Ignited by a dominant second half display, Chelsea Football Club departed Wolverhampton with all three points for the first time since September of 2019.
It seemed to be another one of those matches in the first half, with the Blues losing the lead not once but twice. Then, came the second 45. Clincial. Rentless. Just what the doctor ordered for Enzo Maresca's young Chelsea team. Following the defeat to open the campaign at home, there were still a lot of questions. The attack answered a lot of them on Sunday. The class spoke for itself as Gary O'Neil's Wolves got completely overran by the young talent in blue.
Let's delve into the CFC players who showed up and showed out in the Midlands over the weekend.
West Londoners who impressed on Sunday at Wolves
3. Noni Madueke
The young Englishman talked that talk and then walked that walk.
After accidentally posting an insult toward the city of Wolverhampton on social media, Noni Madueke went out and tore its local club to bits. The 22-year-old, who already looked destined to find the back of the net with the kind of threat he presented during the first half, netted a 14-minute second half hat trick -- his first in the Premier League. Two with his right foot. One with the left. His athleticism, unpredictability and directness make him a player defenders should dread encountering.
The right wing belongs to him. No questions asked.
Noni collecting his match ball! 🔥#CFC | #WOLCHE pic.twitter.com/LrognmMPUG
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 25, 2024
"Today means a lot," said Madueke following the victory. "I was really just trying to be clever and wait for the right moment. The system allows us to probe and probe and keep the possession higher up the pitch. Maybe in the first half, it was a bit more end to end and then we gained control in the second half."