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Ben Foster reckons Chelsea will suffer defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday (December 24) and gave an intriguing explanation.
The Blues are fighting to keep themselves not only in the top-four race but the hunt for European qualification altogether. Mauricio Pochettino's men sit 10th in the league, 12 points off the top four, winning six and losing seven of 17 games played.
Chelsea beat Sheffield United 2-0 last time out in the league. But, that came after two consecutive defeats to Everton (2-0) and Manchester United (2-1). They are in desperate need of a winning run to propel themselves up the table.
Pochettino's men face a Wolves side who sit 13th in the league, three points behind them. Gary O'Neil's side host the Blues at Molineaux off the back of a disappointing 3-0 defeat to West Ham United.
However, Foster thinks the hosts will cause an upset as he believes Pochettino's young squad may be irritated with playing on Christmas Eve. The former Premier League goalkeeper told Mark Goldbridge's That's Football:
"I'm gonna go home win because I think Chelsea have too many young players that will look at it and go 'we're playing on Christmas Eve, away, in the black country, at Wolverhampton'. And they'll have the hump."
The Blues suffered a 1-0 defeat to Wolves in the same fixture last season, but only six of the 11 players that started that game are still at the club. It paints the picture of the remarkable amount of change that has ensued at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez on how he's learning a lot from Thiago Silva
Enzo Fernandez has endured a somewhat frustrating spell at Chelsea since joining in January. The Argentine midfielder joined the Blues in a then-Premier League transfer record £106.8 million deal from Benfica.
The 22-year-old's stock was at an all-time high after impressing in Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph. But, he's failed to hit the heights expected of him at Stamford Bridge.
Fernandez has made 42 appearances across competitions, managing three goals and as many assists. He's been part of a Chelsea side that has been in a constant rebuild.
However, one star who has stuck with the Blues during a long period of change is Thiago Silva. The Brazilian defender is one of the club's veteran players and is having a positive influence on the younger players at the Bridge.
Fernandez touched on this, labeling the 39-year-old as 'very intelligent'. He said (via TheChelseaChronicle):
"Yeah, it’s true that he’s very intelligent. I learn a lot from him every day. He speaks to me a lot, so I take on board his best advice. He’s a very calm guy that you can talk to about anything and who always helps the young players."
Silva has been with the Blues for three years, making 134 appearances for the west Londoners. He's won the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup in that time.
