Nottingham Forest v Wolves: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 09:10 GMT 11 February
09:10 GMT 11 February
Chris Adams BBC Sport journalist
Nottingham Forest find themselves in the thick of the relegation dogfight as they welcome bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers to the City Ground on Wednesday.
Forest lie 17th, just one place above the drop zone, but West Ham's upturn in fortunes has seen them narrow the gap to just two points - aand would have drawn level but for conceding a last-gasp equaliser to draw with Manchester United on Tuesday.
Sean Dyche's men, therefore, will be desperate to establish some breathing space in the league table when they face a Wolves side with just one league win all season.
A decision for Dyche
The high point of a disappointing 3-1 defeat by Leeds United on Friday was a debut goal for on-loan striker Lorenzo Lucca, just 32 minutes into his Forest career. A solid display as a substitute at Elland Road saw the 6ft 7in Italian make a reasonable case to start this meeting between two of the league's three lowest-scoring sides.
With Chris Wood out injured, it speaks volumes that the Reds' top scorer in the league this season is midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White with just six. One more against his former club will take the England international joint-second in Forest's all-time Premier League goalscoring list, behind the aforementioned Wood.
It's a fixture in which Forest have struggled in recent times, with no wins in their past nine home games against Wolves (drawn five, lost four). They are, however, unbeaten in their last three at the City Ground, with draws either side of a thumping 4-0 Europa League win over Ferencvaros.
Wanderers winless on the road
The prospect of three points away from Molineux seems fanciful for a Wolves side winless in their past 14 Premier League away games (drawn three, lost 11), including all 12 this season.
It's their longest run without a victory on their travels in the top flight since the 2003-04 campaign, when they failed to win any of their 19 and were duly relegated after finishing bottom on goals scored.
In that season, Wolves accrued 33 points, a tally that already feels out of reach for Rob Edwards' side, who are winless in five after that solitary league victory over West Ham on 3 January.
The Old Gold have just eight points on the board this season, the lowest tally after 25 games in the competition's history. Although relegation now seems a formality, they will surely want to surpass Derby County's total of 11 points in the 2007-08 season and avoid being known as mathematically the worst team in the Premier League era.
Wolves lack a predator
A dire defensive record of just two clean sheets in the league all season has been compounded by an inability to find the net. Tolu Arokodare's consolation in the 3-1 loss to Chelsea last week means they now have five players tied as their top league goalscorer on two apiece.
Wolves' shot conversion rate of 6.8% (from 236 efforts) is the worst in the league, with Forest next on 8.4% (from 298 attempts), a damning indictment of both sides' failing forward lines.
Sutton's predictions: Nottingham Forest v Wolvespublished at 07:53 GMT 11 February
07:53 GMT 11 February
I was at Elland Road on Friday and Nottingham Forest were insipid in their defeat by Leeds - they were really flat.
This is a real pressure game for Forest, and in many ways it is the worst possible fixture for them. Wolves are hopeless so, if Forest win, their fans will say 'well we should be beating them, because they are rubbish'.
Lose or even drop points, however, then you can imagine the atmosphere and the mood of the fans, and the pressure that will put on the players.
I don't mean pressure in terms of any calls to sack Forest boss Sean Dyche, but the negativity there will be around the team, when the mood of the fans can be massive when a team is fighting the drop.
Leeds are a great example of that, actually. Just look at the positivity at Elland Road recently and how that has helped Leeds in the past few weeks. It was a very different story when the fans were unhappy earlier in the season.
As for Wolves, well they are not under any pressure any more.
They are playing for pride which is totally different to Forest's situation, where every point counts - and this is going to be a nervy night for the home fans at the City Ground.
Edwards on 'impressive' Armstrong, injured Hwang and 'better' creativitypublished at 14:27 GMT 10 February
14:27 GMT 10 February
Luke Reddy BBC Sport journalist
Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground (kick-off 19:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Hwang Hee-chan is out with a calf issue and will be scanned again "in a few weeks", while Toti Gomes also remains sidelined but is back doing individual training. Edwards said Andre is jogging and will be given "as much time as possible".
