Wolves v Chelsea is the last Premier League game before Christmas, and a bit of history in the making, as it's only the second time ever that a Premier League game has been scheduled for Christmas Eve.
Wolves have impressed me this season under Garry O'Neill and but for some controversial VAR decisions, they could be higher up the table.
Their success this season has been built on solid form at home, losing just two of their eight league games at home, and after defeats to Liverpool and Brighton, they are unbeaten in their last six games.
I attribute their success to the way Wolves are organized. Unlike most teams in the Premier League, they play a 3-4-3 formation tailor-made for defensive soccer, which is why we've seen them shine against possession-based teams like Tottenham, Manchester City, Ashton Villa and Newcastle, and bite the bullet against Arsenal, as well as playing Liverpool for most of the game.
While defensive soccer feels easy to deal with, you have to be able to capitalize on chances when they come your way, and Hwang Hee-Chan and Mathias Guernsey's performances in the league this season have been priceless for Wolves, with the duo combining for 13 goals. They have been able to score when it counts, and the Wolves have been struggling to solve their attacking duds since losing frontline players such as Diego Zuda and Raul Jimenez in the last two seasons. In addition, Berto Nieto topped the assist charts with 7 assists. With so many assists in just 887 minutes of game time, Wolves definitely hope that he can come back from injury as soon as possible to keep the team in good shape.
On the other side, Chelsea is looking to end the week with a 3-win streak, even though it's a minor accomplishment compared to the team's recent history.
Medilli scored a goal in the last 8 of the EFL Cup in midweek, while the long-awaited Nicholas Nicholson finally made his debut in an official match, and he will probably be a regular in the weekend's matches, which will help boost the morale and confidence of the club.
The only frustration is the departure of Ansel Fernandes due to injury, and Chelsea's accumulated list of injuries this season may be longer than their recent transfer list! I'm sure leader Pucettenu will be hoping that 2024 will be better for him, with fewer injuries in order to allow him to make as many transfers as possible.
Although Chelsea haven't had many positives this year, two of the players they bought from Manchester City have been in top form this season. Galpenma has been their best player in recent times, he has contributed 9 Premier League goals (6 goals and 3 assists) for Chelsea as an under 21 player, while only 4 Chelsea players under 21 have ever contributed double figures in a single season - Lobin, Chasseur, Gustav Plessis and Mason Monte. Only four Chelsea players under the age of 21 have ever contributed double-digit goals in a single season - Lobin, Chassat, Gustavo Pleszcz, Gustavo Pleszcz, and Mason Monte.
Stanley Staines has also been impressive and consistent this season, and I thought he was excellent against Newcastle in midweek. In his last 6 Premier League games against Wolves, he's been involved in 6 goals, scoring 4 and assisting 2, with 5 of those goals coming at home to Wolves.
