After a toxic couple of weeks at Stamford Bridge, the news of an imminent takeover of Chelsea FC by a consortium led by Todd Boehly was greeted with cheers and a sigh of relieve by Chelsea fans all around.
The American was present at the stadium as Chelsea took on fellow strugglers Wolverhampton wanderers. The team set out to put on a show for the incoming owner and the first few minutes of the match saw the blues dominate play and sought to break down the stubborn Wolves rareguard.
The first half of the match followed suite of recent matches against sides with low blocks as the blues struggled to find ways to break down the team from West Midlands. The first half saw Chelsea exposed to counter attacks from Bruno Lage’s team as a result of the desperation to pour bodies forward early on. Timo Werner saw a goal controversially ruled out for a foul on Saïss after some neat work by Pulisic on the edge of the box.
The first half soon ended and the second period started in stark contrast to the first with Chelsea coming out of the dressing room with intent and after some determined pressing from Lukaku just inside the penalty area, Romain Saiss lost the ball and fouled Lukaku, giving the Belgian an opportunity to score his first premier league goal of 2022.
Lukaku soon got his second after a poor giveaway in the Wolves half with Christian Pulisic sliding the ball through for the Belgian to bag his second of the day with a sumptuous right footed effort. The game seemed to be won at that moment with the two goal advantage but Wolves rallied around and with a number of attacking substitutions, they found a way back after an easy loss of possession by Kovaciç led to one of the substitutes Trinçao pulling one back for the visitors.
There was still time for more drama as Wolves found a late equalizer with captain Conor Coady finding his way into the box to power home a header down the middle of Mendy’s goal. 2-2 the final result, Chelsea remain winless in four against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Here are 5 lessons learned as Blues’ Stamford Bridge drought continues;
Lukaku’s redemption
In Tuchel’s pre-match conference, he emphasized on the point that Lukaku still had the trust of himself and his coaching staff and backed the striker to get goals from now till the end of the season.
Lukaku heard the demands of the manager and delivered brilliantly!
The Belgian seemed to be having another fruitless day at the office after the expiration of the first half but kept believe and got rewarded for his pressing after wining a penalty he dispatched himself. Lukaku got his second of the day with a brilliant right footed finish but the goal was all about his striking instincts after he found the net with his weaker foot curling the ball first time into the bottom corner.
Aside his goals, Tuchel would also have been extremely pleased with Lukaku’s work rate with the Belgian seeking to redeem himself before his manager, teammates, prospective owner and most importantly, the FANS. Big ROM delivers!
Pulisic flourishes
In the first match after his father’s tweet about his lack of game time, Pulisic showed exactly why his father feels he should be a starter with a fantastic performance as the number “10” behind both Werner and Lukaku.
Pulisic’s direct running and dribbling ability ensured he got past Wolves’ rather choked midfield when he had the ball and on another day could have got himself an hattrick of assists.
The American had his A game here at the Bridge and after turning out to be the hero the last time out at the Bridge against West Ham, Pulisic seems to be back to his best and should be considered for a starting berth in the next game.
Werner’s inefficiency
A player of immense quality on his day, Werner is fast becoming a player with huge effort but little result.
The German has been in good form recently but his inefficiency with the ball leaves more to be desired.
Here at the Bridge just as in recent matches, Timo Werner had numerous chances to either square the ball or go for goal and on each occasions took the wrong options causing frustration on the path of his teammates and manager.
Timo sure has more to give but with performances like this, one can only wonder what could have been with a more accomplished winger or attacker.
Another defensive collapse
A team originally known for its defensive solidity, it is rather weird to see Chelsea concede goals with reckless abandon. Somewhat of a norm now, it comes as a surprise for Chelsea when the team keeps a clean sheet and Tuchel most be wondering what has gone wrong.
Since the March international break, Chelsea have failed to keep back to back clean sheets and with the FA cup final on the horizon against a red hot Liverpool side, Tuchel can only hope his side regains her defensive shape and solidity that made the team a hard nut to crack.
Another Late collapse
In games where Chelsea should be wining comfortably, one thing that has remained a constant has been the late concession of goals. Various instances could be referenced (Burnley first leg, Brighton,West Ham, Everton and so on). These instances given were all matches Chelsea could have gone on to win but they somehow managed to fumble it and lost vital points.
A team that has lost 6 games and had 10 draws, one only wonders what could have been if Chelsea had turned those lost points into wins. With the season about to end and Chelsea on another patchy form, Tuchel can only hope his team solves the issues of late concession of goals and gets fortunate enough to finish in the Champions League places without any favors from a rival team.
Next up for the blues is a midweek encounter against another “banana peel” in relegation threatened Leeds United.
Man of the Match; Romelu Lukaku 9/10
