Chelsea registered their first Premier League victory of the season in emphatic style, dismantling Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-2 at Molineux Stadium on Sunday, August 25.
Noni Madueke stole the spotlight with a sensational hat-trick, while Cole Palmer delivered three assists, guiding new manager Enzo Maresca to his inaugural league win with the Blues.
The pre-match buzz centered around Madueke, who faced a wave of boos from the Wolves fans after controversial comments about the home team surfaced online the day before.
ALSO READ: Manchester City start title defence with 2-0 win over Chelsea
However, the 21-year-old forward silenced his critics within minutes of kickoff. After a dazzling run, Madueke forced Wolves’ goalkeeper, José Sá, into an early save, leading to Chelsea’s opening goal moments later.
Nicolas Jackson was on hand to nod the ball into the net from the resulting corner, giving Chelsea the lead in just the 2nd minute.
Wolves responded quickly, pushing for an equalizer. The hosts almost leveled the score when Yerson Mosquera’s header narrowly missed the target, followed by Matheus Cunha’s goal that was ruled offside in the 17th minute.Despite sustained pressure from Wolves, Chelsea regained control through Palmer’s creative play.
Just before halftime, a clever pass from goalkeeper Robert Sánchez caught Wolves off guard, allowing Palmer to set up Madueke, whose deflected shot restored Chelsea’s advantage after Wolves had briefly equalized through Cunha.
ALSO READ: Manchester United beat City to win FA Cup, what it means for Chelsea
After a 2-2 scoreline at the break, Chelsea ramped up their attack in the second half, bringing on Pedro Neto to face his former side. Madueke wasted no time in asserting his dominance, scoring twice more as Palmer continued to provide clinical assists.
The England international completed his hat-trick by the 63rd minute, securing a comfortable 5-2 lead for Chelsea.
Wolves had a brief glimmer of hope when Mario Lemina found the net, but his goal was disallowed due to an offside in the buildup. The visitors sealed the game in the 81st minute when João Félix, making his second debut for Chelsea, slotted home a Neto pass, concluding the rout at 6-2.