On Hwang, Edwards was asked why managers trust him so much while some fans are frustrated: "He is a really intelligent footballer. He may make a mistake or two and people jump on that as well. He doesn't complain or moan - he just gets his head down and works hard on it. I understand the situation we are in and there will be a lot of negativity around. He has taken a little bit of stick but he's strong mentally and is a great person around the place. He really does get the game. Sometimes it can affect him and others."
Adam Armstrong "has made a really impressive start", and Edwards added: "I thought he was excellent in the game and in the training sessions as well. He's really clean in everything he does. His football is good. He can drop into spaces and give us a link, and on the line is a goal threat as well."
Following the weekend's 3-1 defeat by Chelsea, where Wolves were 3-0 down inside 40 minutes: "There wasn't maybe as much wrong in the first half as people think. And maybe the second half wasn't as good as some people think."
Wolves are the lowest scorers in the league by a nine-goal distance and asked about offensive play, Edwards said: "The creating stuff, it's the harder thing to do. When we came in we knew we had to be more solid, but to win football matches you have to create as well. We haven't been able to do that consistently. We need to be better, there's no doubt about that."
On facing Forest: "It's a good game for us. All the pressure now for obvious reasons is on them. Being at home as well, expectation is on them. We can go there and try as always to attack the game and be brave, maybe with a little less pressure on."
Wolves need to rediscover composure to avoid unwanted recordpublished at 09:49 GMT 10 February
09:49 GMT 10 February
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Three straight defeats have ended Wolves' mini-revival and Rob Edwards needs his men to rediscover their composure.
A five-game unbeaten run sprinkled some positivity on a wretched season, as unity slowly returned to Molineux.
Yet the possibility of setting a record low points total in the Premier League remains, even if talk about the issue has subsided, and Wolves still need points to avoid it.
They still have just eight points, three adrift of Derby County's record of 11 in 2007-08, and first-half displays like Saturday against Chelsea will not help their cause.
Edwards bemoaned the "ludicrous mistakes" which saw Matt Doherty and Yerson Mosquera concede first-half penalties for fouls on Joao Pedro.
The boss admitted to pounding the door in anger following the opening period, with Wolves 3-0 down at the break, but he is likely to be calmer in his pre-match news conference on Tuesday.
They may be going down but they can still avoid the unwanted record and have a say in the relegation battle as they travel to 17th-placed Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
Forest have won just two of their past nine Premier League games and a trip to the City Ground may represent Wolves' best chance for points before of games against Arsenal,Crystal Palace,Aston Villa and Liverpool.
Come back to this page later on Tuesday for all the key lines from Edwards
The perils of experimenting with a back fourpublished at 17:04 GMT 9 February
17:04 GMT 9 February
Dazzling Dave Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Nuno, Lage, Lopetegui, O'Neil, Pereira. They all tried it. They all failed.
Yeah, you guessed it, four at the back.
In Wolves' Premier League era, the back four has kept tempting managers because of what it can offer. It should mean one more attacker on the pitch, higher pressing, and more presence in the final third. For a side lacking goals at times, you can see why every coach has wanted it to work.
That is why it was no shock, in theory, that Rob Edwards tried it against Chelsea. What surprised me was the timing. Chelsea have pace and power in wide areas, so changing your defensive structure against them always felt like a big risk.
The scoreline was shaped by individual mistakes. The penalties conceded by Matt Doherty and Yerson Mosquera were reckless and needless, and Edwards was right not to hide behind tactics. But the system did not help. A back four asks different questions of the players within it, and it can expose weaknesses more quickly.
Doherty, at 34, does not have the speed you need in a Premier League full-back any more. His best role now is on the right of a back three, where his positioning and experience show and he has cover.
Mosquera is similar in a different way. He is aggressive and unpredictable, and that can be an asset, but it becomes a bigger gamble when he is one of only two centre-backs.
On the left, Hugo Bueno's attacking strengths were also limited. He looks far more effective with the freedom of a wing-back role.
When Hwang Hee-chan's injury forced a change and Ladislav Krejci came on, Wolves returned to a back three and immediately looked steadier. It did not erase the damage, but it restored a bit of control.
At this point, Wolves are playing for pride, and I understand the need to experiment and try new things to get more from the squad.
