Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez stun Chelsea to earn Wolves memorable win
Wolves 2-1 Chelsea: The Blues went ahead but the match turned on its head in the second half
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Your support makes all the difference.Wolves staged a stirring Molineux comeback to make Chelsea pay heavily for missed chances as Kepa Arrizabalaga’s goalkeeping error cost the Blues.
Maurizio Sarri’s men looked relatively untroubled for 59 minutes and led through a goal from Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
But Kepa allowed a Raul Jimenez shot to creep past him on 59 minutes to trigger a memorable Wolves fightback that was completed when Diogo Jota side-footed home from a Matt Doherty cross.
Chelsea, though, should have wrapped up victory for Kepa’s howler with Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio making a superb save from Willian while Alvora Morata and N’Golo Kante also missing chances.
Wolves ended the game on top, however, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men won for the first time in seven games.
Chelsea made the early running and had already caused Wolves some problems when they opened up Wolves’ left flank in the sixth minute.
N’Golo Kante exploited space behind Willy Boly to advance into the penalty area and deliver a cross, which found its way to Eden Hazard.
The Belgian hit a low cross but Rui Patricio in the Wolves goal made a comfortable, low save.
There was a moment of promise for Wolves, however, when Morgan Gibbs-White, making his first Premier League start, ghosted past two challenges and picked out Ruben Vinagre, but his cross-shot did not trouble Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Another fine pass by Gibbs-White found Diogo Jota as Wolves began to find their feet, but he was denied a shooting chance by Antonio Rudiger’s solid challenge.
On 18 minutes, though, Wolves found themselves behind to a stroke of misfortune as Hazard picked out Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who cut inside and curled a shot towards goal which Patricio appeared to have covered.
However, Coady attempted to head clear but only succeeded and diverting the ball past his goalkeeper at the near post.
Only the excellence of Patricio denied Chelsea a second goal on 23 minutes as Willian let fly with a curling free-kick from 20 yards, forcing the Wolves goalkeeper to tip over the crossbar with an outstretched left hand.
On 27 minutes Raul Jimenez headed over at the near most from a Jota cross for a Wolves side who had gone quiet after a promising start.
Yet the hosts regained some momentum as half-time approached and only a fabulous challenge from Cesc Fabregas denied Giggs-White a shooting chance after Jimenez had headed down a cross by Vinagre.
Moments later Fabregas’s heroics were matched at the other end by Ryan Bennett, who made a brilliant recovery challenge after Willian had spun behind Boly and collected a superb chip from Hazard.
It was almost 2-0 at the start of the second half as Loftus-Cheek delivered a clever pass to the far post for Alvaro Morata, who was tackled by Boly and claimed a penalty unsuccessfully.
Twelve minutes into the second half Kante found himself in a shooting position after a neat move from the visitors but the Frenchman dragged a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards.
And a minute later they were punished for not adding to their tally as Kepa’s error allowed Jimenez to level for Wolves.
The Mexican collected a pass from Gibbs-White and powered away from Andreas Christensen before drilling a low shot that crept under the goalkeeper’s body for the equaliser.
And just moments later the game had turned on its head as Willian was caught in possession by Joao Moutinho, Matt Doherty crossed from the right and Jota crept behind the Chelsea rearguard to side-foot home at the far post.
Hazard threatened to ruin Wolves’ evening with 15 minutes remaining when he moved in from the left and curled a right-footed effort just over the crossbar.
Wolves (3-4-1-2): Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Saiss, Vinagre; Gibbs-White (Costa 72); Jimenez (Dendoncker 81), Jota (Cavaleiro 87). Subs: Ruddy, Hause, Bonatini, Traore.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso; Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas, Kante; Willian (Pedro 65), Morata (Giroud 65), Hazard. Subs: Caballero, Jorginho, Kovacic, Zappacosta, Luiz.
Referee: Jon Moss
Attendance: 31,300
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