For the ninth time in 2023, Chelsea were unable to score in a Premier League game and in turn suffered defeat number 11 of the season. The clash at Molineux was the first for Frank Lampard in his second management spell at Stamford Bridge after previously being sacked in 2021.
Lampard made two changes from the team that drew with Liverpool earlier in the week as Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling came in for N'Golo Kante and Ben Chilwell. The two decisions prompted a change in formation with a 4-3-3 tactical set up Lampard's chosen line-up.
Despite dominating the ball, Chelsea tested Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa just once with a further 12 shots heading off target. The goal tally for the Blues of 29 has now been surpassed by the amount of league games played in this campaign of 30.
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Kai Havertz continues to feature prominently as the central striker despite that not being his preferred role, while Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling have struggled for goal contributions. The challenge in the transfer market is therefore very clear for Todd Boehly with a natural striker needing to be acquired.
Napoli's Victor Osimhen is one of the names heavily linked with a Premier League switch especially as Manchester United, like Chelsea, are searching for a new forward. And the sheer size of the void at the top end of the pitch for Chelsea was significantly exposed by Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Under the returning Roy Hodgson, Palace have secured maximum points with huge wins against Leicester and Leeds. After not winning once and scoring just five goals in 2023 under Patrick Vieira, the Eagles have netted seven goals in their last two games which included hitting fellow relegation-threatened candidates Leeds for five at Elland Road.
Palace are now also on 29 goals scored alongside Chelsea, but the Blues, at least for now, remain six points ahead of Palace. Just a fortnight ago, when Hodgson was brought in, Palace were firmly in the battle for survival but there is now a six-point gap between themselves and the bottom three.
Up next Chelsea take on in-form Brighton while Palace face bottom-side Southampton. Given each team's success in keeping out goals, Palace could easily find themselves on more goals scored this campaign than Chelsea by this time next week.
Before the Blues welcome Brighton to Stamford Bridge, a major Champions League away trip to Real Madrid arrives on Wednesday. Lampard will therefore need to quickly find different ways of finding the back of the net as the reigning European champions will certainly be among the goals at Santiago Bernabeu.
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