But, right now, Wolves look built to be more solid with three centre-backs, and any shift away from that needs the right opposition and the right personnel to make it work.
Referee right to reject VAR penalty to Man City, panel sayspublished at 13:52 GMT 9 February
13:52 GMT 9 February
Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Referee Farai Hallam was correct to turn down a video assistant referee (VAR) review to give a penalty to Manchester City against Wolves, the Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has ruled.
With City leading 1-0 in the 35th minute, Omar Marmoush appealed for a spot-kick for handball by Wanderers defender Yerson Mosquera.
Hallam was unmoved, only to then be sent to the pitchside monitor by the VAR, Darren England.
Hallam was taking charge of his first Premier League game but decided to stick with his decision. The 32-year-old received widespread praise for a "courageous" call.
However, City boss Pep Guardiola was less than complimentary after the game.
"The referee made a huge debut, now everybody will know him," Guardiola said.
"[Referees' chief] Howard Webb, come tomorrow and explain why it's not a penalty."
The KMI Panel unanimously voted Hallam was correct.
It said Mosquera's arm was "in an expected position given his running action" and that "the ball is kicked towards him from a close distance".
It added: "The panel unanimously supported the referee's call to not award a penalty.
"The VAR intervention to recommend a review was an overreach, as the referee's call of no penalty was not a clear and obvious error."
'Edwards has to channel small reasons for optimism'published at 19:11 GMT 8 February
19:11 GMT 8 February
Laura Kenyon Final Score reporter at Molineux
Image source, Getty Images
What next for Rob Edwards' Wolves?
Already conversation among fans and pundits alike has shifted to the rebuild in the Championship next season.
Not surprising, perhaps, when Wolves are so far adrift of safety. But, crucially, they have thirteen games left in the Premier League this season.
Two new recruits, Angel Gomes and Adam Armstrong, had a baptism of fire against Chelsea. Yet up until conceding the first penalty, Wolves had been playing good football with the new faces playing a positive part.
The overall performance against Bournemouth the week before was also generally regarded as good despite defeat.
The record lowest points total in Premier League history is 11 points (Derby County in the 2007-08 season). Wolves are on eight.
Edwards has the challenge of channeling those small reasons for optimism and avoiding unwanted records in the process.
Tony: A dreadful performance. An inadequate display by all players. Wolves create their own problems by continually passing the ball back to their goalkeeper and then continually failing to get the ball into the opposition's half. All this achieves is losing the ball and then opponents take advantage of the Wolves team, who are running backwards and can't keep them at bay. Abysmal.
Col: Laughing stock of the Premier League. Can we just forfeit our remaining games? Sooner we are relegated the better.
Dan: Six years ago we were playing in Europe. What followed was a lack of investment and selling our best players - and the result is the owners sending the club back to the Championship. I don't blame all the managers that have come and gone - I blame their employers. What's the point of purchasing a football club if you have got no drive or ambition for success?
Wol: We lost the game in the first half with stupid defending. We started well but once we conceded it was just a matter of how many they would score. I left at half-time and missed the second half. Apparently we played better then, but it was too late. We have been terrible all season and I can't wait for it to end. Hopefully we won't be ripped off by the prices of season tickets for the Championship, but I doubt Fosun will think about the fans.
Chelsea fans
Nick: Hardly the most scintillating performance - apart from Cole Palmer's cool penalties and well-taken third goal - but it didn't need to be. Conditions were absolutely awful. Did enough in the first half to coast through the second. With two far more physical and testing games to come on Tuesday and Friday, this win at a canter was ideal.
Danny: We were expected to win, and we did. Seven victories out of nine games is good but I'm not getting carried away with this improvement in results. The players seem to be enjoying it more under Liam Rosenior, but the passing needs to be quicker and more accurate. Saturday's line-up, albeit without Reece James, was strong and had good balance. Onwards and upwards with more expansive front-foot football please. Certain players will be moved on in the summer - Liam Delap, Benoit Badiashile and Alejandro Garnacho.
Alan: It was a great game until the second half. After the break, we just seemed to lack any energy and motivation. Palmer is not yet match fit but was on fire. Another match when the defence was a disorganised mess - it really needs sorting out. Against a better team, we would have struggled to win with such an error-strewn defence.
