Chelsea squandered their first-half lead as they were beaten 2-1 by Wolves at Molineux on Wednesday evening.
Goals from Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota in the second half saw the newly-promoted side come from behind after Ruben Loftus-Cheek had opened the scoring, shocking the Blues into their second Premier League defeat of the season.
Maurizio Sarri’s side started on the front foot in the West Midlands and when released inside the opposing penalty area, Eden Hazard should have broken the deadlock but his shot was tame. However, it wasn’t long before his team-mate did what he had failed to do.
Loftus-Cheek received the ball on the left-hand side and after jinxing past the defender, fired a low strike towards goal which took a big deflection off Conor Coady and wrongfooted Rui Patricio on its way into the net.
Just moments later, Willian almost doubled the visitors’ advantage but his rocket of a free-kick was magnificently tipped over at full stretch by Wolves’ Portuguese stopper. The former Shakhtar winger then really should’ve got on the scoresheet as he was played through on goal by Hazard but after getting the ball stuck in his feet, Ryan Bennett came across and made a fantastic last-ditch tackle.
But Chelsea’s failure to take their chances in the first half would come back to haunt them in the second period as the home side took over.
Following another great tackle at the last minute from Willy Boly and a long-range strike from N’Golo Kante that whistled wide, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men found a way back into the contest. Morgan Gibbs-White’s lung-busting run through midfield led to him sliding the ball into the path of Jimenez who drilled a shot between the legs of Kepa and into the back of the net.
Less than five minutes later, Wolves went in front. Some lacklustre passing from Chelsea gave Matt Doherty the chance to aim a low cross towards Diogo Jota at the back post who had the simple task of slamming the ball into an empty net with just the home side’s second shot on target of the game.
Hazard looked to bring the game level soon after but his shot from the edge of the box flew narrowly over the crossbar before Cesc Fabregas failed to test Patricio when the ball sat up nicely for him 18 yards out. Resolute defending stopped the Blues from getting another goal and condemned Sarri to his second Premier League loss in his last three matches.
The fixtures don’t get any easier for him and his players who face champions Manchester City on Saturday afternoon at Stamford Bridge.
