Chelsea chalked up their first win of the new Premier league season in a 6-2 rout of Wolves, thanks to a sensational display by the Blues’ attack. Winger Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer led the attack and smoked the home side in a chaotic game of football.
The Blues took the lead early on in the game, when Nicolas Jackson found himself with a free header, nodding it brilliantly into the corner. The home side made it level when Matheus Cunha pounced upon Moises Caicedo’s blunder and scored.
Soon after the equalizer, a sensational finish from “ice cold” Palmer restored Chelsea’s lead. However, Jorgen Strand Larsen equalized once again for the hosts just before half time.
As the second half began, the Blues’ were simply unplayable. Palmer set Madueke up for all three of his goals in regular intervals. Joao Felix marked his return to the club by netting a goal late on, at the 80th minute mark.
Chelsea were simply brilliant up front and they showed signs of things to come under Enzo Maresca. However, their defense is still vulnerable. The Blues’ pivots were atrocious for the opening 45 minutes, which was an embarrassing watch dor the fans, as they often gave the ball away cheaply. Stronger sides will take full advantage of this weakness.
For Wolves, Strand Larsen was brilliant making runs in behind, causing trouble to Fofana. There was plenty of attacking prowess but defense was leaking like a fountain pen’s ink. Wolves manager, Gary O’Neill, has urged the board to back him up following consecutive defeats. In the press conference after the game, he said;
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy and today showed just how difficult it would be, everyone knows the financial restrictions we’ve been under since I arrived … selling good players makes you weaker.”
Chelsea Player Ratings: ‘Ice Cold Palmer’ and ‘Fire Madueke’ run riot at the Molineux
As the game ended 6-2 in favor of Chelsea, we will take a look at the Blues’ player performance and rate them.
Goalkeeper and Defenders
Robert Sanchez(6/10): The Spaniard was crucial in the build-ups throughout the game, and got a pre-assist for Palmer’s goal as well. He could not have done anything about either of goals conceded.
Malo Gusto (6/10): The full-back was defensively solid. He won 75% of his tackles and won 71% of his duels. The Frenchman was also very comfortable with the possession of the ball. However, he can improve offensively.
Wesley Fofana (4/10): A performance to forget for the £75m defender. He was poor on the ball and lost most of his duels. He looked very rusty.
Levi Colwill (6/10): The Englishman completed the most passes in the match and was crucial in Chelsea’s buildup. Defensively solid as well, having a 100% tackle accuracy, but still not good enough.
Marc Cucurella (6.5/10): The Euro champ was brilliant on the ball, with most passes into the final third from the defense. He was defensively solid as well, apart from a few instances of one-on-ones. One of the best defenders in the club right now.
Midfielders and Forwards
Moises Caicedo (4/10): Terrible performance by the £100m midfielder. His blunder led to Wolves’ first goal, lost the ball very often. He was not able to dictate the midfield at all.
Enzo Fernandez (5/10): The Argentine was under pressure in the second half, lack of communication with his pivot partner was visible. However, his passing improved in the second half and was instrumental in the 5th goal.
Noni Madueke (9/10): Outstanding performance by the winger. He was booed for his social media comment on Wolverhampton and he responded with a 14-minute hattrick. He was a constant threat throughout the game.
Cole Palmer (9.5/10) POTM*: Chelsea’s player of the year showed why he deserved it! He was the sole creator of the Blues’, him and the no.10 role is a match made in heaven. A sensational goal and a hattrick of assists, he is set for another great season. He is our player of the match.
Mykhailo Mudryk (4/10): Awful performance from the 23-year old. Did not create a single opportunity and only touched the ball 13 times. The manager was frustrated and took him off immediately after the first half whistle. Tough times ahead for the youngster.
Nicolas Jackson (7.5/10): Showed a lot of improvement from his previous outing by scoring a goal. Linked up beautifully with Palmer and set him up for the second goal. This performance will give him a lot of confidence heading forward into the season.
Substitutes
Pedro Neto (6.5/10): The Portuguese was impressive when he came on in the second half replacing Mudryk. Gave a brilliant assist for Joao Felix’s goal.
Joao Felix (7/10): Replaced Jackson in the second half and marked his comeback at the club in style with a brilliant finish.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (6/10): He was much better on the ball when he replaced Caicedo. He played only 15 minutes, therefore could not make such an impact.
Christopher Nkunku (6/10): Replaced Palmer in the 83rd minute. Could not contribute much in that short period of time.
Renato Veiga (6/10): Replaced Marc Cucurella late on, did his job defensively.
Chelsea Manager
Enzo Maresca (7/10): The Italian manager tactically outclassed Gary O’Neill in the second half. Although his decision to start Mudryk over Nkunku and Neto was questionable, rest of his tactics were spot on. The manager will be delighted to bag three crucial points after a disappointing opening week defeat against Manchester City.
However, he must not get carried away from this win and address the problems in midfield and defense. Any stronger team would have punished Chelsea for their carelessness in the middle of the park and defensively.
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