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Daniel Podence's early strike was ruled out for offside after a VAR reviewCovid-19-hit Chelsea slipped further behind leaders Manchester City in the Premier League title race as they were held to a goalless draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The visitors had a request for the fixture to be postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak rejected on Sunday morning - with manager Thomas Tuchel saying they were "a bit angry" with the decision.
Consequently, the Blues named just four outfield players on the bench at Molineux. The first XI was still strong enough to be competitive but they struggled to create as they were held to a second successive draw.
Daniel Podence had an early goal ruled out for offside as Wolves enjoyed the better of the opening period but in foggy conditions chances were few and far between.
Leander Dendoncker's header just before half-time was comfortably saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, while Wolves counterpart Jose Sa did well to deny Christian Pulisic from close range late on.
The result, coupled with a 4-0 win for Manchester City against Newcastle on Sunday, means Chelsea are six points adrift of Pep Guardiola's side.
Wolves, meanwhile, remain eighth but move level on 25 points with seventh-placed Tottenham.
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Chelsea lacklustre amid Covid-19 issues
Chelsea boss Tuchel had argued pre-match that this game should not have gone ahead - and the quality of football on show would certainly have justified that decision - after revealing that his side were without several players because of positive Covid-19 tests.
Jorginho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Kai Havertz and the injured Andreas Christensen were all absent from the squad, and Tuchel was unwilling to include under-23 players because they train in a separate bubble.
Six of the weekend's 10 Premier League fixtures had already been postponed because of Covid-19 outbreaks within clubs so Tuchel arguably had good reason to feel aggrieved, especially as his side laboured to a result that does little to help their title ambitions.
While the coronavirus situation will not have helped, Tuchel was still able to name a decent side which should have offered more than the lacklustre performance they produced.
Having failed to manage a shot on target in a drab first half, they did have one golden chance to take all three points late on when Pulisic got in behind the defence but he was denied by Sa at close range.
Wolves, the lowest scorers in the Premier League at home, struggled to trouble Mendy but the result was more damaging for Chelsea, who have now won just one of their past four league games.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers
Squad number1Player nameJosé Sá
Squad number23Player nameKilman
Squad number16Player nameCoady
Squad number27Player nameSaïss
Squad number2Player nameHoever
Squad number32Player nameDendoncker
Squad number8Player nameRúben Neves
Squad number28Player nameJoão Moutinho
Squad number5Player nameMarçal
Squad number9Player nameJiménez
Squad number10Player nameDaniel Podence
Squad number11Player nameTrincão
Squad number37Player nameTraoré
Chelsea
Squad number16Player nameMendy
Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta
Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva
Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
Squad number24Player nameJames
Squad number7Player nameKanté
Squad number14Player nameChalobah
Squad number3Player nameAlonso
Squad number19Player nameMount
Squad number22Player nameZiyech
Squad number10Player namePulisic
Squad number8Player nameKovacic
Squad number17Player nameSaúl
Line-ups
Wolves
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Malheiro de Sá
- 23Kilman
- 16Coady
- 27Saïss
- 2Hoever
- 32Dendoncker
- 8Neves
- 28João Moutinho
- 5Marçal
- 9JiménezSubstituted forMachado Trincãoat 89'minutes
- 10PodenceSubstituted forTraoréat 79'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Cavaco Jordão
- 11Machado Trincão
- 13Moulden
- 21Ruddy
- 22Nélson Semedo
- 37Traoré
- 39Cundle
- 64Bueno
Chelsea
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 16Mendy
- 28Azpilicueta
- 6Thiago Silva
- 2RüdigerBooked at 33mins
- 24James
- 7Kanté
- 14ChalobahBooked at 30minsSubstituted forSaúlat 45'minutes
- 3Alonso
- 19Mount
- 22ZiyechSubstituted forKovacicat 65'minutes
- 10Pulisic
Substitutes
- 1Arrizabalaga
- 8Kovacic
- 13Bettinelli
- 17Saúl
- 18Barkley
- 31Sarr
Live Text
Match ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0, Chelsea 0.
Second Half ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0, Chelsea 0.
Attempt blocked. N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by César Azpilicueta.
Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Trincão replaces Raúl Jiménez.
Attempt missed. Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Mason Mount with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Ki-Jana Hoever.
Hand ball by Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea).
Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Adama Traoré replaces Daniel Podence.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by José Sá.
Attempt saved. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Marcos Alonso.
Attempt blocked. N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mason Mount.
Offside, Chelsea. Mateo Kovacic tries a through ball, but Mason Mount is caught offside.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Leander Dendoncker.
Attempt blocked. Mason Mount (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Mason Mount (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Marçal (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Conor Coady.
Offside, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Rúben Neves tries a through ball, but Ki-Jana Hoever is caught offside.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Conor Coady.
Reece James (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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