Chelsea stop the rot by biting back in second half against Wolves

It was Chelsea's first win in the Premier League since December 15th. 

MAKING HIS MARC: Chelsea's Marc Cucurella celebrates putting his side in the lead against Wolves. Picture: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire.

Premier League: Chelsea 3 Wolves 1

Chelsea moved back above Manchester City into the top four of the Premier League, although this, their first victory in six league games, was far from straightforward against a struggling Wolves side whose weakness at set-pieces cost them dear again.

Tosin Adarabioyo's 24th minute opener for Chelsea was equalised by Matt Doherty after a howler from Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea goal, but two goals in five minutes after an hour sealed the points for Enzo Maresca's side.

The three points allowed them to overtake City, although they are still ten points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

There was good news for Maresca before kickoff when Cole Palmer was able to start, having been a fitness doubt at the weekend, although Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandes were absent.

Trevoh Chalobah moved straight into the back four for his first Chelsea game since last May, having been recalled from his loan at Crystal Palace last week, and made a superb early interception as Jorgen Strand Larsen ran in on goal. It was also a first Premier League start in ten weeks for Reece James, with the Chelsea captain finding his feet again after his latest injury.

James looked assured from the start, lofting a lovely pass forward for Madueke to make a threatening run in the early stages, and then sniffing out danger whenever Wolves tried to break. The opening half of the first half was one-way traffic, with Chelsea camped in the Wolves half as they probed for an opening goal. Palmer went close twice, one shot curled wide of the far post from 16 yards, and another low drive spilled by Jose Sa and cleared by one of his defenders.

Wolves have conceded more goals from set-pieces than any other side in the top flight this season, the figure of 17 before kick-off rising to 19 by the end of this game, so it was no great surprise that Chelsea scored in the aftermath of a corner. Doherty almost headed a long punt from Chelsea's back line past Sa, who had run rather rashly to the edge of his area. The Dubliner recovered to clear the ball, but when the subsequent corner was only half-cleared, James drove a low shot into a crowded penalty area, and Adarabioyo was able to control the ball in front of goal and steer it past Sa. A raised flag appeared to dash Chelsea's hopes, but VAR discovered that although three or four Chelsea players were offside, Adarabioyo was not one of them.

Wolves had offered little attacking threat at this point, so it should have been Chelsea's cue to take control. But strangely they went on the back foot and allowed the visitors to start imposing themselves. Mattheus Cunha had one shot deflected into the arms of Sanchez and then headed wide of the far post.

The equaliser, in first half stoppage time, was a gift for Doherty and a nightmare for Sanchez. Cunha's corner from the left should have been a straightforward catch for the keeper, but he dropped the ball in front of goal and Doherty was quickest to react and stab it over the line from close range.

Chelsea looked deflated but only had themselves to blame.

But they regained control of the game with two goals in a five-minute spell after an hour. Cucurella put them ahead in the 60th minute when he sprinted from the halfway line to meet a cross from Madueke that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had flicked on with a glancing header. The Spanish left-back controlled the ball with his chest and was falling as he poked it past Sa from close range.

Five minutes later Wolves failed to deal with a set-piece again and it was 3-1. After Nicolas Jackson was fouled wide on the left, Palmer swung in a deep free-kick, Chalobah headed it goalwards and Madueke nodded it over the line from barely six inches, although it did not stop the young winger celebrating as if he had scored with a 30 yard thunderbolt.

Half-chances came and went, with the luckless Jackson shooting wastefully wide in the closing stages, as Chelsea ended victorious in the league for the first time since December 15th.

Chelsea 4-2-3-1: Sanchez 5; James 7 (Gusto 76), Adarabioyo 7; Chalobah 8, Cucurella 6; Caicedo 7, Dewsbury-Hall 6 (Disasi 76); Madueke 7 (George 84), Palmer 7 (Felix 84), Neto 6 (Sancho 61); Jackson 5 

Wolves 3-4-3: Sa 6; Doherty 6, Bueno 6, Agbadou 6; Semedo 6, Andre 6 (R Gomes 74), J Gomes 6, Ait-Nouri 6 (Bellegarde 74) ; Sarabia 6 (Guedes 74), Strand-Larsen 5, Cunha 7.

Referee: Simon Hooper 7/10