Chelsea 3:1 Wolverhampton Wanderers - Tactical analysis & match report

Chelsea ended their five-game winless streak in the Premier League with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite moments of unease throughout the match, Enzo Maresca's side displayed resilience and determination to secure a crucial result, propelling them back into the top four.

Chelsea were desperate for a win before their Monday night clash against Wolverhampton. Having failed to secure three points in any of their last five fixtures, their grip on a top-four finish was beginning to diminish. With rivals like Manchester City, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth gaining momentum, The Blues had to get back to winning ways immediately. The rollercoaster performance against Wolverhampton ended in a 3-1 win, which pushed the Blues back into the top four.

Chelsea's Tactical Setup and First-Half Dynamics

The opening period of the match saw Chelsea control possession while setting up in a 3-1-6 formation. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton settled in a passive 5-2-3 shape with a high defensive line, keeping their wingbacks relatively narrow. In this phase, Chelsea had many advantages that allowed them to maintain possession while opening up channels to penetrate the Wolverhampton out-of-possession structure.

Two main reasons contributed to Chelsea's success in this phase. First, against Wolverhampton's frontline press, Chelsea had a numerical advantage of +1 (three central defenders plus one defensive midfielder), ensuring there was always a free man to play. Second, against the visitors' midfield two, Chelsea had another numerical advantage (+1) with Marc Cucurella, Cole Palmer, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

At times, Wolverhampton tried to mitigate this by pushing up their right center-back on Marc Cucurella. Additionally, Dewsbury-Hall, Cucurella, and Palmer often dropped deep from their initial positions to help retain possession by creating a greater numerical advantage. Nonetheless, Chelsea consistently had a numerical superiority during this period.

Breaking Down Wolverhampton

The Blues employed several methods to break through Wolverhampton. They aimed to find the free man in the middle to play through, play balls over the high defensive line for runners to exploit the space, attract the visitors to one side of the pitch before switching the ball to the opposite flank for one-on-one situations, and utilize crosses from the half-spaces or wings.

Chelsea's first proper chance of the game materialized when Wolverhampton transitioned from their passive zonal mid-block to a man-to-man system. In doing so, they left the midfield empty. Furthermore, with Wolverhampton's backline not executing their man-to-man responsibilities effectively, Palmer found himself in ample space to receive a pass from Tosin Adarabioyo before pushing forward. The sequence ended with Palmer taking a shot on goal. While a rebound opportunity presented itself, none of Chelsea's players were in the right position to capitalize.

Wolves' Tactical Adjustment

That move, along with preceding chances, served as warning signs for Wolverhampton manager Vitor Pereira, who responded by tweaking their out-of-possession system after a break in play when goalkeeper Jose Sa required treatment. Pereira instructed Pablo Sarabia and the defensive line to prevent the midfield overload.

To address this, Sarabia dropped deeper to form a 5-3-2 structure. However, it was not a consistent shape. At other times, Wolverhampton's right center-back would proactively close down Marc Cucurella. While this adjustment compromised Wolverhampton's rest-attack structure, it provided more defensive protection. With the score line at 0-0, Pereira's changes were a sensible move.

Chelsea's Build-Up Play and Defensive Vulnerabilities

On the downside, the visitors found it difficult to force errors. Even when Chelsea built out from the back, Wolverhampton allowed the home side a +2 advantage (since goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was also involved), making it easy for Chelsea to progress. In this phase, Sanchez often played as the right center-back, with Adarabioyo pushing into a left-back role and Cucurella advancing higher into the half-space. This created a 4-1-6 or 4-4-3 build-up shape, including the goalkeeper.

When Wolverhampton turned over possession in their defensive third, their intent was clear: break quickly and test Chelsea on transitions, which has been one of Chelsea's weaknesses this season. Wolverhampton showed little inclination to sustain periods of possession, as it is not their strength.

Defensively, in the middle third, Chelsea opted to press man-to-man rather than sit in a mid-block. This approach, however, carried drawbacks. For instance, in the sixth minute, Chelsea's man-to-man pressing successfully pushed Wolverhampton back but failed to secure a quick turnover. This left Chelsea's defensive structure exposed, allowing Wolverhampton to exploit gaps. Matheus Cunha took advantage of this with a simple one-two to bypass Adarabioyo. Palmer also failed to mark Andre properly, but Adarabioyo's intervention prevented a dangerous chance.

Key Moments Leading to the First Goal

In Wolverhampton's defensive third, the home side continued pressing in a man-oriented fashion, which occasionally forced dangerous turnovers. Wolverhampton attempted to play out from the back but generally resorted to long balls, with Sa uncomfortable with short passes. With a 6 foot 4 striker in Jorgen Strand Larsen, Wolverhampton had a physical target man to aim for.

In the 23rd minute, Chelsea sought to exploit Wolverhampton's high line as Adarabioyo played a ball over the top for Neto. The lack of pressure on the ball combined with a high defensive line made this option viable. Although Matt Doherty intercepted the ball, a moment of miscommunication with Sa, who had stepped off his line, nearly caused a problem. Doherty recovered and cleared the ball for a corner, from which Adarabioyo scored after collecting the rebound from Reece James' initial shot.

Second-Half Adjustments and Goals

From the second half kick-off to about the 60th minute, neither side created significant chances. However, in the 61st minute, Chelsea capitalized on a turnover during a middle-third man-to-man press. Moisés Caicedo's tackle led to Cucurella receiving the ball and passing to Palmer, who exploited Wolverhampton's disorganized defensive structure. Palmer facilitated a switch of play to James, who then passed to Noni Madueke in space. Cucurella had advanced into an attacking position and converted Madueke's cross brilliantly.

Chelsea's third goal soon followed from a set-piece. Adarabioyo attacked the far post and guided the ball across the penalty box, where Madueke anticipated it and scored.

Closing Stages and Substitutions

For the remainder of the second half, the Blues displayed better control of the game, which had been lacking in recent weeks. Maresca made several substitutions to reinforce his team's structure and energy levels. Malo Gusto replaced Dewsbury-Hall, shifting Gusto to left-back and Cucurella into midfield, forming a 3-2-5 shape. Disasi replaced James at right-back, and Félix and Andrey Santos replaced Palmer and Madueke. These changes maintained off-ball intensity, addressing recent criticisms of Maresca's reluctance to use substitutes effectively.

Securing three points at this critical juncture lifted Chelsea out of their rough patch. Although the performance was not dominant, it showed signs of improvement. Tough fixtures against Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion (twice), and Aston Villa lie ahead, but Chelsea must continue grinding out results to achieve their goal of a top-four finish.