For the Premier League's first Christmas Eve match since 1995, Chelsea headed to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the Blues' 2-1 loss at Molineux left fans feeling less than thrilled.
Soon after halftime, Mario Lemina headed home Pablo Sarabia's corner to score the first goal. Matt Doherty then added a second, and even though Christopher Nkunku scored a late header, Chelsea was left with nothing to cheer about.
The Blues are presently tied for 10th place with Wolves and Bournemouth, but they still lead their hosts.
Adverse Effects
Chelsea should have taken the lead by now, having dominated long stretches of the first half, but they had been too careless in front of José Sá's goal. Additionally, some careless play at the back increased the pressure, and surrendering with shoddy defence only made for a disastrous second-half start. Discipline was lacking as evidenced by the yellow cards given for disobedience and booting the ball away.
Advantages
Chelsea played with a great deal of energy and precision in the first half, with their sprinting and passing. The clearest illustration of that was Raheem Sterling, who lost a great opportunity while Nélson Semedo was having trouble handling the winger. Even when they weren't playing well, Chelsea managed to get into situations of potential. Nkunku's goal on his Premier League debut, six months after he formally joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig, will please supporters.
0 Comments