Frank Lampard speaks!
I’m back! Just to bring you some of the thoughts of Nuno Espirito Santo, who says “today is not the moment” to talk about transfer plans for January. In other news:
We reacted well. All the game I think we’re always in the game. Well organised. I think second half we played really good. I think in the first half the game was very tight, Chelsea had the ball but we were organised. We didn’t start the second half well. We conceded a goal, but the boys believed the game was there to be competitive, and we did well. We were really disappointed three days ago, football is until the last minute. It can happen to any team. We had a big disappointment against Villa and we reacted well. Now we’re going to think about the next one. It’s too bad the fans are not here to celebrate with us today.
Right then, bye! Again!
And with that, I’m off. Paul Doyle has filed his match report from Molineux, and here it is. Bye!
Pedro Neto fired in a stoppage-time winning goal to crown a spectacular comeback by Wolves and inflict a punishing defeat on a Chelsea side who had briefly threatened to stumble to the top of the Premier League. After a humdrum first period Olivier Giroud opened the scoring with a beautifully taken goal, but Daniel Podence drew Wolves level with an even better one before Neto claimed a precious win for Nuno Espírito Santo’s team. Chelsea have lost consecutive league matches for the first time in over a year.
Much more here:
Frank Lampard looks distinctly disgruntled:
At 1-0 we should see the game out. If you’re not playing that well, which we weren’t tonight, hang on to 1-0. Control the game. Don’t allow counter-attacks. And we did. Performance. Performance is what gives you results, and we had a long run of good performances but maybe the lads think we’re playing well, and when you think you’re playing well this is what happens.
He’s asked whether the six-day break that his team will enjoy before they next play will come in handy:
Maybe it’s for the players to think about the game while they’re resting. Think about tonight, think about Everton. This is the Premier League and if you don’t perform, you lose games.
This was a good game for technology, with both the goalline sensors and VAR being called into action and making the correct decision in a timely manner, and otherwise not bothering anybody. The match will be make for a phenomenal two-minute highlight video, featuring the penalty incident, the three excellent goals, and the wacky Kante handball thing. Kante has just had a chat with Amazon, in which he said they lost because they tried to win.
We could have managed the game and keep the difference. But when they scored we tried to come back straight away, and by trying to win the game we conceded many counterattacks. What’s happened these last two games is not what we want, and we need to get back to winning ways against West Ham next game.
Pedro Neto is chuffed:
We are very happy. We came here today, we wanted to win so much that we worked hard, and today I think we deserved victory. it’s very difficult. We knew that they are a good team but in the locker room, we said even if the game is going not so well we go together and as a team. We have done very well. We worked hard and we are very happy.
Final score: Wolves 2-1 Chelsea!
90+9 mins: And that is the final kick of the match! It was a game of two halves, one of which was excellent and the other not so much.
90+9 mins: Wolves get the ball clear, and pass to Neto on the right. Instead of taking it to the corner he attacks the goal, and very nearly scores his side’s third, but from an acute angle he lifts it over the bar!
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90+8 mins: Chilwell’s corner deflects behind for another, which is headed back out to him, but still he can’t nail the cross.
90+8 mins: Chelsea have a corner. Mendy comes up for it!
90+5 mins: Chelsea attack, and Chilwell’s deflected cross runs across the edge of the Wolves area. Two passes and a shot later Wolves have the game won. Neto is released down the inside left channel with Zouma blocking his path to goal, bursts past the defender, gets inside the penalty area and from a yard or so within it shoots low and hard across goal and into the far corner!
GOAL! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea (Neto, 90+5 mins)
Pedro Neto wins it with an absolute belter!
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90+4 mins: Nelson Semedo is booked for a foul on Pulisic.
90+3 mins: Play has restarted. Wolves put together a very decent attack, at least until the cross floats into Mendy’s arms.
90+1 mins: The last time Wolves had a player on the floor and holding his leg, they scored.
90+1 mins: There will be five minutes of stoppage time, which start with Boly on the floor and clutching his right leg.
