cobham’s door.

Scott Brant: Wolves 0 – 1 Chelsea. Wolves are formidable, but not good enough to get anything from the match. Chelsea will struggle as they have for most of the season to dominate. The match will be downright boring, which NBCSN seems to know since they will not be showing it. The lonely goal will come from a set piece or corner. I go with Antonio Rudiger to be the one who nets it.

Barrett Rouen: 1 – 3. This game will open up because Wolves play the same style – at least try to play the same style – as Chelsea. They’re a good side with excellent talent courtesy of Jorge Mendes, but Chelsea just happen to be better.

Kevin Peacock: 0 – 3. Some good news ahead of the game: Jon Moss referees the match. The Blues have won 80% of the games in which he has officiated, while Wolves have won 18% of games he’s been in charge of.

At the very least, Ruben Loftus-Cheek has to start this game. Chelsea looked much better when he came on against Fulham at the weekend. Despite stuttering through games, Sarri’s men will be too strong for Wolves. Eden Hazard will score two and Alvaro Morata will have one.

Brendan McDonnell: 0 – 1. Ready to be uninspired? This has all the makings of a snooze fest.  Chelsea are on a run of lackluster play, on the road, against a team that has been dreadful over their past six matches, with their biggest match of the season three days later. These will be 90 minutes I’ll meditatively regret I invested. Chelsea get a goal around the 70′ (Pedro? Willian?) and Kepa Arrizabalaga makes one save of note. I’m getting bored just writing this prediction.

Nate Hofmann: 1 – 2. They may be Wolves, but as the saying goes: a leopard can’t change its stripes. The Club That Jorge Mendes Built came up playing attractive football, but if they keep up their current form they’ll go down that way, too. They’re winless in their last six Premier League matches, and have dropped like a stone in the table.

If Chelsea play anywhere near their best they should be out of sight by the time Wolves can bring on the dangerous but wasteful Adama Traore. Goals for Morata and Willian, with Joao Moutinho scoring for the ad hoc Portuguese B-Team.

Rupert Meadows: 1 – 2. Hard fought. Wolves look for the win from the start and press Chelsea hard. The hosts get the first goal but the Blues fight back into the game and get a late winner. Hazard to score.

Abhishek Pancholi: 1 – 1. I don’t predict draws very often, but when I do, it inevitably turns into a goal-fest. Not this time, though. Wolves have been on a bad run, but that’s because someone on their team keeps breaking mirrors, walking under ladders and kicking black cats who cross their path.

This has resulted in one of the unluckiest streaks in recent footballing memory. But that is about to change.

Maurizio Sarri seems to have a different definition of rotation than the rest of us, and that will come back to bite him in the posterior. A listless Chelsea side will dominate possession but miss a host of opportunities. Wolves will grab their only chance of the match, leaving the Blues chasing the game. An equalizer in the dying seconds will avoid defeat, but the damage would have already been done.