Wolves 2-6 Chelsea (Cunha 27′, Strand Larsen 45’+6 | Jackson 2′, Palmer 45′, Madueke 49′, 58′, 63′, Felix 80′)
MOLINEUX STADIUM — Cole Palmer to Noni Madueke; the new computer code for goals at Chelsea.
In the space of 15 second-half minutes the pair transformed an afternoon that at half-time appeared to be anything but straightforward for a team seemingly programmed to fail by a chaotic transfer policy.
The headlines settle easily on Madueke after a bizarre start to the Sabbath that began with an insult to the city of Wolverhampton, it’s s**t according to his world view, and ended with him falling in love with the place. Well, he was given the freedom of Molineux by the Wolves defence.
Though he finished competently enough, albeit with the help of a deflection for the first of his three goals, it was the poise and passing of Palmer that took the complexity out of a difficult business. Or as Madueke put it: “He is cold, and I am fire.”
In keeping with a motif characteristic of the best left-footed, inside forwards, Palmer glides across the turf rather than pounds it. The ball is always on the toe of his boot until it too skates across the grass, impelled at just the right speed into the path of its target.
Madueke, booed throughout for his earlier observation, barely broke step as he swept the ball and match beyond the reach of Wolves.
“He has got the ability to play the right pass at the right time. All I had to do was step onto it and score,” Madueke said.
Palmer was also central to the move that led to a sixth goal by the returning Joao Felix, who sent one into the roof of the net like a cricketer going to his century with a six.
Mystifyingly Palmer made neither the Premier League team of last year, despite being voted the young player of the year, nor Gareth Southgate’s starting XI at Euro 2024.
If Lee Carsley wants an easy route to acceptance in the caretaker role when England take on Ireland and Finland in the Nations League next month he might make Palmer central to his design.
Enzo Maresca has had his hands full just whittling the Chelsea roster into a matchday squad. The rejection of Raheem Sterling among others has crystallised the anger and frustration of Chelsea fans who no longer recognise their club. Days like this will help them reconnect, especially if Palmer continues to forge a new Chelsea identity like this.
That said, the final scoreline could not have been foreseen at half-times. Though Chelsea opened the scoring in the second minute and Palmer restored the lead in the 45th, lobbing the keeper with typical nonchalance, Wolves were willing partners in a raucous meeting.
Chelsea struggled to control the tempo in the middle of the park, where skipper Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo shipped possession with worrying frequency. Wolves were rapier quick on the counter and as the first half wore on, were the most coherent side.
Palmer’s goal was essentially the third touch in a route one intervention that began with huge punt from keeper Robert Sanchez. Nicolas Jackson, scorer of Chelsea’s opener, lifted the ball over the defender with an outstretched leg and Palmer did the rest, clipping the ball into the net from 20 yards.
Wolves responded with an equaliser from Matheus Cunha, and in the sixth-minute of added time in by Jorgen Strand Larsen, at which point the afternoon appeared to be spiralling toward disaster for Maresca. Forty-five minutes later he looked like a genius, sympathising with opposite number Gary O’Neil as if the outcome was never in doubt.
Maresca has his first Premier League win as Chelsea manager and for the moment at least control of the narrative. Chelsea’s transfer policy is suddenly not the toxic mess it was a week ago when Maresca was having to explain defeat to Manchester City, but a powerful logic playing out.
Maresca acted decisively here to hook Mykhailo Mudryk at half-time. It was not so much that his replacement Pedro Neto had much of an influence. The critical period in the game unfolded down the right.
It was simply that with Mudryk out of the way, Chelsea stopped coughing cheap possession. Mudryk is quick, but it’s all 100mph with him. As the great Michael Holding would maintain in cricket, it is not the bowler’s pace that kills, but the change of pace.
Neto is a clever footballer and will add balance to Chelsea when he beds in. Felix is an instinctive player with an eye for the spectacular. The more control Chelsea can exert the more dangerous he will become. This was Madueke’s day, of course. He ended it with an apology.
“It’s just a human mistake,” he said. “It’s an accident. It wasn’t meant to be out on my socials like that. I’m sure Wolverhampton is a lovely town. I’m sorry. In terms of the boos, I expected it, but it’s part of the game.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/VCDipwu
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