Chelsea transitioned seamlessly from the Graham Potter era to the second coming of Frank Lampard with defeat at Wolves. Bar a few tactical tweaks and personnel changes, it was the same meek and tired team that has plodded its way to mid-table mediocrity.
Even Lampard will have shown begrudging respect for Matheus Nunes’s ferocious winner in the first half but little else would have brought enjoyment on his return to the Chelsea dugout.
The fast-paced and short notice of Lampard’s appointment meant Julen Lopetegui welcomed the now departed “Bruno Saltor and his staff” to Wolverhampton in his programme notes. The caretaker stuck with Kepa Arrizabalaga, a goalkeeper Lampard replaced with the Molineux substitute Édouard Mendy in his first spell as manager, but dispensed with the three central defenders in front of him, selecting a back four instead.
One of the criticisms of the teams Lampard has managed thus far is that the defences are disorganised and leaky, meaning the opportunity to restart his Chelsea relationship against the joint-lowest scorers in the league seemed ideal. The fairytale enthusiasts among the away fans would have been worried to see Diego Costa start but, without a goal in 18 Wolves appearances, his threat has diminished since leaving Stamford Bridge.
There were no obvious early signs of the returning manager bounce; Chelsea offered no extra zip or threat, creating no chances of note in the opening half, instead looking like a team low on confidence and ideas. Although Chelsea controlled possession, Wolves did not look perturbed and were dangerous on the break.
In the Wolverhampton sunshine the game offered the intensity of an end-of-season fixture between two mid-table teams. Considering this was the only chance for Chelsea players to prove their worth prior to facing Real Madrid, it was a tame effort.
In the 27th minute the 10th corner of the match led to the first real scare for Chelsea when Mario Lemina volleyed a clearance to the edge of the box back at goal, only to see Wesley Fofana’s foot divert it to the wrong side of the post. Wolves were accumulating corners with regularity, a sign of the pressure they were applying to the Chelsea defence.
It told when the latest in a series of attacks saw Kalidou Koulibaly head a pass in the direction of Matheus Nunes, who had been left in space on the right of the area, from where he unleashed a volley across Arrizabalaga, leaving the goalkeeper relieved his fingertips did not bear the brunt of the force. It was a moment of incredible individual brilliance that will allow the netting manufacturer to boast of their product staying firm against such brutality. Lopetegui, knowing its significance in a relegation battle, was very matter-of-fact. “It doesn’t matter if the goal is beautiful or not to me,” he said, “as long as it is a goal for us.”
Wolves were missing their own talismanic No 8 in midfield with the captain, Rúben Neves, suspended for the match. Any thought Chelsea could make the most of this were unfounded, with Wolves dominant in the centre. Enzo Fernández struggled in the deepest role and Mateo Kovacic was unable to stem the flow of attacks, while Conor Gallagher was given the freedom to push forward but struggled to replicate his manager’s playing days. Madrid’s midfield will not fear this trio.
Nunes’s goal added further stress and pressure for Chelsea to cope with and they were unable to do so. Raheem Sterling was anonymous, up against effectively Wolves’ third-choice left-back Toti, while Kai Havertz’s withdrawal after 61 minutes was cheered by the away fans. They were reliant on João Félix’s attempts to provide moments of individual quality. In the first half the forward repeatedly tried to cut in from the left to cause problems and was given greater freedom after the break to do the same from a more central position.
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The tweaks improved Chelsea and they were dominating possession once more and actually gave the impression they would do something worthwhile with it. Lampard tried to make the most of the upturn with a triple substitution bringing on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ben Chilwell and Mykhailo Mudryk for the final quarter against a tiring Wolves.
Aubameyang had Chelsea’s best chance but as always a Wolves shirt was in the way and the Blues would end the match with one shot on target. The win takes Wolves up to 12th, one place behind Chelsea thanks to the improvement under Lopetegui, having taken charge of his first game when they were bottom, something Lampard will be desperate to replicate.
