Chelsea have been one of the most active clubs in Europe in the transfer window, and have a chance to get their first points of the Premier League season against Wolves on Sunday.
Enzo Maresca’s side were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City in their first game of the league season, but travel to Molineux on Sunday. The club have made huge changes this summer, including 11 signings and on Friday still had a squad of around 40 players. Some have been informed they are surplus to requirements, with Raheem Sterling training alone at home and Ben Chilwell also looking elsewhere.
The Chelsea fans expressed their displeasure with some aspects of the squad, notably the selling of home-grown talent Conor Gallagher, when they beat Servette 2-0 on Thursday in a Europa League Conference qualifier. Follow all the live action from Wolves vs Chelsea in the blog below
70’ – Wolves 2-5 Chelsea
Caicedo is down and needing attention after a big challenge from Mosquera – Chelsea players aren’t happy with the tackle and Cucurella gets right in his face, a few players quickly again coming together to clash for about the third time today.
Mosquera and Cucurella both booked.
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:37
66’ – Wolves 2-5 Chelsea
Well, if Maresca’s Chelsea side is just to be a “we’ll score more than you” type of team, they’ll be well worth watching this term.
Defensively they looked extremely vulnerable in the first half, but in attack Wolves haven’t come close to stopping them.
Joao Felix is coming on for Jackson – a second debut following his earlier loan.
Wolves swap Dawson, Sarabia and Rodrigo Gomes for Ait-Nouri, Cunha and Bellegarde.
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:34
GOAL! 62’ – Wolves 2-5 Chelsea
Could be anything, this. Chelsea under pressure but two passes get them past Wolves’ midfield, Palmer runs in down the right channel and lashes a shot in near post – strikes the outside of the woodwork and wide, he should have passed across to Madueke.
It doesn’t matter though because Palmer immediately has another opportunity this time does roll in Madueke…and he buries his hattrick!
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:31
GOAL! 58’ – Wolves 2-4 Chelsea
And that might be enough for the Blues! Cole Palmer finds space, frees Madueke on the overlap and the right winger drills one through the legs of Sa, who has been beaten by everything today.
It’s 4-2 to Chelsea and they have a two-goal lead for the first time today.
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:25
54’ – Wolves 2-3 Chelsea
Colwill drives past Ait-Nouri who takes him down – the left-back is on a yellow card, remember.
Lemina drills one over the bar from range for Wolves, minutes after the home crowd berate Hwang for moving out of a challenge with Neto.
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:23
GOAL! 49’ – Wolves 2-3 Chelsea
What is going on in this game! Out of nothing again, Chelsea just switch it left to right, Madueke drifts in and shoots – it hits Ait-Nouri and bounces past Sa into the far corner, Chelsea ahead for a third time!
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:15
48’ – Wolves 2-2 Chelsea
Enzo Fernandez robbed of the ball once more – he hasn’t had a great game so far. Wolves looking to keep the pressure on in the middle of the park, where Gomes and Lemina have had the upper hand so far.
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:14
46’ – Wolves 2-2 Chelsea
Back underway. Sub for Chelsea at the break now as Pedro Neto is on for Mudryk. He’s straight into the action against his old team but Mosquera is there to fend him off.
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:12
Well, a lot to unpack there:
Nicolas Jackson headed in the opener with basically the first attack of the game, a corner after two minutes.
The Blues were stronger in that early period but Wolves came back into it, had one disallowed and missed a couple of other chances – then Matheus Cunha barrelled in the equaliser after a great Ait-Nouri run.
It looked like that would be it for the first half as both spurned chances, but a long Sanchez pass found Jackson, who hooked one on for Cole Palmer – and he produced a great lob to put Chelsea back ahead.
In stoppage time at the end of the half, though, Wolves were level once more as Jorgen Strand Larsen stretched out a boot to make it 2-2 from a Toni knock-down.
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 15:03
HT: Wolves 2-2 Chelsea
A wild half comes to a close with a mid-air crash but Gomes and Jackson are fine after some treatment.
Four goals, a whole host of other chances and plenty of very questionable defensive work.
Both managers might want a word to tighten things up!
Karl Matchett25 August 2024 14:57