Chelsea was evidently in need of a win after losing its last six matches and played superbly on Monday evening to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers by a convincing scoreline of 3-1. The three goals consequently scored by Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella, and Noni Madueke pulled Chelsea back into a top-four spot that they had so long occupied until last month. They are now under threat, with Manchester City a point behind them and Newcastle United also on 52 points.
This was a very special victory not just for Chelsea fans happy in Stamford Bridge but for those who have pinned hopes on Chelsea pushing the west London outfit back into the top four. The victory has seen Chelsea edge nudging aside Manchester City and Newcastle United to fourth place in the standings for qualification into the next season Champions League, while Wolves survived relegation on goal difference, only two points ahead of Ipswich Town.
For Chelsea, winning was not practically the most important thing from the game; they also had to restore the trust and faith in themselves after a string of disappointing results. The Blues started the game with a lot of physical intent and reached to the lead by the 24th minute thrice in the entire event.
In a very bad turn, goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, who until then had not put a foot wrong in the encounter, made a mistake on the stroke of halftime. A good delivered corner by Wolves found its way into the Chelsea’s box, and Sánchez fumbled as well under pressure while Doherty found the loose ball to become an unlikely savior and maintain the Menswonders in first-half injury time. For a few minutes, Chelsea fans were fearing the worst, considering their recent narrow escapes from leading positions.
Chelsea responded with renewed zeal in the second half. Just after the hour mark, Marc Cucurella read the game well and placed the ball neatly in the goal after a flicked-on header by debutant Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. And the fans were at rest, but the team wasn’t finished just yet.
Five minutes later; Noni Madueke’s name joined the score sheet to win the game. “The goal came through a header by debutant Trevoh Chalobah, who marked his first appearance at the Bridge after being recalled from Crystal Palace,” Madueke was able to say after following up instinctively on the ball as it crossed the line, with a brief nod ensuring the goal. Madueke told Sky Sports afterward: “It’s instinct. Attacker’s instinct,” he said. “I knew it was going over the line. I said sorry to Trevoh after. I had to put this in the net for sure.”
Chalobah, having been in a good track in defense since getting more Chelsea, was not sad for the goal snatching incident. In fact, he was taking it typically since Madueke’s role was to score goals that striker had to finish. “He was saying ‘No way you took my goal,’ but I said: ‘You have to understand, this is what they pay me for.'”
After the result, Chelsea remained second with just 40 points in 22 games: 10 points behind Liverpool who sit at the zenith of the Premier League. Before Manchester City week, the stamina of this performance must radiate Chelsea to press through a strong weekend. The squad now trails Arsenal and Nottingham Forest by four points for second place, two points ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle United.
The return of captain Reece James to the club was another significant addition. James played his first match since his latest knock injury. Coach Enzo celebrated with his captain’s contribution and the overall display of the team.
The performance up to 40 minutes was good; then we suffered in the last five minutes,” he said Maresca. “They scored the goal and we lost a little bit of confidence, which has happened a few times this season. We need to learn to manage these situations better. The second half started with good results, as we scored the goals. In total, we deserved to win the game.”
It also meant that after a spell of five matches without a single victory, winning was very important for Chelsea. The team showed resilience from a Wolves equalizer and demonstrated growth and maturity in the measures they implemented with the second half. Despite certain injuries to key players such as Wesley Fofana and Badiashile, the defense of Blues looked stronger mainly because of Chalobah’s presence. Not only was defender Levi Colwill lost, but also central midfielders Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernández; there was an absence during the meeting.
This win espouses Chelsea to move forward without a lag in their efforts for a top-four finish. It was not the best victory against Wolves, but it was a start–great in terms of helping to jump-start Chelsea into their next match against Manchester City on Saturday. More encouraging for the Chelsea team this year would be a feeling of confidence due to performance relative to the previous match. They are set to take advantage of that and assure the team of potential improvements in their next match.
The ebb and flow of Chelsea’s form demonstrates how much they will have to be at their best as the race for a top-four finish intensifies.