"He has to pass it" - Pundit slams Chelsea attacker for what he did in 2-1 Wolves defeat 

Andy Townsend has criticized Raheem Sterling for failing to capitalize on a goal-scoring chance in Chelsea's 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Sunday, December 24.

Mauricio Pochettino's men got off to a dominant start, with Nicolas Jackson squandering a big chance in the 22nd minute. Sterling then found himself in a one-on-one situation with Jose Sa 11 minutes later.

Instead of squaring the ball to Jackson or Cole Palmer, who were completely unmarked, Sterling decided to go for goal. The former Manchester City winger ended up striking the ball directly at Sa, who made a comfortable save.

Townsend, who was a former midfielder at Chelsea, was disappointed with Sterling's decision, and said (as shared on the Premier League's official website):

“What a chance that is. He has to pass it. You have to slip it, you have to make sure at 0-0. That is really poor play from a guy who has started the game well. I’m surprised at that decision.”

Chelsea's wastefulness came back to haunt them in the second half. Mario Lemina headed home in the 51st minute to give Wolves the lead. Matt Doherty doubled their advantage in the 93rd minute before Christopher Nkunku scored a consolation goal for the Blues three minutes later.

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Mauricio Pochettino hails Chelsea star following Wolves defeat

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino reserved praise for Christopher Nkunku after he scored his first goal for the club in their 2-1 loss to Wolves on Sunday.

Nkunku made his second appearance for the Blues this season after recently returning from a serious injury sustained in pre-season. The Frenchman came on in the 58th minute, replacing Lesley Ugochukwu.

The 26-year-old landed three shots on target and found the back of the net with a decent header from Raheem Sterling's cross to halve the deficit. Pochettino was left impressed by his cameo, saying (via METRO):

"I’m very pleased to see Nkunku score and it shows how important he can be for us. We cannot put too much pressure on him, he’s been out for a very long time and that is why he came on after 60 minutes – to help ease him in."

He added:

"He’s a quality player who can score goals and we are pleased he did that today, although of course we are disappointed not to win the game. Christo needs time to arrive in this way but we are very confident in him to get to his best and be a key player for us."

Chelsea next face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, December 27. The Blues are currently 10th in the table with 22 points from 18 matches.