Frank Lampard's return to Chelsea got off to an underwhelming start as the Blues put in a drab performance to be beaten by Wolves.
Matheus Nunes' stunning strike was the highlight of an otherwise uninspiring match which saw two blunt attacks go up against each other at Molineux. The Wolves midfielder belted into the top corner before half-time to give Julen Lopetegui's side the lead and they comfortably held onto it, with Chelsea completely devoid of ideas in attack.
Lampard picked a 4-3-3 formation for his first game since being appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season, but the front three of Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix offered very little.
He changed things around in the second half, bringing on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Christian Pulisic, yet they simply provided more of the same.
Chelsea have now managed to score just 29 goals in 30 Premier League games and sit 11th, way adrift of the top four. Wolves, meanwhile, have climbed into mid-table and look set to avoid a nervy conclusion to the season.
Here are Mirror Football's talking points from the game.
Goal of the season contender
What a way to score your first goal for the club.
Nunes has been largely disappointing for Wolves since joining the club in a £38million transfer in August. In 30 appearances before this game he had returned just a solitary assist, so his rocket came as a big surprise.
The ball sat up nicely and Cucurella’s failure to close him down encouraged a shot, but what a shot it was. The right-footed strike was very pleasing on the eye, arcing perfectly into the top corner past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Wolves fans will want plenty more goals from the Portuguese midfielder, but his first one will always be remembered fondly.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Wolves stay up and can Chelsea salvage their season? Comment below.
Hapless Havertz
Chelsea need a striker, that much is obvious. The club has spent upwards of £550million since the Todd Boehly Clearlake-Capital consortium took over last May and they are still desperately poor in the opposition box.
He may be a shadow of his former self now, but Diego Costa’s presence on the other team served as a timely reminder of how good Chelsea used to have it up front. Havertz is not the conventional No.9 and he emphasises that point every week by failing to perform the tasks required of a striker.
Havertz left the pitch in the 60th minute having managed to have one blocked shot, while he completed just 11 passes in total. He simply isn’t the man for the job – despite being available all season, he now has just nine goals and one assist in all competitions.
To be fair, he wasn’t given much help by Felix and Sterling, who were just as anonymous. The problem runs deep for Chelsea.
No spark
Having options like Aubameyang, Pulisic, Mudryk and Ben Chilwell on the bench is something most Premier League managers would dream of. Lampard gave them plenty of time, ringing the changes in the 67th minute, but his substitutes offered absolutely nothing.
The only way Chelsea threatened in the match was through Reece James on the overlap. Their wingers - Felix and Sterling initially and then Mudryk and Pulisic - did not cause any problems to the Wolves full-backs.
In midfield there was no zip, with Conor Gallagher running around a lot off the ball, but ineffective on it, while Enzo Fernandez and Mateo Kovacic did not pick apart the Wolves back line.
Chelsea have a huge squad packed full of internationals, yet they are not clicking at all.
Shearer's misplaced faith
Chelsea face Real Madrid on Wednesday. That’s the Spanish, European and world champions, Real Madrid.
Alan Shearer is confident of their chances against Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he went on and won the Champions League,” he said on the BBC. “What a turnaround that would be.”
On this evidence that confidence is misplaced. Chelsea were completely lacklustre in every department, with no signs of the classic new manager bounce.
They were ponderous in the build-up, shaky at the back and fairly clueless in the final third. Dreams of winning the Champions League seem fanciful at best right now.
Wolves pull clear of trouble
Wolves are now up to 12th place in the Premier League table and are four points above the relegation zone, and one place below Chelsea.
They did not sparkle against Chelsea – and rarely have this season – but there is no doubt that Julen Lopetegui has improved them since arriving in November to replace Bruno Lage.
Wolves were in the relegation zone when Lopetegui arrived and he has embarked upon steady if unspectacular progress ever since, winning seven and drawing five of his 19 matches in charge.
There are still some square pegs in round holes – and, like Chelsea, a goalscorer is needed desperately – but it looks as though they will be going into the summer with a renewed sense of direction.
