Chelsea have their first win in the Premier League this season after a dramatic 6-2 victory at Wolves. There were four goals in a chaotic first 45 minutes, with the hosts twice coming from behind, before Noni Madueke ran riot with a second half hat-trick and Joao Felix came off the bench to score late on.
Nicolas Jackson headed the visitors in front inside two minutes, but Wolves responded by piling on pressure before Matheus Cunha deservedly levelled. Cole Palmer then restored the lead in sublime fashion with a lobbed finish before the break, only for new Wolves centre back Jorgen Strand Larsen to stab home from close range in first half injury time.
But straight after the interval, Madueke’s deflected shot beat Jose Sa and found the net. A crisp finish from inside the area and an angled shot into the corner followed, before Felix side footed in to help ease the pressure on new manager Enzo Maresca.
Express Sport bring you the main talking points here….
Madueke shows his metal
By the time Noni Madueke had deleted his derogatory social media post about the area of Wolverhampton, the damage had long been done. And the Molineux crowd let him know about it as he was roundly jeered at kick-off.
But the response of the 22-year-old spoke volumes, his run and shot in the opening seconds creating the corner that led to the Jackson header, and he proceeded to give home defender Rayan Ait-Nouri a torrid afternoon. His match winning treble was no less than in his display merited, and in a season where you sense Chelsea will need a strong mentality, Madueke doesn’t seem fazed by a bit of hostility.
Chelsea’s expensive midfield issue
The fact that led Chelsea twice in the first half before being pegged back masks the notion they could well have been behind at the break. The hosts missed golden chances through Cunha and Yerson Mosquera in particular as the the away midfield was regularly overrun.
And in the middle of it all, the partnership between Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo appeared all at sea. Indeed, it was the Ecuadorian carelessly losing possession that led to Cunha’s leveller.
The midfield pair don’t look on the same page, despite their staggering combined transfer fee of £222million. Maresca must surely now forget the amount invested, and come up with a change of plan in the engine room for the sake of the team.
Cunha dazzles in defeat
Say what you like about Chelsea’s attacking power, the defending from Gary O’Neill’s side would have left the manager irate. But going forward, he can at least reflect on a superb display from one of his key men.
Matheus Cunha showed the sort of form that has seen him linked to a host of big name clubs, most notably Manchester United. Frequently, he gave Malo Gusto problems, the defender’s frustration seeing him booked after one late challenge too many on the forward, and it was his equaliser that initially pegged Chelsea back.
The Brazilian looks unlikely to move on in this window, but interested parties would have been alerted today. Currently contracted at Wolves until 2027, on this showing, keeping him at the club beyond next summer will prove difficult.
Palmer’s classy reminder
For 44 minutes, Cole Palmer cut a frustrated figure. And then came a reminder to everyone why the Engald forward has just been crowned the PFA Young Player of the Year for last season.
His chipped finish to make it 2-1 was as nonchalant as it was precise. And while Madueke will take the headlines for his hat-trick, FPL managers can be safe in the knowledge it was Palmer who created all three of his goals. Whatever mayhem hits the club, Blues’ fans can be rest assured that the class of Palmer is one constant they can rely on.
Felix applies the finish
Joao Felix wasn’t signed from Atletico Madrid to round off a 6-2 win at Wolves. To start justifying his already impressive CV of clubs played for, the Portuguese star must now produce when it really matters.
But having opened his account in the first game since his return, he has one monkey off his back. Suddenly, Maresca’s dubious decision to brutally axe Raheem Sterling appears that slight bit more understandable.
