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Thank you and goodbye
CHE 0-0 WOL FULL TIME THOUGHTS
Wolves will be relieved to have kept a clean sheet against such a strong attacking side, and this evening may serve as something of a turning point. Willian Jose has got his first minutes in gold under his belt, and Wolves' movements looked far more natural with him up front - the shape looked a lot more settled. Attacking options were minimal for the three forwards as the wingbacks were usually pinned deep and the service from midfield was frequently cut off; this will be something for Nuno to work on in training, but it is not the most important takeaway from tonight. Wolves have earned themselves a point, and kept a first clean sheet in the league since hosting Crystal Palace in October. A trip to Selhurst Park on Saturday will give them the opportunity to build upon the confidence of tonight by scoring some goals against a less dominant side, before home fixtures against Arsenal and Leicester.
Tonight feels like a turning point in the seasons of both Chelsea and Wolves - Tuchel and Nuno both know what they now need to work on, and both can go into the coming fixtures with a degree of optimism about them. Wolves' spirits will be further boosted over the next few weeks, with returns from injury for Fernando Marcal and Jonny Castro Otto fast approaching.
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Mount and Pulisic combine on the right. Corner after a deflected cross. Havertz's header is crucially blocked behind by the debutant Jose to save the point for Wolves.
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Chelsea attack down the left again, slowly working the ball central then right. They can't find a way through.
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Very sloppy defending on the next attack but it gets the job done. Wolves attack out of nowhere with Adama and Neto on the left. Neto floats a ball to Dendoncker who is covered by Hudson-Odoi.
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Great save from Patricio to deny Hudson-Odoi whose deflected shot was curling towards the far post.
Mount's corner is dealt with. Pulisic fouls Neto on the flank for a Patricio free kick.
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Ziyech's powerful shot knocks Coady over and wins Chelsea a corner.
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Silva is knocked over theatrically by Jose, no foul.
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Pulisic on for Chilwell, who can't believe he's coming off. Abraham on for Giroud.
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Neto has just earned himself a yellow for decking Jorginho after getting fouled by the Italian for a free kick.
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Tuchel won't have much to say to his players at half time other than 'keep doing what you're doing' - they're getting it into the wide regions to isolate the wingbacks, which seems to be the right strategy. Semedo and Ait Nouri have performed very well so far, and Chelsea will likely look to keep putting them under pressure until they slip up.
Meanwhile, Wolves need a focal point to the attack. Willian Jose should make an appearance at some point in the second half, but the big dilemma for Nuno will be who he replaces. The midfield battle will be key to ensure that service reaches the wide men, so the logical choice seems to be taking a defender off with 15 or 20 minutes to go, to allow Podence to drop deep to help out the central midfielders if needed.
Standout performers in this half have been Chilwell and Hudson-Odoi, by some distance. As the BT Sport commentators have mentioned repeatedly, the main thing to improve is off-the-ball movement from the midfielders - the Wolves midfielders need to go forwards to support the attackers, and the Chelsea attacking midfielders need to direct their runs to stretch the Wolves defence and create the gaps to work in.
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Chelsea attacking in numbers again. Wolves are parking the bus. Big diagonal from Ziyech to Chilwell; Semedo sends it out for a throw, taking no chances.
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Neves plays it to Neto wide on the right who holds it under pressure from three men and tries an ambitious cross towards Traore in the box. First meaningful attack from Wolves, with almost 20 minutes gone.
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Taking the knee
Minute of silence for Holocaust remembrance
1 minute to go
Serious attacking options on both benches
Meanwhile, the Wolves starting XI and bench reveal a different strategy. Starting Adama Traore, Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto - the club's three fastest players - will allow Wolves to sit back and absorb the pressure of Chelsea's attack before launching rapid counterattacks into space. With Vitinha on the bench as well as Willian Jose, Patrick Cutrone and Fabio Silva, Wolves will likely switch to a strike duo with central attacking midfielder as the the game reaches its final stages.
Wolves: Confirmed lineup
Here's how Wolves line-up for tonight's @premierleague fixture against @ChelseaFC. #CHEWOL
— Wolves (@Wolves) January 27, 2021
🐺📋 pic.twitter.com/irCAQnf5Sf
Chelsea: Confirmed lineup
Here is the first Chelsea team of the Thomas Tuchel era! 📝🔵#CHEWOL pic.twitter.com/cqHQXUUmyK
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 27, 2021
Chelsea formation change
Will be confirmed in an hour but hearing some interesting #CFC team news for Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge: back three, all three Germans involved and expect Callum Hudson-Odoi to play as a right wing back. Mason Mount has been left out of the XI. https://t.co/3w527sKpF2
— Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) January 27, 2021
Willian Jose on the bench, Daniel Podence starts
New striker Willian Jose is on the bench for Wolves tonight. Received his work permit yesterday and arrived in England last night.
— Tim Spiers (@TimSpiers) January 27, 2021
Daniel Podence fit again and starts #WWFC
That's all for now!
Nuno sheds light on Willian Jose situation
The Brazilian is not expected to be available for selection tonight due to the work permit delay. If he becomes available, he is expected to take no time settling in and join up with the first team immediately.
Klopp sees nothing to worry about for Lampard
"At Chelsea, you are successful or you are out, that is obviously the mantra. I said plenty of times, I was lucky with the clubs I had.
“For Frank everything will be fine. The football people, if they saw some of the stuff Chelsea played last year, they saw there is a clear plan. He is a young manager and did a lot of really good stuff. He will be back soon if he wants that” (quoted by BT Sport).
How to watch Chelsea vs Wolves Live TV and Stream
If you want to directly stream it, your options are the BT Sport website or a NOW TV pass.
If you want to watch it on the internet, VAVEL UK is your best option!
Wolves: Predicted Lineup
Chelsea: Predicted Lineup
Wolves: Team News
After a minor surgery to repair the damage to his groin, Marcal should be available within the next couple of weeks. Jonny is looking at the same time scale - his recovery is sooner than expected, and it is a huge relief for a team that has often struggled out wide this season. Having two more senior wing-backs available will be a major boost to the defensive solidity of this Wolves squad.
Equally welcome is news of star striker Raul Jimenez's impressive recovery from his skull fracture - the Mexican has defied all expectations and is expected to be able to play before the end of this season.
Chelsea: Team News
Pulisic reunited with former mentor
Speaking when Tuchel left the Westfalenstadion in 2017, Pulisic said: "I'm just very thankful for everything he did for me. Tuchel always trusted me and gave me a chance." (quoted by ESPN FC).
Choices to make for Nuno
Nuno will have to decide whether to go defensive or to bolster the attack - Chelsea are far more likely to score than Chorley, so the service to the forwards will have to be improved if Wolves are to get a result from this match.
First test for Tuchel
Kick-off time
Welcome

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