By Ivybridge Wolf
August 25 2024

Football is back at Molineux! Wolves play Chelsea this afternoon on the hallowed turf to kick off our 2024/25 home fixtures. Last weekend, both teams suffered 2-0 defeats against title hopefuls, us v Arsenal, the Blues at home to Manchester City. Can either side create the opportunities to take all three points today?

Wolves will hope that their excellent recent form against Chelsea can continue, we have won the last three games on the trot with the statistics showing that since were promoted the overall sequence is W5 D4 L3. Indeed our last game at Stamford Bridge in January, was a strong contender for performance of the season, Neto featuring with a terrific Cunha hattrick being the icing and cherry on top of the cake. As for today, it’s worth remembering Chelsea struggle to keep the door closed – they’re on a run of 18 away league matches without a clean sheet.

Time and things change rapidly in football …… Neto returns, this time in a Blue shirt and looking to exert damage to our defensive line up. I wish him all the very best in his career, but I hope he has a stinker at Molineux today, that would help our cause! As for Chelsea, it seems they are taking up more column inches of journalistic content (not for the first time) about what appears to be a total mess with the size of their squad, transfers, the money spent and squad disgruntlement. It’s all out there to be read, so no more here but as a footnote, beware, any angst on their part will all be forgotten at kick off.

Wolves were outplayed for long periods last week at Arsenal and particularly in the first half, however there are positives to take. A fine Raya save kept a great Larsen header out and some decent periods of play and pressure (but no goal) in the second half gave reasons to be cheerful, if that can ever happen in defeat! It is getting that goal though, superbly demonstrated by Saka who killed the fixture. Once again, the side selection from GON this afternoon will be of interest, will he stick or twist from last weeks starting eleven? Will Cunha play from the off? I hope so, Chelsea will remember him. Ait-Nouri is set to make his 100^th premier league appearance today whilst Semedo remains suspended but lots of questions on the line up, and some more issues on transfers in and out. Amongst others, will Podence leave, are the rumours correct about Ramsdale, will Dara O’Shea and Luca Koleosho come in from Burnley?

A few pre match facts and figures. We’ve now lost four successive Premier League games, not great! In fact we’ve still only won one of our last 12 (all competitions). If Chelsea lose their first two opening matches, it’ll be the first time they’ve done that since 1973/74. I was 5 and living in Wombourn! Finally if Neto scores, he’ll be the 4th player to score for and against Wolves. Of course, that won’t happen! Who are the other three? Answer: Stephen Hunt, Jota and MGW.

What do you reckon about today? I’ll do my best with updates on the match, please leave your comments about the game in thread below

All the best and UTW!

Match Thread: Wolves v Chelsea 25.08.24 KO 2pm

Discussion started by Wolves , 25/08/2024 10:53

Wolves
25/08/2024 10:53

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:09:13:18:53:27 by Ivybridge Wolf.

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Lupy
25/08/2024 11:32

Should be an entertaining match, plenty of flair on show. The size of the Chelsea squad has complicated things for their manager and they are far from a settled unit, something we can hopefully exploit. A fully fit squad allows GON various selection options and if he gets it right then we are more than able to put our first points on the table.
Cmon lads.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 13:27

Subs: Bentley, Bueno, Traore, Podence, Dawson, Gomes, Doyle, Sarabia, Guedes

Cuhna in for Rodrigo Gomes. Fro the second week, no english player in the starting line up.



Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Neto, Felix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Guiu, Veiga

Neto on the bench!

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:01

We’re kicking towards the North Bank and we’re off

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:04

Madueka shoots and saved. A reprieve for 20 seconds. Corner and JAckson scores a header

69 seconds and 0-1

Good grief

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:05

totally unmarked on the far post, the Doc caught napping

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:11

Superb Cunha corner, Mosquera misses a sitter with a header narrowly wide. Should be 1-1

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:16

Spirited effort from Wolves since the goal. Playing well up front, causing problems. So utterly frustrating we are 1 down

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:18

Jackson through on goal, thwarted by Mosquera then a great move ends in a lovely Cunha finish BUT Larsen offside in the build up.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:20

Palmer misses from close range after intense pressure from Chelsea, immediately up the other end, great counter accounting but the cross from Larson just too long for Cunha.

End to end stuff. Great for the neutral so far!

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:31

What a brilliant goal and really deserved. Magical, maizy RAN run,, great through ball to Cuhna who smashes it in, great style.

1-1, game on.

Jackson and Cunha in afters after the goal. Terrific first half so far.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:37

RAN gets the first yellow on Madueke, the villain of the day for his stupid comments. Free kick comes to nothing

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:42

Yellow for Gusto on Cunha a Wolves were advancing. Cuhna direct free kick easy for the keeper

5 minutes to go

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:44

Cunha hits the bar ….. it was deflected by Colwell. How did that not go in.

Keep going lads!!

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:48

1-2 Cole Palmer.

Terrific finish from the England man. Lobs Sa 26 yards as Chelsea broke at speed and Wolves all at sea in defence.

