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Chelsea fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, April 8.
The Blues entered this game having failed to win any of their three prior contests. They were held to draws by Everton and Liverpool and were defeated by Aston Villa in those games. Former manager Graham Potter was also sacked on April 2, prompting the board to re-sign Frank Lampard as manager.
Wolves, on the other hand, have endured a mixed run of form as well. They have won one, lost two and drawn one of their last four games across competitions. Manager Julen Lopetegui has done well to guide them out of the drop zone but will need the whole team to perform in unison to survive in the league.
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Chelsea made a good start to the game and kept the ball for longer phases in the opening exchanges as they looked to build momentum. They edged the possession stats over Wolves in the first half, keeping 55% of the ball. However, the Blues were unable to muster attempts on target, hitting the target just once in four tries.
Wolves, on the other hand, attempted five shots and hit the target thrice, including taking the lead in the 31st minute. Matheus Nunes scored with a thunderbolt of a strike from an acute angle to beat Kepa Arrizabalaga to make it 1-0. Chelsea tried to find their way back into the game but were unable to do so as they trailed by a goal heading into half-time.
Both teams made multiple changes following the resumption of play as the managers looked to stamp their authority on the game. Chelsea looked determined to find a way through Wolves' low block as they kept the ball for 69% of the second period. With that, they created many chances and attempted nine shots but failed to hit the target even once.
The visitors saw very little of the ball in the second period, meaning they had to dig deep and defend if they were to get anything out of the game. Six yellow cards were handed out in a feisty second-half affair as Chelsea were shown five of those. The hosts showed great character and team spirit as they held on to secure the win.
On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Will Frank Lampard 2.0 be a success?
Lampard was previously in charge of Chelsea as their manager between 2019-21, having enjoyed success with Derby County the season before. He was given the dream opportunity to manage the club that he played for so many years for, but was unfortunately unable to scale the same heights he did as a player.
He managed Everton for nearly a year after that job but was unable to build and maintain momentum, suffering several setbacks. He has now returned to where his managerial journey began and will look to implement his learnings from past mistakes to keep Chelsea in the hunt for glory in the future.
#4 Wolves were solid in defense
Taking the lead early in the game as the underdog is one of the best feelings but quickly becomes dreadful. When the realization sets in that there is more time left to play than has already been played, the nerves kick in.
Chelsea dominated their overall possession stats 62 to 38 and also attempted 13 shots compared to Wolves' nine. However, the Blues hit the target just once throughout the game and were unable to test Jose Sa effectively.
The visitors' back four put in a solid performance as a unit, as all of them were given great ratings in excess of 7.0 by Sofascore.
#3 Chelsea need to be more clinical in the final third
The Blues attempted a whopping 13 shots throughout the game but hit the target just once - a horrendous look for a team competing in and aspring to compete in the Champions League for the foreseeable future.
Despite several shots from their forwards and midfielders, only Joao Felix hit the target and did not test Sa effectively.
#2 Wolves must build on this momentum
This year's relegation scrap is and could become one of the most harrowing experiences for the teams and fans involved. Twelfth and 20th place on the table are separated by just eight points and a couple of games going one way or the other can turn things around for any team.
Wolves are now four points clear of the drop zone with 31 points and are in 12th position. If they are to secure survival, they need to win at least two of their remaining eight games.
#1 Chelsea face Real Madrid in the Champions League
Having secured a determined 3-0 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16, Chelsea will now face Champions League royalty as they take on the competition's most-successful club in the history of Real Madrid.
Los Blancos have won five of the last 10 UCL titles on offer - such has been their dominance. They will now lock horns with Chelsea, who are struggling domestically but have been known to spring a surprise or two in European competitions.
