Palmer-Madueke duo give Chelsea hope against Wolves

Chelsea sealed their first three points of the season with an emphatic second-half performance away at Wolves. The deadly partnership of Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke stole the show in a 6-2 thrashing. After the defeat to Manchester City in his Stamford Bridge debut, Enzo Maresca can finally boast his first Premier League win with Chelsea.

The two teams came off defeats to last season’s champions and runners-up in the opening weekend. With the international break on the horizon, getting their first win was on the mind of both coaches. That was visible from the energetic nature of the entire 90 minutes.

An early contender for the best half of the season

Noni Madueke, booed by Wolves fans for his pre-match antics, started the frantic match with the game’s first big chance. Chelsea took the lead from the resulting corner-kick through the much-criticized striker Nicolas Jackson.

After going down in 98 seconds, the host’s response was admirable. Cunha tied the game, saw another goal chalked off for offside, and hit the crossbar before Cole Palmer’s exquisite finish restored Chelsea’s lead.

But, somehow, that was not the endnote to a chaotic first half. On his home debut, Jorgen Strand Larsen leveled the score for the second time. The scoreline was a true reflection of an end-to-end encounter.

The defensive issues at either end contributed to an entertaining watch as both teams had four shots on target out of 14 attempts in total before the break.  

Madueke has the last laugh

The second half started with Chelsea winger Pedro Neto receiving a warm welcome from the Wolves faithful as he replaced out-of-sorts Mykhailo Mudryk. But, the winger who drew an opposite reception from the Molineux crowd was the star of the second-half show.

Madueke scored his first career hat trick in the space of 14 minutes. Palmer was the architect of Chelsea’s offense. He followed the footsteps of Thierry Henry and Harry Kane in assisting all three goals in a Premier League hat-trick. 

Gary O’Neil’s side continued to enjoy clear-cut chances, but this half was completely about Chelsea’s potent attacking line. Unlike in his first debut, where he was sent off against Fulham, Joao Felix completed the rout in his first appearance since his return to English soccer.

But it was the Palmer-Madueke pairing that won Chelsea the game. The two attackers were involved in a fight to take a penalty against Everton last season. Now they’re in the headlines for all the right reasons.

What’s next for Chelsea and Wolves?

London derby is up next for Chelsea in the Premier League as they host Crystal Palace next Sunday. Oliver Glasner’s team couldn’t take inspiration from last season’s finale. They lost to Brentford and West Ham in their opening two matches.

Before that, Chelsea will play the return leg of the European Conference League qualifiers at Servette. There will be plenty of deals from the club in the next week as the transfer window ends on Friday.

Wolves will return to Molineux Stadium on Wednesday with an EFL Cup tie against Burnley. Nottingham Forest, who started well with four points, will be their Premier League opponent before the season’s first international break.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.