90 mins: Podence, the home side’s outstanding player, is substituted in the final minute, Vitinha coming on. One of those substitutions that is just to give the fans an opportunity to applaud the player off the field, and the player the pleasure of soaking up their appreciation. The fans remain sadly nonexistent.
89 mins: Chelsea work a good crossing opportunity for Chilwell, who miskicks badly and sends the ball looping out of play.
86 mins: Neves brings down Kovacic from behind, a booking every day of the week and two on Sundays. Somehow he gets away with it.
83 mins: Play restarts without a booking for Neto, who does an excellent job of pretending to be surprised and upset by the referee’s decision.
82 mins: It’s easy to see why Stuart Attwell thought James had clipped Neto there, just by the way his foot landed. But there was no contact, no obstruction and no foul. Neto should be booked for his gamesmanship.
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81 mins: That was definitely a dive, and this penalty will not stand.
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Penalty to Wolves!
80 mins: Neto bursts into the area, runs between James and Kante, and goes down just inside the area. The referee points to the spot!
79 mins: Kovacic came on for the extremely subdued Havertz at the same time as Abraham replaced Giroud for Chelsea.
78 mins: Chance for Wolves! A good move ends with Nelson Semedo being played into space inside Chelsea’s penalty area, but instead of shooting he tries to cross to Otasowie, which was very much the wrong decision.
76 mins: More Chelsea ball-handling at a throw-in. This time Chilwell tries to keep the ball from Wolves, stopping them from taking it. Podence tries to get it off him, and he rather than the game-delaying Chilwell ends up in the book, puzzlingly.
74 mins: Humiliation for Kante! Chelsea win a throw-in on the left. It’s thrown to Kante, who instead of controlling it just picks it up. There’s nobody challenging him, no pressure of any sort, he just decides to catch it. Wolves have a free kick in their own half.
73 mins: Traore has returned to the pitch, but it is Chelsea who look more intent on finding a winner. Twice they find lots of space on the left, but they don’t do anything much with it on either occasion.
71 mins: Tammy Abraham has entered the fray, and Giroud has left it.
68 mins: There will be some controversy over the goal, because the last touch as Boly’s volley deflected wide for the corner that eventually led to it was in fact off Boly himself.
67 mins: Traore has done nothing in the last few minutes. He stood still throughout the attack that led to the equaliser, and is now getting some physio attention.
GOAL! Wolves 1-1 Chelsea (Podence, 66 mins)
Thiago Silva’s headed clearance is knocked down to Podence, on the left side of the penalty area, who cuts onto his right foot, shimmies to earn a bit of bonus space from James, and shoots in at the near post!
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65 mins: Chance! The corner doesn’t come to much, but the ball is recyled, the cross comes in from the left and Boly’s volley deflects wide.
64 mins: Traore gets up and hobbles away while Neves takes the free-kick, which flicks a Chelsea head a goes for a corner.
63 mins: Traore’s first touch is followed by Giroud kicking his foot, and the Spaniard goes down awkwardly and stays there for a while.
61 mins: Traore is on the pitch, and Fabio Silva has left it.
60 mins: Otasowie wins the ball from Mount, who tries to pull him down by the shirt, fails, chases after him, and brings him down with an ankle-clip instead. The night’s first yellow card follows.
57 mins: A good spell for Wolves, who do a bit of sustained attacking, mainly down the right. Adama Traore is preparing to join the fray.
55 mins: Fabio Silva has the ball in the net, after being picked out by Neto’s pass, but he is a good yard offside and VAR is not required to disallow it.
53 mins: Here is the goal for those of you who are in the right region to be allowed to watch it.
Olivier Giroud comes up with the goods!
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 15, 2020
The Frenchman puts @ChelseaFC ahead (by the finest of margins 😅)#PLonPrime #WOLCHE pic.twitter.com/VSaHGCNuOb
And this is how far over the line the ball was when Rui Patricio punched it clear:
Clearly over the line ✅ https://t.co/639s384s3V pic.twitter.com/AHvqLkQQRj
— Goal (@goal) December 15, 2020
52 mins: There was no space for Giroud there, and no time either. He had to get in front of Boly and spear the ball goalwards with his left foot, with a nonexistent margin for error.
GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Chelsea (Giroud, 50 mins)
From nowhere, a breakthrough! Chelsea break, Chilwell crosses, and Giroud conjures an excellent first-time shot, which is hit close to Rui Patricio but with such power that the goalkeeper can’t stop it before it crawls over the line!
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49 mins: Wolves have not used their set pieces very well today. They win a free kick on the left, but the cross is overhit, and Fabio Silva’s attempt to send it back in to the area instead sends it behind.
46 mins: Peeeeep! The second half is under way, and within seconds of the restart Reece James has a shot, which is wayward.
The players are on their way back out. Wolves have brought Owen Otasowie on for Dendoncker at the break. I think Gary Naylor has a point here. In particular, Chelsea could do with a bit of threat on the right to match that on the left and really stretch the home side.
I'm not sure Chelsea have the balance right in the final third @Simon_Burnton. If the full-backs are pushed back (as they are today) too many players are too passive. Pulisic is the only man willing to inject a change of pace. More needed from Mount, Werner and Havertz.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) December 15, 2020
Half time: Wolves 0-0 Chelsea
45 mins: It is half time. We have had half of the time. I have 15 minutes to fix my connectivity issues, as indeed do these two teams.
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42 mins: Like this tweet about it, this game is not quite the finished article.
Last few minutes of half.#COYW pic.twitter.com/uQL5WBiJpH
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 15, 2020
38 mins: Apologies, I suffered a little internet outage there. I can report that nothing of great note happened during it.
33 mins: The ball did hit Coady’s hand, but he had Giroud all over him and knew nothing about it, and a penalty award would have been comically harsh. Play continues.
32 mins: Chelsea send a free-kick into the area, where it drops to Werner, whose shot is blocked. Restart is delayed for a VAR check for a possible handball.
30 mins: Wolves win and waste a corner, taking it short and working it to Nelson Semedo, who has a 35-yard shot that goes way wide.
26 mins: Pulisic, Chilwell and Mount are combining to give Nelson Semedo a very difficult evening so far, but the home defence is holding firm. There have only been two shots on target so far, and Wolves have had them both.
23 mins: Ruben Neves has a shot from range, which floats gently into Mendy’s arms.
22 mins: Save! The first goalkeeper to be called into significant action is Mendy, who palms the ball away after Neto is set up for a 20-yarder by Fabio Silva’s excellent flick.
20 mins: What a chance! Chilwell takes the corner, and drops the ball onto the edge of the six-yard box, in the middle of goal, where Giroud has a free header but sends it high!
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19 mins: Zouma has a shot from range, which hits a Wolves player. Then Mount chips a cross from the left towards the far post, which is turned behind.
18 mins: Chelsea’s few minutes of fun haven’t quite ended. They are repeatedly pressing, largely down the left. Wolves have eight outfield players in their own penalty area as I type.
14 mins: A chance! Pulisic goes down the left and crosses into the path of Werner, 15 yards out, who could potentially have volleyed it calmly into the net, but instead barely touches the ball at all.
Conor Coady has now had as many PL shots as Son Heung-Min in December
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) December 15, 2020
11 mins: It’s a game of gently swaying fortunes so far. Wolves had a few minutes of fun, and now Chelsea are having theirs. Pulisic plays in Giroud, who gets to the byline but can’t quite wrap his foot around the ball and his cross goes straight to Rui Patricio.
8 mins: An excellent cross from Reece James curls towards the far post, where Rui Patricio comes, claims, and clatters into Boly.
7 mins: Wolves are dominating this, but haven’t made any actual chances. Coady dispossesses Giroud, runs forward and sends a 30-yard shot way off target.
4 mins: A lovely run from Nelson Semedo, who tricks his way past mount, plays a one-two with Dendoncker, whose first-time backheel return pass was really very good, and then has a shot from 20 yards, which deflects wide. Saiss heads the corner over the bar.
3 mins: Thiago Silva gives the ball away and Neto is released down the left, but the Brazilian gets back to block the cross and snuff out the danger.
1 min: Peeep! Chelsea get the game under way, with an aimless and pointless hoik down the right.
Right then, the players are out and ready for action. Football imminent!
