On a chilly Christmas Eve, Wolverhampton Wanderers stunned a wasteful Chelsea 2-1, piling upon the misery for Graham Potter’s struggling Blues and sending the home fans into joyous uproar. Wolves, hungry and clinical, exposed Chelsea’s profligacy in front of goal, capitalizing on missed opportunities to secure their second Premier League win over the West London giants in nearly five decades.
Chelsea dominated possession throughout the match but lacked the incisiveness needed to break down a resolute Wolves defense. Armando Broja and Raheem Sterling wasted golden chances in the first half, while Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech were kept at bay by the impressive José Sá in the Wolves goal.
As was the case in the first half, Chelsea made numerous attempts to score, but they were unable to hit the back of the net. Exactly one minute before the hour mark, Wolves made the most of their first genuine opportunity. The Gabon midfielder Mario Lemina was unmarked inside the box when he received a corner kick from Pablo Sarabia. The Gabon midfielder then headed the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Wolves the lead they deserved.
Although Chelsea continued to exert pressure, their level of frustration increased with each missed opportunity. Despite being in a favourable position, Ziyech was unable to get his shot off, and replacement Christopher Nkunku, who was making his Premier League debut, saw his header hit the crossbar with excruciating pressure.
Wolves, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the counter-attack. Pedro Neto and Adama Traoré caused Chelsea’s defense trouble throughout the game, and it was Traoré who provided the assist for Wolves’ second goal in stoppage time. His cross was met by Matt Doherty at the back post, and the Irish defender’s powerful finish sealed the victory for Wolves.
During the last seconds of the match, Nkunku was able to finally bring one back for Chelsea, but it was too little, too late (in other words). The Blues were defeated for the fourth time in their last six league matches, which left them wallowing in tenth position. Meanwhile, Wolves moved up to ninth place, only one point behind their illustrious opponents.
The match brought to light Chelsea’s continued difficulties both in front of and behind the net. Even though they created a great number of opportunities, they did not possess the ruthlessness that was necessary to end the game. During the holiday break, Potter will have a lot of things to think about as he attempts to fix the finishing difficulties of his squad and resuscitate their dwindling prospects of winning the championship.
The victory provided Wolves with a much-needed boost after they had been experiencing a poor run of form. On that particular day, the team led by Bruno Lage shown a remarkable level of resiliency and discipline, demonstrating that they are a formidable adversary. With this victory, which is their second over Chelsea at Molineux this season, the club and its supporters will feel an overwhelming sense of pride. This victory will also serve as the ideal Christmas present for the devoted Wolves pack.