December 24, (THEWILL) – Chelsea’s poor run of form continued as they fell to a 2-1 defeat away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. Second-half goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty earned the win for the home side, who were good value for the three points after creating the better chances.
Chelsea had started brightly but were unable to make their early pressure count. Raheem Sterling spurned several good opportunities, while Armando Broja missed a gilt-edged opening when clean through on goal. Wolves grew into the game though and went close themselves through Pablo Sarabia and Hee Chan Hwang before the break.
The decisive moment came just after halftime when Lemina headed Wolves in front from a corner. Chelsea’s marking was non-existent as the Gabonese midfielder rose unchallenged to guide the ball into the far corner. Mauricio Pochettino’s side struggled to find an equaliser but lacked a cutting edge in the final third, with summer signing Christopher Nkunku introduced from the bench to bring the goals.
However, a breakaway goal from Doherty in stoppage time sealed a deserved success for Gary O’Neil’s determined side. Nkunku did find a late consolation header for the visitors, but it mattered little as Chelsea succumbed to a fourth straight league loss on the road.
The result leaves Chelsea down in 10th position and with plenty of work to do to resurrect their faltering season. 11th-placed Wolves meanwhile continue their steady progress under O’Neil and will view this as another significant step forward.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
