PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

WE HAVE HISTORY
This will be the 50th league game at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Wolves.

The Blues are hoping for a fifth successive home win against Wolves in all competitions. It is a far cry from the period between the late 1960s and early 1990s, when the Bridge was pretty much a safe haven for Wanderers.

The turning point was a tense, sombre affair in the quarter-final of the FA Cup shown live on the BBC on a fair Sunday, 13 March 1994, at 3.05pm.

Goal-hungry Mark Stein was missing with an ankle injury and fellow forward John Spencer was a doubt. Glenn Hoddle had been ruled out for several months too, but it emerged the player-manager might resume in a midfield role so that the Blues' player of the moment Gavin Peacock (pictured below) could move forward and spearhead the attack alongside David Hopkin.

Wolves had been struggling in the second tier of the league and the likes of Guy Whittingham and David Kelly vowed to repay under-fire manager Graham Turner with a trip to Wembley for the semi.

The media were replete with stories that Wanderers' midfielder Darren Ferguson had been sent a 'dossier' by his father Alex containing videos and tactical analysis of Chelsea to share with his teammates. It might have made interesting viewing: Hoddle's men had triumphed at Old Trafford the week before through a lone Peacock strike.

In the event, John Spencer did start, but suffered a trapped nerve within 20 minutes, allowing Hoddle to come off the bench and provide a central anchor for Chelsea's football with his cool head and excellent distribution. Wolves were dogged but largely unincisive, Chris Marsden squandering a rare opening by shooting straight at Dmitri Kharine.

A hard-fought match remained goalless at half-time, but after the break the hosts, with Dennis Wise a regular threat, took a degree of control that eventually produced the victory. A Hoddle-and-Wise-instigated move led to Craig Burley breaking free down the flank. Peacock's movement freed him from Paul Blades, and he volleyed Burley's cross into the net with panache.

Chelsea were drawn against Luton Town and old boy Kerry Dixon for the semi-final, eventually meeting Ferguson senior's Manchester United in the final.

Twenty-two-year-old Ray Wilkins was playing the last time Wolves won at Stamford Bridge in March 1979 a few weeks before we were relegated to the old Second Division. Tommy Langley opened the scoring but goals from John Richards and Bill Rafferty secured a 2-1 win for the visitors.

Our 10 previous meetings at Stamford Bridge
1973/74 - Drew 2-2 - old First Division
1974/75 - Wolves won 1-0 - old First Division
1976/77 - Drew 3-3 - old Second Division
1977/78 - Drew 1-1 - old First Division
1978/79 - Wolves won 2-1 - old First Division
1982/83 - Drew 0-0 - old Second Division
1993/94 - Chelsea won 1-0 - FA Cup quarter-final
2003/04 - Chelsea won 5-2 - Premier League
2009/10 - Chelsea won 4-0 - Premier League
2010/11 - Chelsea won 2-0 - Premier League

Other match last season
5 January 2011 Premier League
Wolves……..….……1 Chelsea………..……0
Bosingwa o.g. 5                Att: 26,432

Chelsea v Wolves in all competitions
Games played 101
Chelsea wins 37
Wolves wins 38
Draws 26

Head to head in the League at Stamford Bridge
Games played 49
Chelsea wins 20
Wolves wins 15
Draws 14

Biggest league win at Stamford Bridge for each team
Chelsea 6-2 Wolves - 30/08/1958
Chelsea 1-5 Wolves  - 30/04/1960

DAYS SINCE
Chelsea kept a home league clean sheet: 217
Wolves won a point at Stamford Bridge: 10,679
Arsenal won a trophy: 2,380
Liverpool won a trophy: 2,023

Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers