Mauricio Pochettino: Chelsea need to improve in next transfer window
Wolves face Chelsea in a Christmas Eve clash this afternoon in the Premier League.
Gary O’Neil’s side aim to bounce back after a heavy loss to West Ham, while the Blues look to build momentum after edging past Newcastle on penalties midweek to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Chelsea hope to close the gap on Brighton in ninth, while a home win could bring Wolves, who won this fixture last season thanks to a Matheus Nunes stunner, level with the Blues and ensure they move away from the relegation zone.
“It is going to be tough, it is going to be difficult,” Pochettino conceded. “We have seen from many games that for the opponent it is very tough to play there at Molineux. It will be massive for us if we are able to win the three games [against Wolves, Crystal Palace and Luton].”
Follow the live action in the blog below and get all the latest match odds and tips here:
Chelsea joy comes from unlikely source in Carabao Cup drama
A moment to savour and delight, finally, for Mauricio Pochettino, who will dance long into the southwest London night. His Chelsea into the Carabao Cup semi-finals and a cruel exit on penalties for a brave Newcastle United. It was so nearly more of the same for the Blues: plenty of promise but ultimately heading for a miserable conclusion to another 90 minutes in this lavish project.
Desperately searching for inspiration, it arrived in unlikely circumstances, with not only another calamitous error from Kieran Trippier, but their much-maligned £88.5m man Mykhailo Mudryk doing the damage. He prodded into the corner in stoppage time and followed it with a calmly-converted penalty in the shootout. Chelsea may just have lift-off under Pochettino on this most thrilling of nights in the Carabao Cup.
The tempo of this firecracker of a tie was set within a minute when Moises Caicedo scraped his studs down Anthony Gordon’s calf – a nasty challenge that may have seen him sent off had VAR been available.
Jack Rathborn24 December 2023 11:15
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino responds to Conor Gallagher transfer speculation
Gallagher, whose contract expires in 2025, has played in all but one of the Blues’ matches this season, thriving in midfield under the Argentine and taking the captain’s armband after injuries to Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
Jack Rathborn24 December 2023 11:00
Wolves vs Chelsea tips, betting preview and predictions
Wolves and Chelsea will contest the first Premier League Christmas Eve fixture since 1995 on Sunday (1pm, Sky Sports).
The Blues will be looking to boost their European hopes by triumphing at Molineux Stadium.
Gary O’Neil’s side have a good record at home, however, so this match is not easy to call.
Chelsea are the favourites with the best betting sites, but do not count Wolves out of this one.
Jack Rathborn23 December 2023 16:53
