Hwang Hee-chan missed the first game under Vitor Pereira. He needs to show training results and attacking indicators on the field that can restore trust.

Wolverhampton Wanderers lost 1-3 to Chelsea in the 22nd round of the 2024-2025 English Premier League (PL) at Stamford Bridge in London, England. Wolverhampton is tied with relegation zone Ipswich Town with 16 points and is in 17th place in the league due to a higher goal difference.

Hwang Hee-chan started on the bench that day. It was hard to say that his recent performance was good. He seemed to be gaining momentum by scoring in succession against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, but he showed poor performance throughout the first half of the English FA Cup 3rd round (round of 64) against Bristol City on the 11th and gave up a free kick in extra time in the first half, giving him an excuse to concede a goal. In the league match against Newcastle United that followed, he failed to show much activity and was replaced by Matheus Cunha at the start of the second half. In this match, he watched the match from the bench.

Manager Pereira chose Pablo Sarabia as Cunha's partner instead of Hwang Hee-chan. Sarabia showed a colorless performance overall. So he was replaced in the 29th minute of the second half, and Manager Pereira brought in Goncalo Guedes instead of replacing Hwang Hee-chan. They were down 1-3 and needed to score, but the fact that they expected other players rather than Hwang Hee-chan shows that Hwang Hee-chan's position is shaken.

In a press conference before the match, he said, "Hwang Hee-chan is our player who is doing his best in training and fighting himself to improve his scoring ability. He is pushing himself through training and matches, which means he needs help. Now is the time to support Hwang Hee-chan," and hoped that fans would cheer him on rather than criticize him.

He also emphasized to Hwang Hee-chan that he should “enjoy the game, enjoy his qualities, and enjoy life. There is no need to think too much right now,” and that Hwang Hee-chan should focus on himself rather than external views.

There are still games left for Hwang Hee-chan to get another chance. Starting with the Chelsea match, Wolverhampton will face Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Liverpool in the league. Between the Villa and Liverpool matches, there will also be the FA Cup 4th round match against Blackburn Rovers. Given the difficult schedule, Hwang Hee-chan will have a chance to start, and if he can make up for the disappointing performances in the past matches, he can easily make a comeback as a regular.