Kevin: Palmer is the first Premier League player to score three first-half hat-tricks. Ice, Ice Baby. A great first half meant we didn't need to waste energy in the second. Four wins in four for Rosenior. KTBFFH.
Watch Premier League highlights and analysispublished at 11:15 GMT 8 February
11:15 GMT 8 February
Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures and Friday's action.
Wolves 1-3 Chelsea: What Edwards saidpublished at 18:01 GMT 7 February
18:01 GMT 7 February
Media caption,
Wolves manager Rob Edwards, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We started the game well. I think we made a couple of ludicrous decisions in the penalties. And you can't give a team like that with the quality that they've got that sort of headstart.
"After that, with the feel around the place, it affected one or two. It wasn't a good environment to play in, up until half time. It was important to get in and fix one or two things. Which we did. The challenge then was for the players to show some character, some belief and understand that what we'll try and do now is win the second half - which we did."
"We'll learn a lot. We're going through a process, we've got to make some changes. We've done that in the window with people leaving, the lads coming in were excellent, Adam [Armstrong] and Angel [Gomes] were really good. Real positives for us.
"It's going to take some time to get it to where we want to be. But there were a lot of signs in the second half against a quality team that everyone is there, and willing to fight and keep doing it."
On new signings Armstrong and Gomes: "I thought they were brave, worked incredibly hard, showed lots and lots of quality. Angel got on the ball and looked to try and make things happen, was really busy and bright.
"Adam was incredibly hard working, linked it really well, looked aggressive at the right times. Very very pleased - I thought they were both a big plus for us."
Wolves have gained just eight points in the Premier League this season (W1 D5 L19), the fewest points tally after 25 games in the competition's history and Wolves' worst ever league season after 25 matches.
The Old Gold scored their first second half goal in 11 Premier League home matches. It had been 469 second half minutes since their last goal at Molineux in August 2025 against Everton.
Analysis: Poor defending proves costlypublished at 17:22 GMT 7 February
17:22 GMT 7 February
Gary Rose BBC Sport journalist
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Bar a minor miracle, Wolves will be playing Championship football next season - but performances since 30 December have given their fans some cause for optimism.
They went four games unbeaten - winning two and drawing two - while producing some encouraging displays.
However, it is now three defeats in a row for Rob Edwards' side and their performance in the first half of this game was a reminder there is still plenty of work for them to do as poor defending - particularly with the two penalties - killed the game for them.
Matt Doherty needlessly clipped Joao Pedro inside the box for the first, before Yerson Mosquera shoved over the striker for the second.
Wolves were much better after the break, showing plenty of fight and desire, but by then the damage had been done.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bournemouth v Aston Villa" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Sunderland", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Wolves v Chelseapublished at 11:14 GMT 7 February
11:14 GMT 7 February
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.
His guest for week 25 is Gladiators star Apollo, real name Alex Gray, who supports Newcastle.
Sutton says: Chelsea were accused of being too negative in their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal in midweek, but I can't see that being the case here.
I was far too optimistic about Wolves last week when I said they would draw with Bournemouth and I am not making the same mistake this time.
The games have been coming thick and fast for Chelsea and I actually admire their manager Liam Rosenior for the way he changed things up in their comeback win over West Ham.
Wolves boss Rob Edwards has probably got one eye on preparing for next season in the Championship, and his side will be one step nearer to that after this game.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:03 GMT 6 February
19:03 GMT 6 February
Chris Adams BBC Sport journalist
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior is looking to become just the second English manager in Premier League history to win his first four games in charge when his side visit bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
A win in the Black Country would edge him towards Craig Shakespeare's record of five with Leicester City between February and April 2017.
Four successive league victories is something his predecessor Enzo Maresca only managed once across his 57 games, winning five on the bounce in November and December 2024.
Rosenior has won six of his first eight matches in all competitions, with both losses coming in the two-legged League Cup semi-final against Arsenal.
Cold snap for Palmer
How best to use Cole Palmer is something Rosenior has had to contend with during his whirlwind start to life in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.
In the England midfielder's last 16 top-flight games of the 2024–25 season, he scored one goal – a penalty against Liverpool – while in 13 league games this campaign, he has scored just twice from open play.
