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Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca praised forward Noni Madueke after his three-goal performance in the 6-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux Stadium. The England U-21 star scored a hat-trick for the Blues to give them their first win of the 2024-25 season in the Premier League on Sunday, August 25.
Noni Madueke stirred up controversy with an Instagram story on the day before the game, in which he referred to the town of Wolverhampton as s**t. The forward was on the receiving end of jeers and boos from the home fans but emerged from the game with a sterling display.
Enzo Maresca had Madueke as his go-to player in pre-season on the right wing, but the forward was benched for each of the first two games of the season. Cole Palmer started ahead of him against Manchester City last weekend, and Pedro Neto was given the nod against Servette in midweek.
Maresca was appreciative of the performance of the 22-year-old against Wolves, and he made this known with his post-match comments on the forward. He praised his efforts, particularly pointing out the work rate he showed in helping out defensively.
“I said from day one Noni is the type of winger I really like, the most important thing from Noni today was that run back to defend counter attack in 90th minute,” Maresca said (via CFCPys).
Madueke scored after coming off the bench against Servette and followed up the performance with a brilliant hat-trick against Wolves. The former PSV Eindhoven man scored two of his goals with his weaker right foot, showing off a sort of variety with his finishing.
Maresca hailed Madueke after the midweek game, highlighting the need for consistency for the forward. The Italian tactician will be pleased to see that the winger took the advice on board and has now contributed four goals in just two appearances.
Joao Felix shines on Chelsea debut in huge win
Joao Felix scored a brilliant goal for Chelsea as they cruised to a 6-2 win over Wolves in his second Chelsea debut. The Portuguese forward was introduced off the bench for the Blues and added his name to the scoresheet with a well-taken effort.
Chelsea had put five past Wolves by the time Felix was introduced in place of goalscorer Nicolas Jackson in the 68th minute. With four goals in the second half of the 2022-23 season during his loan spell, the former Atletico Madrid man was making his second debut for the Blues.
Felix finished off a sweeping move from the side, easing an effort into the top corner after a brilliant cutback from Pedro Neto. The 24-year-old has got his permanent stint at Chelsea off to a flying start, adding another dimension to their attack.
