Chelsea vs Wolves LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction as Coady snatches late equaliser
Chelsea 2-2 Wolves: Follow reaction as the Stamford Bridge club changes hands and Thomas Tuchel’s side draw with Wolves in the Premier League
Chelsea FC are on the verge of a sale, with the club confirming in the early hours of Saturday that a deal had been struck with LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly.
Since Roman Abramovich put the Blues on the market in March there have been dozens of reports, interested parties and bids, with the Boehly bid - which also includes Hansjorg Wyss and Clearlake Capital - ultimately set to complete a deal worth £4.25bn in total. That constitutes £2.5bn to buy the shares of the club, along with a further £1.75bn committed to future spending in several areas including the women’s team, the academy and club infrastructure.
Details are still emerging over the full implications of the bid but a 10-year block on the sale of shares indicates this will be a long-term purchase, while the deal could go through around the end of the current Premier League season.
Conor Coady then struck deep into time added on to snatch a 2-2 draw for Wolves away at Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday, heading home a cross from substitute Chiquinho in almost the last action of the game.
Wolves had trailed for much of the game after Chelsea’s out-of-form striker Romelu Lukaku scored twice in two second-half minutes before Francisco Trincao pulled one back and Coady claimed a point.
Follow all the news and reaction to the Chelsea sale, plus Chelsea vs Wolves below:
Chelsea vs Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Bruno Lage will not travel to Stamford Bridge for Saturday’s Premier League game against third-placed Chelsea on Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19.
Goalkeeper coach Tony Roberts, who replaced Lage at Friday’s pre-match news conference, said the Portuguese was isolating from the squad but still handling some of his duties remotely.
“Bruno’s still been out there from a distance, organising the main parts of the work, but tomorrow he won’t travel, which is a shame,” Roberts said.
Wolves, who are in eighth place on 49 points, have not beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the league since March 1979.
“It’s all about performance. If we have a good performance we have a chance of winning,” Roberts said. “We’ve worked hard this week and to put on a great performance gives us a chance to get three points.
“They are a good team and we will put up a good fight.”
Wolves have lost their last three league games, but Roberts denied that the team were suffering from a lack of confidence.
“No not at all,” he said. “Day-to-day we’ve seen what we need to do. Each team goes through bad spells but the boys are working ever so hard on the training round to correct it.”
Chelsea vs Wolves latest updates
Chelsea and Wolves fewer than 30 minutes away from kick-off now.
Chelsea vs Wolves latest
Chelsea are third heading into the game, Wolves eighth.
Victory for the Blues will mean they hold an eight-point advantage over fifth-place Spurs, in the race for the Champions League. Spurs play Liverpool later tonight and have four games to go in total.
Wolves can go level with West Ham if they win though, with the Hammers not in action until tomorrow against Norwich.
Chelsea vs Wolves confirmed line-ups
More team news as the Wolves XI emerges: Much as you’d expect, with Jonny and Ait-Nouri at wing-back, while Pedro Neto partners Raul Jimenez up front. Both Neto and Jonny have been missed this year with long-term injuries.
WOL XI: Sa, Jonny, Boly, Coady, Saiss, Ait-Nouri, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Jimenez, Neto
Chelsea vs Wolves confirmed line-ups
Team news time! The big news is a return for the £100m front man Romelu Lukaku, while birthday boy from yesterday Mateo Kovacic is also into the side.
CHE XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger, James, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Alonso, Pulisic, Lukaku, Werner
Chelsea news: £4.25bn sale agreed to Boehly consortium
Worth a reminder ahead of the team news of the really big Chelsea news today: The club sale to Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital consortium has been agreed.
Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Boehly has won the race to buy the Blues amid the most public major sports franchise takeover in history.
Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss must now wait for Premier League and UK government approval before rubber-stamping the takeover.
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm that terms have been agreed for a new ownership group, led by Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss, to acquire the club,” a Chelsea statement read.
Full details:
Chelsea confirm Todd Boehly consortium sign £4.25bn agreement to buy club
The Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner has won the race to buy the Blues amid the most public major sports franchise takeover in history.
Chelsea latest news
Team news on the way shortly for Chelsea’s Premier League match against Wolves.
Thomas Tuchel with big calls to make in midfield and, as usual, on whether Romelu Lukaku is to be called back into the line-up in attack.
Chelsea Women’s WSL title bid is a pressure release, not a worry, says Emma Hayes
Emma Hayes says her anxiety is reserved for getting son Harry to school on time rather than trying to deliver a third consecutive Women’s Super League title for Chelsea on the last day of the season.
Leaders Chelsea head into their final game at home to Champions League-chasing Manchester United on Sunday with a one-point advantage over Arsenal.
The Gunners finish their season at West Ham knowing victory over their London rivals may not be enough to stop Chelsea claiming a fifth WSL title.
