Chelsea drew 2-2 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, meaning Arsenal will be a point behind them in the battle for third place if they can win on Sunday.
The Blues had the ball in the back of the Wolves net twice in the first half, but Timo Werner’s goal was disallowed for a foul on Romain Saiss and Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s was disallowed for offside.
Romelu Lukaku scored the first on the scoreboard from the penalty spot, having previously won a penalty, then added a quick second.
However, they were forced to settle for a draw after late goals from Francisco Trincao and Conor Coady.
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positives
Chelsea asserted themselves well from the start of the game by controlling the game. The fact that they had the ball in the net twice before the break shows that they were also capable of opening up the Wolves defence, even if the goals were disallowed. Despite appearing stretched out at times, the defense did enough to ensure that Edouard Mendy didn’t have to do anything for long stretches. It will be very encouraging that they scored two goals so quickly in the second half.
negatives
Chelsea’s play was pedestrian at times in the first half, and there were also periods when the hosts showed a lack of creativity. Many set pieces were completely wasted before half time, while the second disallowed goal showed a lack of conviction. They’ll also be concerned about how easy it was for the Wolves to fight back on points. There will be frustration surrounding Chelsea’s contribution to Wolves’ first goal and their inability to see the end of the game.
Manager rating (out of 10)
Thomas Tuchel, 6 – He made a change at the break and the team came out showing much more intention, scoring two goals in 13 minutes. Considering that his team won one of his last three games, he can be very pleased with the performance for most of the second half and the result. His last changes were not enough to hold on to the three points.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players submitted after 70 minutes get no rating)
Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, 6 — He had nothing to do until he made a good save to deny Pedro Neto shortly before halftime, although he could have been penalized for pushing the ball into a dangerous area. After another long period with nothing to do, he was quick to deny Hwang Hee-chan. There was nothing he could do to deny Trincao or Coady.
DF Cesar Azpilicueta, 7 — Showed his defensive intelligence to make sure Jonny didn’t get a clear chance, but was booked in the 28th minute for catching Neto with an arm to the face. He made some great bursts forward in the second half and often defended well.
DF Thiago Silva, 5 — Cleared well when it looked like Neto could pass early on before stealing the ball from the winger in his own box. He was lucky Saiss couldn’t find the target after completely missing a cross into the box, and then saw Trincao connect a late shot wide after failing to bring the winger down. He didn’t do enough to keep Coady from scoring late.
DF Antonio Rüdiger, 5 — Some of his forward balls seemed speculative, while he himself might have scored in the build-up to Loftus-Cheek’s goal being disallowed. He could have done more to prevent Trincao from getting in the way of Wolves’ goal.
FM Reece James, 6 — Often defended well, making a key header to deny Neto at the back post. He comfortably finishes over the crossbar. He came awfully close to finding the corner after catching José Sa with a deft free kick. However, he was poor for Coady’s late equalizer.
FM Mateo Kovacic, 6 — Made a good pass to create a chance for Werner, then found Lukaku in a good position with a beautiful ball. He also moved the ball well in deeper positions. He penetrated the area well but his shot was saved. He was dispossessed in the build-up to the Wolves goal and then got in Rudiger’s way when Trincao cut inside.
FM Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 7 — He moved the ball well at all times and was unlucky enough to have a goal disallowed for offside. He powered Chelsea impressively at times.
FM Marcos Alonso, 5 — Many of his set pieces were unusually poor, with a free kick directed at the wall. He could have done better defensively at times.
FW Christian Pulisic, 8 — Was Chelsea’s most creative player, working some space for himself but failing to find the target. The winger then slid through a good ball for Werner’s disallowed goal. He took advantage of the Wolves’ mistake and slipped past Lukaku for the second goal. He overhit the pass from him to Werner when he could have played the German in goal.
FW Romelu Lukaku, 9 — In the first half, saw his first shot blocked, missed Kovacic’s pass after making a good run, then held off Saiss before hitting a decent shot that was saved. His determination to strip Saiss led to the penalty that he confidently dispatched, then the Belgian soon added another with a clinical shot.
FW Timo Werner, 6 — Made some clever runs and was unlucky enough to see his shot saved by Sa, then got behind Saiss, but his goal was disallowed for a foul on the Moroccan player. He was denied for a fantastic save early in the second period, but after that he struggled with his final product.
substitutions
Saul Niguez, 6 — Replaced Alonso at halftime and got the basics right while getting into good midfield positions at times.
Malang Sarr, N/R – Replaced Azpilicueta in the 87th minute and didn’t come on fast enough to prevent Chiquinho from scoring a cross.
Kai Havertz, N/R – Replaced Lukaku in the 91st minute and shot wide after gaining some space in the box.
Reference-www.espn.com