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 the 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 the Molineux.

The EFL Cup has provided some semblance of positivity in 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 they 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

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Johnstone; Hoever, Santiago Bueno, Krejci, Hugo Bueno; Munetsi, Gomes, Andre; Arias, Larsen, Hwang

Chelsea

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

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.