CHELSEA cruised to a 2-0 victory against toothless, managerless Wolves.
Graham Potter has made it three wins in a week as Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Armando Broja scored the goals to put this beyond their opponents.
Christian Pulisic looked back to his best after a difficult few months at Stamford Bridge
Jorginho had one of his quieter afternoons but Chelsea’s dominance meant it did not matter much
The Blues are getting back on track both domestically and in Europe under Potter’s management after their awkward start to the season under Thomas Tuchel.
And this win came despite wholesale changes to the line-up which did not impress Chelsea fans.
But it was a victory with a daunting trip to the San Siro on the horizon.
Here’s how SunSport’s Kiro Evans rated the Blues…
Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6
The keeper had to make a decent save down to his left from a Joao Moutinho free-kick in the first half but otherwise Kepa was not tested all that much.
He did have a tricky moment early in the second half as he attempted to punch a cross but missed it. But otherwise he remains solid and dependable since his return from exile.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 8
It’s no easy job replacing Reece James these days but Cesar Azpilicueta did a convincing impression of the Chelsea star down the right.
His first half-crossing created multiple scoring opportunities and he often found himself in dangerous positions on the flank.
Questions remain defensively, but this was the 33-year-old’s most impressive performance for some time.
Trevoh Chalobah – 7
The prospect of Diego Costa returning to his former home would likely have had Chelsea fans fearing the worst for Trevoh Chalobah.
But he was solid, reliable and did not become overawed by the returning striker who was subbed off before the hour.
Despite the fanfare, Diego Costa struggled to lay a glove on the Chelsea defence as he returned to West London
Kalidou Koulibaly – 7
This was fairly straightforward for the defender, who kept things marshalled well at the back.
It helped that Wolves were toothless and unimaginative but the 31-year-old was still solid and reassuring at the back.
Marc Cucurella – 6
Adama Traore vs Marc Cucurella almost seems like a mismatch but the petite full-back was more than his match.
In fact, Cucurella kept the winger quiet all afternoon and provided a brilliant block from a Daniel Podence shot in the second-half.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 7
This was one of Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s better performances in a Chelsea shirt, with the midfielder particularly impressive before half-time.
The 26-year-old was helping Gallagher and Mount run the midfield and was brilliant at recycling the ball and helping the Blues retain pressure on the Wolves goal.
After the second goal, he sensibly dropped deeper to help the home side defend their lead.
Jorginho – 6
Jorginho had a surprisingly quiet afternoon, but perhaps it’s not hard to understand why.
It was one-way traffic in the first half with Chelsea dominating possession and territory to such an extent that Jorginho almost got bypassed as the Blues shuffled the ball into the final third.
The Italian could have made a bigger impact.
Conor Gallagher – 7
While he trailed off as an attacking entity in the second half, Conor Gallagher was very impressive in the first.
The 22-year-old combined well with Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount and thrived at linking up play and exploiting the many gaps Wolves left in their defence.
Mason Mount – 8
Along with Gallagher, Mount was pulling the strings in the Chelsea midfield. His two very different assists was a testament to his creative flair all game, and Wolves simply couldn’t live with him.
The quick, snappy football that Graham Potter has rapidly introduced seems to be playing to the midfielder’s strengths.
Christian Pulisic – 7
Christian Pulisic couldn’t have look more relieved when he poked the ball past Jose Sa to score a delightful chip.
The American has been under fire for poor performances but did very well today, deserving his goal after threatening all afternoon.
Only a stunning save from Sa kept the forward from scoring earlier, as the Wolves keeper hooked the ball from the top corner to stop Pulisic’s curling effort.
Kai Havertz – 7
Kai Haverz’s well-taken looping header at the end of the first-half was exactly what Chelsea needed after 45 minutes of pressure.
Unfortunately for the German, he was not involved in much of Chelsea’s best attacking flourishes up until that point.
Substitutions
Mateo Kovacic – 6
The Croatian came on in the second half and helped Chelsea keep Wolves at bay. In truth, he did not have much to do.
Reece James – 6
By the time James came on with 20 minutes to go, he did not have much to do.
A good rest for the all-action wing-back.
Armando Broja – 7
Virtually nothing happened in the last half-hour of this game before Armando Broja’s brilliant first goal for Chelsea.
The sub, who came on for Pulisic, received the ball, cut onto his right boot and struck it into the bottom corner.
That will catch his manager’s attention.
Hakim Ziyech – 5
The winger came on with 5 minutes to go but had no time to make an impact
Carney Chukwuemeka – 5
This was Carney Chukwuemeka’s first senior appearance for Chelsea but could not do much in his five minutes on the pitch.
