Wolves suffered a crushing defeat at home to Chelsea to end any hopes of winning the Carabao Cup. A poor start left Pereira’s men 2-0 down after 15 minutes, before Chelsea added a third deep into the first half. A heroic second half display was ultimately not enough to catch up to a poor first half.
Player Ratings
Jose Sa: 4/10
Conceding four goals and remaining largely anonymous for the rest of the game, Sa was unable to save his team at Molineux.
David Møller Wolfe: 8/10
Replacing a consistent Hugo Bueno in the starting 11 seemed a big task heading into kick off, but Wolfe impressed at wing back. The Norwegian looked lively and threatened danger throughout. Notching two goals and at the forefront of many Wolves attacks, he wins the man of the match for Wolves.
Toti: 5/10
Starting as Wolves captain, the Portuguese centre half did little in the first half to stop three Chelsea Goals. However, a second half resurgence from the team also saw Toti’s performance drastically improve. His long throws created chances, including the set up for Wolves second goal.
Emmanuel Agbadou: 6/10
Boldly placed into midfield by Vitor Pereira, the natural centre-half initially struggled as Chelsea ran the show in the first half. A lot has been made of Agbadou’s form before being dropped from the squad, but his performance drastically improved as he dropped into centre back. Reverting back into defence saw him grab two assists as Wolves battled back into the game.
Matt Doherty: N/A
The Irish defender was injured early on for Wolves and subsequently subbed off for Rodrigo Gomes.
Jackson Tchatchoua: 6/10
The fastest recorded player in the league this season had his work cut out for him against the Chelsea attack. His blistering pace couldn’t deny Chelsea three deserving goals. Moving into wing-back later in the game saw him frequently create chances on the right hand side for Strand Larsen and Tolu to get on the end of.
Yerson Mosquera: 5/10
Right in the thick of the action at the halfway line, Mosquera battled hard despite the increasing pressure of the Chelsea front line. However, a lack of concentration assisted in allowing Chelsea to extend their lead. Comfortable on the ball and largely dominant in the air at the back, the Colombian also caused a few problems up top for Wolves.
Joao Gomes: 6/10
Off the back of being benched at the weekend, Gomes looked determined to prove himself as one of the first names on the team sheet. Despite a lack of numbers to support him, he didn’t look heavily outmatched in midfield. Going forward he worked well with Møller Wolfe to challenge the Chelsea defence.
Fér Lopez: 3/10
After a well crafted goal against Leeds, the Spaniard has struggled for game time under Vitor Pereira. Coming back into the side after a prolonged absence from the starting XI saw him struggle. Physically, Lopez wasn’t able to compete in the midfield as he was beaten in strength. Unable to dictate play at the other end of the pitch, it was a poor night for him.
Hwang Hee-chan: 6/10
Hwang worked well alongside Tolu to create chances in the first half. Testing the keeper a few times, Hwang eventually got on the end of a loose ball to send Tolu through on goal to score Wolves first. While he should’ve done better a few times in front of goal, it wasn’t a bad performance from the forward.
Tolu Arokodare: 6/10
Starting for the first time in the cup, the 6’6 striker was largely kept quiet in the first half despite a decent run past the defence and low driven shot. Immediately in the second half, a composed finish from Tolu inspired an impressive Wolves fight back. An aerial threat for the rest of the game, Tolu came in useful as a bombardment of long balls came into the box.
Substitutes:
Rodrigo Gomes: 4/10
Lively against Burnley, Rodrigo replaced Doherty as he came off injured in the first half. Gomes wasn’t given much game time here, as he was subbed back off to make way for second half substitutes.
Jorgen Strand Larsen: 6/10
A controversial weekend for the striker saw him benched for this game. Coming onto the pitch, he was keen to win back the support of the fans as he immediately battled hard and pressed well. Used as another aerial target as balls were launched in the box, he was instrumental in the late fight back for the hosts.
Jean Ricner-Bellegarde: 5.5/10
A very good performance against Burnley left him harshly dropped for this one. He made a smaller impact on the game here, often sweeping the ball from deep and ushering the ball forwards. A few bright moments in the final third couldn’t do much to help Wolves equalise late on.
Ladislav Krejčí: 7/10
A very consistent figure since his arrival at Wolves, Krejčí again demonstrated excellent leadership and composure. This time playing in midfield, he constantly won the ball from aerial duels and massively contributed to Wolves’ set pieces. His substitution changed the game for Wolves.
Marshall Munetsi: 6/10
A goal on Sunday gave the Zimbabwe international a bit of momentum heading into Chelsea. Coming off the bench, he worked well to help Wolves transition from defence to attack in the second half. His presence in the box also helped drag Wolves to a dramatic final ten minutes at Molineux.
Written by Tom Davison