After a blistering start to life in west London, when Palmer scored a seriously impressive 43 goals in his first two seasons, injuries have meant a stop-start campaign this time around.
The numbers show that the fifth-placed Blues have fared better from an attacking and defensive point of view when he has not been in the team this season.
Wolves on the wane again
Wolverhampton Wanderers' mini-revival under Rob Edwards, which saw them go four league games unbeaten over the new year period, is very much over now they're on a run of three straight defeats.
They haven't found the net in those three games and with one of last season's stalwarts, Jorgen Strand Larsen, departing for Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day, they find themselves without their top two goalscorers from last season.
Adam Armstrong has joined from Southampton, but even with his addition the entire Wolves squad combined has just 69 all-time Premier League goals to its name - only promoted Sunderland come off worse.
A protest by Wolves fans against the club's ownership saw thousands of them boycott the first 15 minutes of a 4-1 defeat to Manchester United at Molineux in December. They could be forgiven for staging a repeat after the half-time whistle.
Wolves haven't scored a second-half goal in any of their last 10 league home games. Only three sides have ever had a longer spell without a home goal in the second half of a match; Everton are the worst offenders, with a run of 13 ending in January 1999.
Curiously, the arrival of Angel Gomes on loan from Marseille means Edwards now has four players called Gomes to choose from – captain Toti, midfielder Joao and winger Rodrigo, which is sure to be music to the ears of commentators everywhere.
Edwards on new signings, Strand Larsen's exit and Chelseapublished at 13:39 GMT 6 February
13:39 GMT 6 February
Phil Cartwright BBC Sport journalist
Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea at Molineux (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Angel Gomes and Adam Armstrong are in line to make their Wolves debuts after joining the club on Monday, while defender Ladislav Krejci is available to play after recovering from flu.
On midfielder Gomes, who has joined on loan from Marseille: "I've always joked with him when we've spoken over the years that I'd sign him one day. It's nice to be able to do it now and get him in the building. He's a brilliant technical player, really intelligent and versatile - which is something that always appeals to me."
Striker Armstrong signed from Southampton for a reported initial fee of £7m and Edwards said: "I've admired him for a long time - again, he's someone who is versatile. He has a brilliant attitude, a great work ethic and is a really good finisher. It [the deal] made complete sense for the here and now and going forward as well."
Asked about the potential of a "classic big man/little man" strike partnership between Armstrong and Tolu Arokodare, Edwards said Armstrong's arrival gives him the flexibility to be able to play them as a pair and gives him another "slight difference" in how the team can play.
Wolves sold striker Jorgen Strand Larsen to Crystal Palace on deadline day in a deal that could be worth up to £48m. "I've got nothing but positive things to say about him, he was always the ultimate professional and always gave everything," said Edwards of the Norway international. "He leaves with my best wishes. It was the right thing in the end for the football club and for him - it's worked out well for everyone."
Edwards confirmed centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou is on the verge of joining Turkish side Besiktas, while Jhon Arias' departure is expected to be finalised in the next few days. It has been reported that Wolves have accepted a bid from Brazilian side Palmeiras for the Colombian midfielder.
On facing Chelsea: "They've got an amazing squad so whatever team Liam [Rosenior] chooses will be fresh, ready and packed full of talent."
'I want to give back' - Gomes helps children with stammerpublished at 14:06 GMT 5 February
14:06 GMT 5 February
Image source, Wolves Foundation
Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes is helping children in Wolverhampton who have a stammer.
Gomes, who has a stammer himself, is supporting Wolf Words - which is offering more than 30 school children in Wolverhampton mentoring and activities to build confidence.
The scheme is funded by the Premier League and PFA Players' Fund and currently supports nine students at Warstones and 32 children across five schools in total.
"This is so special and you can really see the impact the project is having," he said.
"I want to give back to Wolverhampton for everything that the city has given to me, and this is something that I really believe in."
Gossip: Wolves accept £21m offer for Ariaspublished at 07:09 GMT 5 February
07:09 GMT 5 February
Wolves have accepted Palmeiras' offer of £21.6m for Colombia winger Jhon Arias, and the 28 year-old is already discussing personal terms with the Brazilian side. (UOL - in Portuguese), external
