Noni Madueke scored a hat-trick in the second half to give Chelsea their first win of the 2024/25 Premier League season against Wolves on Sunday.
A lively atmosphere in Wolves’ first home game of the season was quickly dampened by Nicolas Jackson’s early opener for Chelsea. The Senegalese striker found himself unmarked at the back-post to head home his first goal of the season.
Matheus Cunha, who came into the line-up for Rodrigo Gomes, thought he netted the equaliser for Wolves following a well-worked move with new signing Jorgen Strand Larsen – only to see his celebrations cut short by the offside flag.
He wouldn’t be denied on the second time of asking though, curling the ball into the back of the net after some neat work by left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri around the edge of the box.
Cunha wasted no time in letting Jackson know about the equaliser, which led to another tussle between both teams which the match officials had to split up.
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After equalising, the hosts looked the better side but it was Chelsea who restored their lead just before the interval as Cole Palmer, who was cautioned moments earlier as his frustration in the game grew, spotted Jose Sa off his line and lifted his first-time effort over the keeper.
The advantage was short-lived for Enzo Maresca’s side, following a well-worked set piece routine saw Yerson Mosquera head the ball back across the face of goal to the outstretched leg of Strand Larsen, who made no mistake in front of goal.
The second half picked up from where the first left off, as pantomime villain Madueke wasted no time in restoring the lead for Chelsea just after the break. Things then went from bad to worse for Wolves, with Madueke netting his second and third of the afternoon just after the hour mark.
It was a sucker punch for Gary O’Neil’s side, who had no answer to Chelsea’s electric start to the second half.
To add insult to injury, Mario Lemina’s stunning effort was ruled out for offside before substitute Joao Felix added a sixth for the visitors on his second debut for the club.
Enzo Maresca avoids becoming the first manager at Stamford Bridge to lose the opening two league games of the season for 50 years, while Wolves’ run of Premier League defeats stretches to five.
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