Madueke scores hat-trick as Chelsea hammer Wolves
Noni Madueke scored a second-half hat-trick and Joao Felix also netted as Chelsea stormed to a thumping victory at Molineux – their first Premier League win under Enzo Maresca.
Nicolas Jackson put the Blues ahead after just two minutes and Cole Palmer – who set up that goal all three of Madueke’s – restored the lead after Matheus Cunha had equalised.
Wolves levellled again before half-time through Jørgen Strand Larsen, but Madueke struck three times in the space of 14 minutes after the restart and Felix, signed from Atletico Madrid this week, completed the rout after coming on as a substitute.
Chelsea made the perfect start, with Palmer sending in a whipped delivery which was deflected before being nodded in at the far post by Jackson.
They were pegged back after Moises Caicedo gave the ball away and Rayan Ait-Nouri set up Cunha for a simple finish.
Palmer made it 2-1 with a brilliant lob over keeper Jose Sa shortly before half-time, but Wolves were level by the break after an unmarked Strand Larsen flicked home after Ait-Nouri’s ball into the box was nudged back across goal by Yerson Mosquera.
Left-back Ait-Nouri was a threat going forward but hapless at the other end of the pitch, where Madueke beat him at will.
Madueke got away from him to slot home after being set up by Palmer, who found him again in the build-up Chelsea’s fifth, which Madueke fired through Sa’s legs,
And after Wolves gave the ball away, Jackson found Palmer, who teed up Madueke for another cool finish.
That delighted the travelling Chelsea fans, who gave Felix a rousing welcome back when he was sent on.
And the Portuguese, who was on loan with the Blues last season, tucked away the sixth after Pedro Neto, playing against his former side, had pulled the ball back from the left.
Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella (Veiga 83); Caicedo (Dewsbury-Hall 76), Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer (Nkunku 83), Mudryk (Neto 45); Jackson (Felix 68)
Subs not used: Jorgensen, Tosin, Badiashile, Guiu.
