Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s EFL Cup clash between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
One of four all-Premier League ties in the fourth round of the EFL Cup will take place at Molineux on Wednesday evening, with Wolverhampton Wanderers welcoming Chelsea.
Wolves have won the League Cup on two previous occasions, with their last success coming in 1980, while the Blues have lifted the trophy five times, last triumphing in the tournament in 2015.
Match preview
Wolves have struggled in England’s top flight this season, only picking up two points from their first nine matches of the 2025-26 campaign, which has left them bottom of the Premier League table.
Vitor Pereira‘s side are yet to win in the league this term, and they will enter this match off the back of a 3-2 reverse to Burnley, but the strugglers have been victorious twice in the EFL Cup to reach this round, overcoming West Ham United and Everton.
Wolves have previous when it comes to success in the League Cup, winning the competition on two previous occasions, triumphing in 1974 and 1980.
The EFL Cup has proven to be a welcome respite for Wolves this term, and they have actually managed to win three of their last five matches against Chelsea in all competitions.
That said, the last two meetings between the two sides have brought wins for the capital outfit, including a 6-2 scoreline in their last clash at Molineux in the Premier League in August 2024.
Chelsea also won 3-1 when the pair last met at Stamford Bridge in January 2025, while the Blues recorded a 6-0 victory in their last meeting in the League Cup back in September 2012.
Enzo Maresca‘s side will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing result on Wednesday, with Chelsea suffering a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues are currently ninth in the Premier League table, boasting 14 points from their opening nine matches of the season, and they had been on a four-game winning run in all competitions before the reverse to Sunderland.
Chelsea have only played once in this season’s EFL Cup, beating Lincoln City 2-1 in the third round of the competition, and this game will come ahead of a huge clash away to Tottenham Hotspur in the league on Saturday.
The capital outfit have won the League Cup on five previous occasions, with their last success coming in 2014-15, when they recorded a 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the final of the competition.
Wolverhampton Wanderers EFL Cup form:
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Wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions):
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Chelsea EFL Cup form:
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Chelsea form (all competitions):
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Team News
Wolves will again be missing Leon Chiwome due to a knee injury, but the home side are otherwise in strong shape for the visit of Chelsea in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.
Head coach Pereira is set to name a strong side, as a win would do a lot for their confidence, but there could be a couple of changes from the weekend, with Hwang Hee-chan and Joao Gomes potential starters.
Jorgen Strand Larsen is comfortably the team’s biggest threat in the final third of the field, and having overcome his recent fitness problems, there should be another start for the 25-year-old.
As for Chelsea, Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Levi Colwill (knee), Dario Essugo (thigh), Liam Delap (thigh), Cole Palmer (groin) and Benoit Badiashile (muscle) remain unavailable for selection.
Head coach Maresca will make changes from the clash with Sunderland; Malo Gusto is back from suspension and should start, while Wesley Fofana, Andrey Santos, Romeo Lavia, Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens and Tyrique George should also all come into the starting side.
Alejandro Garnacho scored his first Chelsea goal against Sunderland, and there could be another spot in the final third of the field for the former Manchester United attacker.
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Hoever, S Bueno, Krejci, H Bueno; Munetsi, Gomes, Andre; Arias, Larsen, Hwang
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Hato; Lavia, Santos; Gittens, Estevao, Garnacho; George
We say: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Chelsea
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Wolves are certainly capable of upsetting Chelsea on Wednesday night, and we are expecting it to be a close match in terms of the scoreline. However, the Blues should be able to navigate their way into the quarter-finals of the competition.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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