Chelsea experience the joy of six in an away day special as they blow away Wolves 6-2
By Paul Lagan at Molineux
Wolves 2 v Chelsea 6
It's not often the travelling Chelsea fans get to experience the joy of six, but Molineux is a place they will fondly remember it for as the Blues eventually blew away Wolves 6-2.
Noni hit a second half hat trick, ably assisted by Cole Palmer's triple assist but it was a bonkers game of some needless aggression, terrible defending by both sides, clinical finishing and some misplaced luck for the home side.
Chelsea moved up to a dizzy height of seventh with this away day special result.
They say Chelsea need to score at least three goals to give them a chance of winning, such is the porous nature of their defending and this was a classic example.
Even at 5-2 up, there was a sense it could all fall apart
Noni got the first shot away on two minutes, under a chorus of boos from the home fans after he posted less than complimentary things about the city of Wolverhampton. The ball was save by Jose Sa for a corner, from which Nicolas Jackson then nodded home.
He went and goaded the home fans behind the goal and was then surrounded by less than appreciative Wolves players.
Referee Darren England got involved to calm the potential flashpoint down.
The home side should have equalised on 10 minutes, when a set-piece corner almost worked a treat but an unchallenged Yerson Mosquera's glancing header was just wide.
Chelsea almost scored and conceded a goal with seconds on 16 minutes as a quick breakaway by Jackson had the ball snaffled by Sa who quickly orchestrated a counter-attack. Wolves put he ball in the back of the net but Jorgen Strand Larsen was adjudged by linesman and VAR to have been offside.
On 28 minutes, and not for the first time did Moises Caicedo lose possession of the ball in midfield. Chelsea's determination to get the ball back was non-existent and Wolves duly cut the defence apart leaving Matheus Cunha smashed the ball home.
Jackson then had another altercation in the centre-circle with a couple of Wolves players and had to be pulled away.
England again gave him and the home players another talking too.
Chelsea were cut apart three minutes before the break and Cunha smacked the crossbar as the Blues struggled when they don't have the ball at their feet.
Completely against the run of play Sanchez smacked the ball long, Jackson tipped the ball to his right and in-running Cole Palmer opted to lob Sa from 25 yards pout and the ball ended up in the back of the net to put the visitors 2-1 up on the stroke of half-time.
But there was still time for Chelsea to mess things up. A needless free-kick b y Noni was given away and a brilliant set-piece execution saw Jorgen Strand Larsen poke the ball home past Sanchez after it was ping-ponged in the Chelsea penalty area.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca brought on ex-Wolves star Pedro Neto – Mykhailo Mudryk, anonymous in the first 45 minutes remained in the changing room.
Within three minutes of the restart and with their first attack, Noni restored the lead for the Londoners. IT was Palmer who set up Noni, who tried his luck from the right side of the Wolves penalty area and with the help of a slight deflection off Rayan Ait-Nouri, the ball sailed past Sa and into the back of the net.
Noni was at it again on 56 minutes when another simple attack saw Palmer pick up the ball in the inside right position, slide it to Noni who coolly slotted home into the far post to extend the lead to 2-4.
Palmer was at it again, his third assist as he passed to Noni who smashed it home to make it 5-2 on 63 minutes.
With the game all but won, Maresca brought on Joao Felix for Jackson on 68 minutes.
He was soon followed by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who replaced Caicedo on 76 minutes.
Wolves thought they has hit number three when Mario Lemina crashed home from 25 yards but the linesman and VAR agreed Toti was offside.
So what did Chelsea do, they went and scored number six.
This time it was Neto who set up Felix to crash home a right-footer, but it was started by Palmer.
Cucurella then left the field for Renato Veiga, with Palmer existing for Christopher Nkunku – both on 83minutes.
Teams: Chelsea: Sanchez, Cucurella, Colwill, Enzo, Mudryk, Noni, Jackson, Caicedo, Palmer, Gusto, Fofana
Subs: Jorgensen, Tosin, Badiashile, Neto, Felix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Guiu, Veiga
Wolves: Sa, Doherty, Ait-Nouri, Lemina, Gomes, Larsen, Hwang, Cunha, Toti, Bellegarde
Sub: Bentley, Bueno, Traore, Podence, Dawson, Gomes, Doyle, Sarabia, Guedes
Referee: Darren England
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