"I still have absolutely no idea" – Chris Sutton takes dig at Chelsea while predicting Wolverhampton Wanderers clash result
Ex-Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has predicted a 1-1 draw between his former team and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their league contest at the Molineux Stadium on Sunday (December 24).
The Blues, who recently advanced to the EFL Cup semi-final stage, are 10th in the 2023-24 Premier League standings with 22 points from 17 games. They have won twice in their last five league outings, most recently beating Sheffield United 2-0 at home earlier last Saturday.
Wolves, meanwhile, are currently 13th in the domestic table with 19 points from 17 matches. They have recorded just one victory, a 1-0 result over Burnley earlier this month, in their last five league games.
In his column for the BBC, Sutton suggested that Gary O'Neil's outfit could turn up in their home encounter against Chelsea. He wrote:
"Wolves lacked intensity [in 3-0 loss] against West Ham last week, which makes me think they will bounce back here – but it really does depend on which Chelsea team turns up. And I'm sorry but I still have absolutely no idea what to expect from Mauricio Pochettino's side so I am gong to sit firmly on the fence with this one."
As for head-to-head record, the Blues have registered three wins, four draws, and three losses in their last 10 league games against Wolves.
Pundit urges Chelsea to sign a new striker
Earlier on Tuesday (December 19), Chelsea relied on an injury-time equalizer from Mykhailo Mudryk to force their EFL Cup last-eight match against Newcastle United into penalties. Despite winning 4-2 later on, they endured a difficult time finding the back of Newcastle's net.
After the Blues' recent cup victory, ex-Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp stated that Mauricio Pochettino's outfit are in need of a reliable striker. He told Sky Sports (h/t football.london):
"There are still more questions than answers when I watch them at the moment. I look at that squad and they have spent a billion pounds and still don't have a number nine. I can't take Chelsea seriously until they do. They are missing something so big in that area."
Urging the Blues to sign Brentford's Ivan Toney, Redknapp concluded:
"They have these wide players but they need a number nine. They need someone who can put the ball in the back of the net and until they do, I think they are going to struggle. If you look at strikers out there, Ivan Toney is obviously one you are going to go for, but how much is he going to cost? There's not many [strikers], they are a tough breed to find but that's exactly what they need."
Toney, who is also on Arsenal's radar now, has registered 68 goals and 21 assists in 124 games across competitions for Thomas Frank's side.