Topsy turvey match full of action and excitement and we’re on the rough end of it.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 14:56

Free kick to Wolves, RAn chips it in the box, Toti redirects and LArsen hit the ball into the back of the net.This was in the 50th minutes of the first half, 6 were added

What a first half!! Excellent match

Late collision between Jao Gomes and Caicedo. They finally get up and it’s HT.

Breathless half

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Lupy
25/08/2024 15:00

Listening to the commentary, sounds like a frenetic match with neither side really gaining the upper hand. Great to see the team coming back from behind on two occasions, team spirit must be high. A good team talk at half time and some sensible substitutions and we may just squeeze something out of this.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:11

Well, Neto is on Mudric

No changes for Wolves.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:15

2-3 Mudueke. Bollox.

RAN doesn’t get close enough and close the goal scorer down, the shot then hits RAN on the leg which bounces over the helpless Sa.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:08:25:15:18:52 by Ivybridge Wolf.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:26

RAN skating in thin ice, a foul but not punished with a card when already on a yellow. We get forward, Lemina volleys over. Decent effort but never going in.

Madueke score again. 2-4. Lovely weighted pass by Cole Palmer and MAdueke drives the ball along the floor with power and it looks like curtains for Wolves, with 30 minutes to go.

Poor defending has been our undoing today.

Podence on for the Hwang who was never really in it today

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:29

Palmer powering forward and hits the outside of the post

But moments later Cole passes neatly and easily to Madueke who hits his hattrick

2-5.

3 goals in 17 second half minutes. Despair

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:35

We’re now all over the place at the back, Chelsea could have had another but luckily for Wolves, it breaks down. Cole Palmer is a brilliant player but when you give a player like him the freedom of the park, trouble will ensue.

We are a shadow of the battling side we saw in the first half.It’s very flat at Molineux. No surprise. Shell shocked.

Jao Felix now on for JAckson

Dawso, R Gomes and Sarabia on for RAN, Cuhna and Bellegarde

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:45

Lemina with a screamer …… but it’s disallowed, Toti offside.Confirmed by VAR.

So disappointing, that was a wonderful goal.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:47

Bad to worse.

Great run and cross from Neto, Felix slams it in from 15 yards.

2-6

Sorry, sorry Wolves, terrific finishing from Chelsea.

Chelsea crisis, what crisis.

Molineux begins to empty with 81 gone

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wolverina
25/08/2024 15:48

Just popped on to commiserate with you Ivybridge having to report on this. FFS - do we have a defence???

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:53

Two of my Ivybridge Wolves mates are up there today Wolverina. I would pity them coming back down the M5, though in a twist a fate, I’m up the M5 back to the midland in the next hour.

Poor pass from Dewsberry-HAll puts Larsen in but he can’t hit the target. He’ll be unhappy with that effort.

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wolverina
25/08/2024 15:56

Sorry for your mates, Ivybridge - what a waste of time and money! Was on the M5 myself last week coming back from holiday! Hope the traffic is kind!

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 15:56

Madueke should maybe hve got another one.

Doyle on for Lemina.

90 minutes gone, 8 horrendous minutes added on

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Billericay Wolf1
25/08/2024 15:58

No. We sold him to West Ham.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 16:03

Kilman had a load of plaudits yesterday. Did you see his run and ball to Bowen for the second Hammers goal.

These final 20 minutes have been as excruciating as they are embarrassing. Gone to pieces doesn’t come close.

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Ivybridge Wolf
25/08/2024 16:07

That’s it. After a long distance effort from Podence to lob the keeper, the FT whistle goes to end the misery.

Wolves 2-6 Chelsea.Somebody will be able to tell us the last time we lost so badly at home in the top flight, or any league for that matter. Firmly put in our place.

Unbelievably to think that at half time. Disjoint, powder puff, second best all over the Molineux pitch in the second 45.

Back 5 next week perhaps?

UTW!

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wolverina
25/08/2024 16:09

Glad it's over - certainly not watching MOTD tonight. Just hope they get sorted out for next week - very embarrassing!

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Lupy
25/08/2024 16:09

Sounded horrendous.
Only the second match of a long season but not a great start.

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essington wolf
25/08/2024 16:46

Wow in a bit of shock after watching that shambles.
Don't think O'Neil will be going with a back 4 next week after that battering, evey time Chelsea attacked I thought they were going to score which they near enough did.
We certainly are not good enough to play with a back 4, we saw that last season and we have seen it today.
Looks like a big mistake letting kilman leave but we will see.
You can't keep selling you're best players every season and not replace them with quality.
Only 2 games in and we have played 2 big clubs but I'm worried after watching that today.
Fosun pull you're finger out and sign some quality in the next few days!
If not this could be the season Jeff gets found out playing with fire and we end up going through the trap door!

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Andy Pandy
26/08/2024 09:50

Trying to look on the bright side, it's only two matches played and most sides will lose away to Arsenal, Villa just lost at home to them, and it was only half the match that we were truly horrendous against Chelsea. That being said, on a more worrying note, if we take this run of form from last season into this one, since we lost to Coventry in the FA Cup we've only taken five points from the last 36 available. Blimey.

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