Chelsea secured a vital 3-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers, propelling them back into the Premier League's top four.
The match, played on Monday night, saw goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella, and Noni Madueke for Chelsea, while Matt Doherty scored for Wolves just before halftime.
Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “The first 40 minutes, we were top. The performance was excellent, and we dominated the game. We scored and created many more chances.”
However, he acknowledged a brief lapse towards the end of the first half, noting, “Then in the last five minutes what has been happening in the last five games happened again. Wolves had a little bit of confidence and got their goal and then we started to struggle a little bit.”
The second half saw Chelsea regain control after a somewhat shaky end to the first. Maresca added, “In the Second half, we started quite well, and then after the second and third goals, we were in control.”
The victory was particularly sweet for Chelsea, who had not won in their last five league games despite creating numerous scoring opportunities.
Maresca reflected on this, saying, “In the last five games we didn’t win but I said many times that the performance was there. We created many chances but didn’t score. Tonight we finally scored and got three goals.”
Looking ahead to their next challenge, Chelsea are set to face Manchester City this weekend. Maresca remained focused on the present, commenting, “For now, we are happy that we won this game. Then tomorrow we start thinking about City, which will for sure be a tough game.”
For Wolves, the loss keeps them in a precarious position. They are still seeking their first clean sheet in London since February 2022. Despite the defeat, Wolves showed resilience, especially with Doherty’s goal providing a glimmer of hope.
However, Chelsea’s set-piece execution proved decisive, with Wolves conceding their 19th goal from such plays in the league this season.
This result not only underlines Chelsea’s resurgence but also sets the stage for an exciting clash with Manchester City, while Wolves will look to bounce back when they host Arsenal.
