LONDON, United Kingdom, August 25 – Noni Madueke’s hat-trick gave Chelsea their first Premier League victory of the season as they beat Wolves in a pulsating and chaotic encounter.
Chelsea took the lead after 98 seconds when Cole Palmer’s inswinging corner was inadvertently flicked on by Matheus Cunha and an unmarked Nicolas Jackson nodded in at the back post.
Jackson stoked an already feisty Molineux crowd with his celebrations – and Wolves rallied on the field.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s dazzling run set up Cunha and the livewire Brazilian equalised with a crisp low finish from inside the box, before gesturing towards Jackson.
Palmer then restored Chelsea’s lead with a deft cushioned lob from 30 yards when he spotted Jose Sa off his line.
Wolves got themselves back level for a second time shortly before the break when Jorgen Strand Larsen poked home from the edge of the six-yard box after a free-kick was squared back across goal.
However, England Under-21 forward Madueke’s treble in 14 second-half minutes settled the game as a contest.
The three goals were nearly identical as the winger scored with low angled shots from inside the area, assisted by Palmer on each occasion.
Joao Felix put the gloss on the result late on when he side-footed the ball high into the net from near the penalty spot after being picked out by fellow substitute – and former Wolves winger – Pedro Neto.
Wolves’ villain, Chelsea’s hero
This was a enthralling and frantic contest you simply could not take your eyes off, especially in the first half.
There were breathtaking passages of attacking play and bags of chances, with more needle than an acupuncture clinic.
The fact referee Darren England only brandished the first card of the game shortly after the half-hour mark was nothing short of remarkable.
The fires had already been stoked before the game by an Instagram post by Madueke on Saturday night which appeared to be less than complimentary about the city of Wolverhampton.
A simmering Molineux inevitably jeered the 22-year-old’s every touch, and it would have been easy for him to go missing.
Instead, Madueke got the bit between his teeth early on and did not shirk the challenge despite the catcalls from those in the stands wearing old gold.
His finishing for his three goals was superb, albeit the first strike came via a deflection which flummoxed Sa.
Madueke has now scored more Premier League goals in Wolverhampton than he has at Stamford Bridge (two in 18 games).
Perhaps his view of the place might be different after this memorable afternoon.
‘Unacceptable’ errors cost Wolves
For the second match in succession, and the second time in their history, Wolves fielded a team without an English player in their ranks.
A cosmopolitan side gave everything for the shirt, but their organisation was found wanting – particularly at the back where they were often at sixes and sevens.
Wolves were carved open with ease by Chelsea after the break, with left-back Ait-Nouri regularly culpable and punished for not tracking back.
The departure of former captain and centre-back Max Kilman to West Ham has left a hole which Wolves boss Gary O’Neill – who lamented an error-strewn display – needs to fill before the transfer window shuts.
“We lost our way. They were unacceptable [errors] from us,” O’Neill told BBC Match of the Day.
“I am all for positivity and when the lads do well they know they have done well, but from all of us as a group to concede those three [second-half] goals as we do is unacceptable.
“If you give goals away like we did it was going to be a tough afternoon. We gave Chelsea a lot of help so there is an awful lot I need to fix.”