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If an empty stadium remains a bit depressing, an empty stadium putting on a pre-match light show to astound non-existent fans is sadder still. That’s what’s going on in Molineux currently, as the players gather in the tunnel.
And here’s Nuno Espirito Santo, who is asked about the absence of Moutinho and Traore::
Joao Moutinho is suspended, and Adama is on the bench. This is what the squad is for. The quality, talent and experience of Moutinho is important but Ruben is also very important. I don’t see an issue. It’s not about responding [to defeat at the weekend] because against Villa we did a very good game. It’s a new challenge, a very different opponent, a talented squad. What I want is to compete, to play a good game and to perform well.
Frank Lampard has had a chat with the TV folks:
Pulisic naturally brings us some width, the ability to go past people, so I’m pleased. He’s had a few issues with a hamstring but he’s trained for a few days and he’s straight back in. In the last few seasons Liverpool and Man City have pulled away, but this year, albeit early days, it looks slightly different. But I’m not concerned with that, I just want to win to get us back on track.
Looks like a perfect evening for football in Wolverhampton. Forecasters predict 7C, 8mph winds and no rain tonight.
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Here’s PA Media’s take on the teams:
Ruben Neves returned for Wolves to replace the suspended Joao Moutinho for the visit of Chelsea. Willy Boly also came in for Adama Traore for the Premier League clash at Molineux. Frank Lampard made one change for the visitors with Christian Pulisic starting in place of Mateo Kovacic, who dropped to the bench.
The teams!
Team news is in, and these are tonight’s line-ups:
Wolverhampton: Rui Patricio, Boly, Coady, Saiss, Nelson Semedo, Dendoncker, Neves, Marcal, Pedro Neto, Silva, Daniel Podence. Subs: Hoever, Ait Nouri, Vitinha, Ruddy, Traore, Kilman, Otasowie.
Chelsea: Mendy, James, Zouma, Thiago Silva, Chilwell, Havertz, Kante, Mount, Pulisic, Giroud, Werner. Subs: Kepa, Rudiger, Jorginho, Abraham, Kovacic, Gilmour, Azpilicueta.
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
Here's how Wolves line-up for this evening's @premierleague fixture against @ChelseaFC. #WOLCHE
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 15, 2020
🐺📋 pic.twitter.com/iJeNj1S4RH
Chelsea team news! 📝#WOLCHE pic.twitter.com/wjOnC1N510
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 15, 2020
Hello world!
Here’s a strange fact I noticed while researching this game: last season only two Premier League teams won, on average, more than 1.65 points per away game: Liverpool and Manchester City. The season before three teams managed it – that pair plus Tottenham. This season that number is currently being exceeded by Manchester United, Leicester, Spurs, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Southampton, West Ham and Everton. Eight teams! That’s two more than the number (six, maths fans) that are managing it at home, and achieved despite Liverpool and City having the 16th and ninth best away records in the division respectively – had either of them performed to anywhere near their normal high standards on the road this season there would be 10 sides, half the entire division, performing on their travels at a level normally only reached by the very elite.
I’ll admit, it’s not a statistic that has a great bearing on this game, but I considered it curious and wanted to tell someone about it.
Another thing: approximately 8% of all league games finish goalless, but only four of the 109 matches played by Chelsea and Wolves, a piffling 3.7%, have done so – and of those one was played in 1911, and another in 1925. There have been nearly as many 5-2 wins in this fixture (three) as 0-0 draws. If past results are any indicator (and they’re not, really, but bear with me) it is more likely that one of these sides will score six (which has happened give times) than both will score none. Only about 0.8% of league matches end 3-3, a much more unlikely scoreline than 0-0 – except in games between Chelsea and Wolves, when 4.6% of all games have ended with six goals shared equally.
As I’m sure you’ll agree, this is very exciting. As is the fact that a Chelsea win would take them, at least temporarily, top of the table, while a Wolves win would take them to ninth. So let’s hunker down and look forward to sharing a warming evening/morning/whatever-it-is-where-you-are round the Premier League brazier. Welcome! Here’s a Chelsea-focused kind-of-preview thing from yesterday:
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