Chelsea returned to winning ways against Wolves after going five games without a victory (3 draws, 2 losses). The game saw the return of loanee Trevoh Chalobah, who was outstanding on the night.
Results from elsewhere meant that Chelsea has now climbed back into the top four, after Newcastle was walloped 4-1 by Bournemouth.
Chelsea looked like they might suffer the same result as in recent games after being pegged back at halftime, but Enzo Maresca's men pulled ahead and saw the win over the line this time around. Here is how The Pride of London rates the Blues' performance:
Robert Sanchez: 6/10
Sanchez was much better in his distribution, especially with regard to long passing. However, he was directly at fault for the goal, fumbling a cross collection. He was solid for the rest of the game, but didn’t do anything spectacular.
Reece James: 8.5/10
James had a great return to the starting lineup. He was impeccable in his distribution, duels, and reading of the game. However, his long passing left much to be desired.
Tosin Adarabioyo: 7/10
His goal helped his rating significantly. Most of the defending and key battles were handled by Trevoh Chalobah. Tosin didn’t do much defending, didn’t contest many duels, and was poor in his long passing.
Trevoh Chalobah: 9/10
Chalobah had an excellent game. He was called upon several times during the match, and he didn’t disappoint once. He was dominant in the air, on the ground, and in both boxes. His assist for Chelsea's third goal underlined how central he was to everything the Blues did. Not only was he great in his primary duties, but he also took on the role of Chief Creator, creating two out of the four clear-cut chances for Enzo Maresca's men.
Marc Cucurella: 7/10
Cucurella’s rating was boosted by his goal, which was, of course, the winning goal. However, the left-back struggled in his primary duties, winning just 25% of his duels and making only one defensive action.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: 7/10
Dewsbury-Hall was decent, providing the game-winning assist, and his distribution was solid. However, he was poor in duels, and his ball carrying left much to be desired.
Moises Caicedo: 7/10
Caicedo had to cover more space than necessary because his central midfield partner was more interested in roaming forward. The Ecuador international was still very good defensively, though his distribution wasn’t stellar.
Noni Madueke: 7/10
He was ineffective defensively and didn’t contribute much creatively. However, he scored a goal by getting himself in the right place at the right time. He was notably poor in his duels.
Cole Palmer: 6/10
Palmer was unable to impose himself on the game, stifled by a Wolves team that was well-prepared for him. He contributed nothing defensively and barely influenced the attack. His passing was great, though, and he played a vital role in moving the ball into the final third.
Pedro Neto: 5/10
Neto was not a factor against his former club. He was completely ineffective, which may be a kind way of putting it.
Nicolas Jackson: 6/10
Jackson had a very good chance to score but couldn’t convert. He struggled against the Wolves center-backs, which isn’t particularly surprising, but it meant he wasn’t very effective on the night.
Jadon Sancho (62'): 6/10
Sancho had 28 minutes to impact the game and ultimately could not. He was just as ineffective as the man he replaced: Neto.
Axel Disasi (77’): 6/10
Disasi replaced James and did nothing in the 13 minutes he played.
Malo Gusto (77'): 8/10
Gusto made quite an impact despite not being on the pitch for long. He won all four duels he contested, even making a key interception. It’s not much, but it will count when Maresca is considering players who can play a role at right-back in the absence of James.
Tyrique George (84'): N/A
George completed just four passes in his time on the pitch. Nothing else to report, but he did have 100% passing accuracy.
Joao Felix (84'): N/A
Felix tried some dribbles, but none of them came off. There really is nothing to be said about his time on the pitch.
Enzo Maresca: 8/10
Maresca gets a high rating, primarily for having the maturity to swallow his pride and recall Trevoh Chalobah, despite the comments he made about him at the beginning of the season. He recognized Chalobah was needed and didn’t hesitate to make a decision that ultimately made the team better. Of course, he should have loaned him out in the first place, but everyone makes mistakes.