A spot in the EFL Cup quarter-finals will be on the line when Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea face off in the fourth-round clash at Molineux on Wednesday.
The curtains will fall on the fourth round of the 2025/26 EFL Cup on Wednesday, with the day featuring five matches. The action on the day will start with four simultaneous games, including Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Chelsea at Molineux.
The EFL Cup has provided some semblance of positivity in what has been a horrendous 2025/26 season thus far for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Interestingly, Vitor Pereira’s men have beaten Premier League clubs in the previous rounds, clinching a narrow 3-2 win over West Ham United before securing a 2-0 victory over Everton in the third round.
However, Wolves have endured a dreadful Premier League campaign thus far, as they are yet to clinch a single victory after nine outings. The latest setback was a 3-2 defeat to Burnley, with Lyle Foster scoring a late match-winning goal that left the Black Country outfit rooted to the bottom of the Premier League standings.
Like the home side, Chelsea’s 2025/26 campaign has been unsatisfactory thus far. While the Blues were impressive in the first few outings of the ongoing season, they have endured a topsy-turvy ride since the September international break ended.
The latest setback was the 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, as the West London outfit squandered a narrow lead by producing a bizarre, error-strewn defensive display to lose another game. However, like Wolverhampton Wanderers, Enzo Maresca’s men have made their mark in the EFL Cup, although they came from a goal down to beat Lincoln City in the third round.
Chelsea cruised to a 6-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers when the two sides faced off at the Molineux last season, with Noni Madueke scoring a match-winning hat-trick. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Vitor Pereira has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Wolverhampton Wanderers manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player in the EFL Cup match vs Chelsea.
Leon Chiwome is the only absentee for the home side, with the 19-year-old English attacking prospect recovering from a long-term knee injury. Otherwise, Pereira has a full-strength squad to take on Chelsea.
Sam Johnstone will likely take his spot between the sticks, with Wolverhampton Wanderers lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Wednesday. The backline will feature Ki-Jana Hoever, Santiago Bueno, Ladislav Krejci, and Hugo Buena.
As for the midfield unit, Marshall Munetsi will likely line up alongside Joao Gomes and Andre Trindade in the middle of the park. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will lead the line for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Chelsea, with Hwang Hee-chan and Jhon Arias completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Johnstone; Hoever, Santiago Bueno, Krejci, Hugo Bueno; Munetsi, Gomes, Andre; Arias, Larsen, Hwang
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Wolverhampton Wanderers dugout, Enzo Maresca has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Molineux. The Chelsea manager will be without five first-team players on Wednesday.
Malo Gusto (suspension) and Liam Delap (hamstring) are available, and the duo will travel to Wolverhampton for the EFL Cup tie. However, Levi Colwill (knee), Benoit Badiashile (muscular), Dario Essugo (thigh), and Cole Palmer (groin) remain in the treatment room. Additionally, Mykhailo Mudryk’s suspension is no closer to ending after he failed a doping test several months ago.
Filip Jorgensen will replace Robert Sanchez between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday. The backline will feature Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, and Jorrel Hato.
As for the midfield unit, Romeo Lavia and Andrey Santos should pair up in the double pivot, with Estevao Willian reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Tyrique George will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Hato; Lavia, Santos; Gittens, Estevao, Garnacho; George
Key Stats
Chelsea clinched victories in both Premier League games vs Wolverhampton Wanderers last season, winning 6-2 away before a 3-1 triumph at Stamford Bridge in January. Before that, the Black Country outfit had won three successive meetings, while Chelsea also hit six in the most recent EFL Cup clash with Wolves in 2012.
There have been over 2.5 goals in nine of Chelsea’s last ten games.
Both teams have scored in eight of Chelsea’s last ten games in all competitions.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have lost seven of their 11 matches this season. Their only victories have come in the EFL Cup.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have been losing at half-time in six of their seven losses this season.
Player to Watch
Estevao Willian
Embed from Getty Images
While Hwang Hee-chan, Jorgen Strand Larsen, and Alejandro Garnacho were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Estevao Willian as the Player to Watch for Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at the Molineux.
The Brazilian wonderkid has been a rare bright spot for Chelsea during the recent inconsistent run of form that has plagued Enzo Maresca’s team. Estevao has made his mark whenever he has taken the pitch, and he recently scored the match-winning goal when the Blues beat Liverpool. A game-changing performance on Wednesday will help his cause, helping him become a first-choice starter for Chelsea.
Prediction
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Chelsea
Wolverhampton Wanderers have saved their best for the EFL Cup, and Wednesday’s performance will be no different. The hosts will take the game to Chelsea, and a closely-contested affair is on the cards. With the away side likely to start with a largely second-string team, they will be there for the taking.
However, the visitors will have several game-changers as backup options on the bench, and the fit-again Liam Delap may make the difference. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Enzo Maresca and his charges.