Asked if she suffers from nerves ahead of big games, Hayes said at her pre-match press conference: “Do you know I get really nervous when Harry won’t get out of the door in time to get to school. That’s when I get anxious.
“I get nervous around my child going too fast on his bike towards the end of the road. Terrified. That’s nerves.
“This is pleasure, joy, release. Being in a dressing room of people who are amazing.
“This season hasn’t been plain sailing, it was always going to go to the last day and we’re ready.”
Hayes is on the brink of winning a 10th major trophy as Chelsea manager and downplayed the pressure at a club used to success.
She said: “I’m from a council estate, trust me pressure was putting money on the table to pay the bills as a child. This is not pressure.
“Look at the inflation, the rising costs for people to pay their bills. Football is far from pressure. I enjoy the situation, but more importantly I enjoy representing a club I absolutely adore.
“To be in a position where we can continue to win on behalf of Chelsea is something I think I was born for.”
Chelsea have the double in their sights with the FA Cup final against Manchester City to come on May 15.
Chelsea sale latest news
...and part two of the Chelsea timeline under Roman Abramovich
2012-2013
Villas-Boas’ assistant and club legend Roberto Di Matteo was brought in to see out the rest of the 2011-12 season and led Chelsea to their first Champions League triumph when they beat Bayern Munich at their home stadium, the Allianz Arena.
Di Matteo was then named permanent manager but was sacked in November after Chelsea were eliminated from the Champions League and replaced by former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez for the remainder of the campaign.
The move was unpopular with supporters but he delivered success in the form of Chelsea‘s first Europa League trophy.
2013-16
Mourinho returned to Chelsea for a two-and-a-half year spell and won the club’s first Premier League title since 2010 in his second season in charge.
But a poor run of form in the 2015-16 season saw him dismissed in December after he lost the dressing room.
Hiddink stepped in again for a second time but could not salvage the season as Chelsea finished 10th in the league -- their lowest placing in the Abramovich era.
2016-2019
Italy coach Antonio Conte arrived and he had an immediate impact at Chelsea, winning the Premier League title in his first season. He led the club to FA Cup success in 2017-18 but was sacked after Chelsea failed to finish in the top four.
Compatriot Maurizio Sarri took over and enjoyed a successful year in charge at Stamford Bridge, winning the Europa League and finishing third in the league, but left for Serie A side Juventus at the end of the season.
Club legend Frank Lampard returned to London and guided Chelsea, operating under a transfer embargo, to a fourth-placed finish in the league.
2020-2021
Chelsea spent 200 million pounds in the transfer window before the 2020-21 campaign as they looked to bridge the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City but Lampard was sacked in January with the team languishing in ninth.
After Thomas Tuchel took over, Chelsea edged out a top four finish and won their second Champions League title in May 2021.
Tuchel’s first full season included UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup success, while they are currently third in the league.
2022
Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale in March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine before sanctions were imposed on the oligarch by the British government, effectively giving it control of the club.
The club is sold in May to a consortium led by Todd Boehly for 4.25 billion pounds.
Chelsea sale latest
Reuters have compiled a timeline of the Roman Abramovich era. Here’s part 1:
2003-2004
Abramovich bought the Premier League club from Ken Bates in 2003 for a reported 140 million pounds ($172.70 million).
The Russian arrived at Chelsea in June and went on a 100 million pounds spending spree in his first transfer window, bringing in the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron, Hernan Crespo and Claude Makelele.
Claudio Ranieri’s side finished second behind champions Arsenal in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, before the Italian manager was dismissed at the end of the campaign.
2004-2007
Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho took over at Stamford Bridge after winning the Champions League with Porto in May and guided Chelsea to Premier League and League Cup success in his first season at the helm.
Chelsea retained the league title the following season, and added another League Cup as well as an FA Cup to their collection in 2006-07 but relinquished the league crown to Manchester United.
The Champions League remained out of Mourinho’s grasp during his time in London and he left the club in September 2007.
2007-2009
Avram Grant, who was appointed Chelsea‘s director of football in July, succeeded Mourinho and took Chelsea to their first Champions League final in 2008 but departed after a trophy-less campaign.
Luiz Felipe Scolari arrived in London as a World Cup-winning manager with a glittering CV but was sacked after only seven months in charge, with Chelsea sitting fourth in the Premier League and in contention for the Champions League.
Russia coach Guus Hiddink was named interim manager until the end of the season as Chelsea went on to win the FA Cup and secured Champions League football with a third-placed finish in the Premier League.
2009-2012
Carlo Ancelotti was next through the door at Chelsea and led them to their only Premier League and FA Cup double in his first season in charge.
The Italian coach was unable to repeat his achievements the following campaign, however, as Chelsea finished second in the league and Ancelotti was sacked after a trophy-less 2010-11 season.
Andre Villas-Boas replaced Ancelotti after winning four trophies in the previous season with Porto but the Portuguese coach was dismissed nine months into the job, winning less than half of his games in charge.
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