Football tips: Giroud can fire our 3 best bets for Wolves v Chelsea

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WolvesChelseaDec20

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Wolves (+1)

Both Chelsea and Wolves enter this game in desperately searching for a positive result, but it is the home team who are in far greater need of one following a truly dreadful run of form. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have picked up just four points in their last five league games, losing their last two. Their only victory in that period was over an Arsenal side on their worst run of home form in more than half a century.

Wolves were utterly shocking in their 4-0 defeat at Anfield, and, while their performance was much improved against Aston Villa, the last-gasp manner of their defeat was even more difficult to stomach than a 4-0 hammering. Chelsea, on the other hand, were poor in their first away defeat of the season at Goodison Park.

The Blues lacked any real creativity in the absence of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic, and they struggled to break Everton down, despite registering 72% possession. With Ziyech and Pulisic likely to miss out again on Tuesday, Chelsea could struggle for clear-cut chances at Molineux.

Tuesday 6pm Wolves v Chelsea
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Both teams to score

Frank Lampard has certainly shorn up his porous defence since the start of the season, but he has had to sacrifice much of Chelsea’s attacking threat to do so, and they still look vulnerable at the back in spite of that.

They coughed up gilt-edged opportunities in their home win over Leeds last weekend and conceded against an awful Sheffield United side in their previous home game. They also conceded against Everton on Saturday from a penalty following more sloppy defending.

Nuno’s men, on the other hand, have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five league games and will almost certainly present Chelsea’s forwards with opportunities on Tuesday. Wolves haven’t scored in their last two ties and will be keen to put that right in a game that they have every chance of winning.

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Olivier Giroud to score anytime

For a team that has spent more than £100 million on attacking players, Chelsea have been relying far too heavily on a 34-year-old striker. Yet Olivier Giroud has proved to be the perfect tonic for their goalscoring struggles, scoring an important winner against Rennes in the Champions League and a pivotal equaliser against Leeds in the league either side of a phenomenal four-goal performance against Sevilla.

Giroud has earned his starting place in a squad dominated by multi-million-pound signings and will almost certainly start on Tuesday due to the likely absences of Ziyech, Pulisic, and Callum Hudson-Odoi.  The French forward scored against Wolves on the final day of last season to help seal Chelsea’s place in the top-four and he may well do so again this week.

Wolves v Chelsea tips summary:

Wolves (+1)
Both teams to score
Olivier Giroud to score anytime

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