24 December 2023 , 15:00
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Chelsea's away woes continued on Sunday, with Mario Lemina 's header setting Wolves on course for a valuable victory over the underperforming London side.
Mauricio Pochettino 's team will have wanted to put a year to forget behind them, and started sharply at Molineux after the boss named an attacking starting line-up. They missed plenty of first-half chances, though, and it was Wolves who struck first through Lemina.
It was the Gabon international's third goal of the season, the most he's managed in a single campaign. Chelsea came close when Christopher Nkunku's effort was cleared off the line, but couldn't find that crucial leveller and were punished late on as Matt Doherty doubled Wolves' lead, with Nkunku's first Premier League goal only a consolation.
The result is just the latest frustration for the London side, who continue to flounder in the Todd Boehly era. After finishing in the bottom half last season, they're in danger of failing to qualify for Europe for a second successive season.
An open first half saw both teams threaten to take an early lead, with the best opportunity going the way of the visitors. Chelsea had three men bearing down on goal after Raheem Sterling picked Joao Gomes' pocked, but the England man went it alone and failed to score.
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Wolves had chances of their own, with arguably the best falling to Hwang Hee-chan. The hosts' top scorer couldn't hit the target as he bore down on Djordje Petrovic's goal, though.
Petrovic came to Chelsea's rescue early in the second half to keep Toti's header out, but moments later the Blues were behind. They knocked at the door time and time again as they looked to get back on terms, pushing during 11 added minutes, but Doherty's effort made their job that much tougher and Nkunku's goal came too late.
1. Sterling wasteful after bright start
Chelsea lined up in something which looked like it might approximate a 4-4-2 formation, with Armando Broja partnering Nicolas Jackson up front for the first time. That wasn't quite how things shaped up on the field, though, with the Albanian striker operating fron the right to begin with and only moving central when Jackson made way for Noni Madueke late on.
With Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer also in the starting XI, the visitors had plenty to work with going forward. However, the selection also meant gaps were left, and Wolves managed to break in numbers on more than one occasion.
What did you make of the game at Molineux? Have your say in the comments section
Raheem Sterling missed Chelsea's best chance of the first half (AFP via Getty Images)As has often been the case this term, Sterling was the principal attacking threat, with a foul from Mario Lemina on the edge of the box stopping one threatening run. When the best chance of them all arrived, though, Sterling opted to shoot instead of feeding Jackson for an open goal and couldn't beat Jose Sa.
Sterling ended up going into the book for simulation, meaning he'll miss Chelsea's next game. He'll want to make amends when he returns.
2. Captain Gallagher asked to do a lot
Mauricio Pochettino's decision to persist with Conor Gallagher as captain could be seen as a message to the higher-ups. There have been suggestions the midfielder could be allowed to leave as the Blues look to balance the books, but giving him the armband - ahead of Thiago Silva, who started at Molineux and skippered the side multiple times last term - feels like the manager's way of showing who he wants to build around.
A first-half booking left the midfielder walking a tightrope, especially considering how open Chelsea's formation left things. His task was made more challenging when Lesley Ugochukwu made way midway through the second half, and Wolves may feel a sliding foul warranted a second booking.
Conor Gallagher was booked in the first half (Ryan Browne/REX/Shutterstock)It's all about balance, and Pochettino's gamble played its part in Chelsea creating plenty. It didn't look especially sustainable, given the amount of pressure put on the midfield, though to Pochettino's credit there weren't too many other options on this occasion.
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3. Lavia return can't come soon enough
Four months have passed since Chelsea signed Romeo Lavia from Southampton, but injury has meant this was his first appearance in a Blues matchday squad.
Chelsea were already missing Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez going into the game, thanks to illness and injury. It's hardly what Mauricio Pochettino would have been expecting things to look like, but the manager will know by now that excuses will only take his team so far.
Romeo Lavia was an unused sub (Ryan Browne/REX/Shutterstock)The fact that Pochettino didn't turn to Lavia even at 1-0 down suggests he's not quite there yet fitness-wise, and the last thing the Blues want is another injury setback. Still, after more midfield worries, they'll want him fit and firing as soon as possible.
4. Wolves respond after West Ham disappointment
Gary O'Neil will have had reason to feel frustrated by his team's display at West Ham, when they failed to get into the game in a 3-0 defeat. There were shoots of recovery in the first half but still no goal, meaning Lemina's opener will have brought relief as much as joy.
Wolves haven't been at their best on the road, but the six league games at Molineux before Chelsea's visit brought 12 points. While the openness of their set-up left Chelsea with plenty of chances, something appeared to be working for the most part, and they made it seven home league games unbeaten.
Matt Doherty scored Wolves' second (Ryan Browne/REX/Shutterstock)There was still profligacy, of course, with Hwang's first-half miss one of a few moments of frustration, but there was never any doubt about Doherty's clincher as the Irishman calmly stroked home his first goal of the season. The overall level of creation still ought to reassure O'Neil, too, as he looks to improve on last season's finish.
5. Pochettino forced to look to the future
Going into the game, Chelsea knew they'd end the weekend in 10th barring a heavy defeat. It's hardly what the club's owners will have wanted after their significant investment, but there is at least a sense that Mauricio Pochettino will be iven more time than predecessor Graham Potter.
There were some green shoots, not least the performance of backup keeper Petrovic and the threat from the bench of Nkunku after his long absence. This is a results business, though, and the results haven;t been coming.
Chelsea will now need to regroup and yet ready for their next matchh, against Crystal Palace on December 27. At least it's a fixture they won last season, though, with the now-departed Kai Havertz scoring the only goal of the game.