Wolves 2-6 Chelsea: Blues Player Ratings as Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer steal the show | Premier League 2023-24

Noni Madueke bagged a sensational second-half hat-trick as Chelsea overcame a poor first-half performance to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-2 in the Premier League. The match was played at the Molineux Stadium on Sunday, August 25.

Coming into the game, Wolves manager Gary O'Neil made one change to the side that lost 2-0 to Arsenal away last week. Matheus Cunha, who scored thrice in the side's win over the Blues last season, came in for Rodrigo Gomes.

Chelsea, meanwhile, missed Romeo Lavia due to injury. Madueke, Palmer, and Nicolas Jackson spearheaded the attack while new signing Joao Felix made the bench. It was the perfect start for the visitors as Jackson found the back of the net inside two minutes. He was at the back post as the ball found its way to him from a corner and he headed home from close range to make it 1-0.

Spurred on by a vociferous crowd as the game grew in intensity, Wolves managed to find an equaliser through Cunha in the 27th minute. Rayan Ait-Nouri's brilliant run and subsequent pass found the striker, who blasted home to level the scores.

O'Neil's side continued to apply the pressure but it was Maresca's men who took the lead again. A quick outlet pass from Robert Sanchez found Jackson, who played a neat pass to Cole Palmer, who brilliantly lobbed a wandering Jose Sa. The lead did not last long as summer signing Jorgen Strand Larsen scored just minutes later to make it 2-2 heading into half-time.

Chelsea grew in confidence to begin the half and it was a quickfire 14-minute hattrick from Madueke that put the game to rest. Palmer bagged assists for all three of his efforts as the winger decimated the defense with his dribbling and sharp finishing.

Pedro Neto and Felix came off the bench and combined to add the Blues' sixth. The former Atletico Madrid man found the back of the net with a precise first-time effort.

The result marks Maresca's first win in the Premier League as Chelsea's head coach. Here are their player ratings:

Chelsea Player Ratings

Robert Sanchez - 6/10

His brilliant pass to find Jackson led to Chelsea's second goal. Overall, he had a decent game, finishing with two saves.

Malo Gusto - 6/10

The inverted role may not suit Gusto to the best of his abilities as it takes away his freedom to bomb down the right flank. Still, he defended decently and was solid in possession.

Wesley Fofana - 5/10

Fofana had a difficult time, put under pressure by the Wolves forwards. He seemed to be out of position for both of their goals.

Levi Colwill - 6.5/10

While his defending did leave a lot to desire, he was solid overall, even pulling off a brilliant block. On the ball, he was great for Chelsea as his progressive passing helped the side generate many chances. He finished with four clearances, seven passes into the final third, and a pass completion percentage of 93% (69/74).

Marc Cucurella - 6.5/10

Similar to Gusto, he did not offer much going forward but was solid in defense.

Moises Caicedo - 4.5/10

A day to forget for Caicedo, who was careless with the ball in the first half. He struggled to find passes and eventually was subbed off with what looked like an injury after a coming-together.

Enzo Fernandez - 6/10

Similar to his midfield partner, he had a poor first half as he was loose in possession. He eventually improved in the second period.

Cole Palmer - 9/10

Palmer's quick decision-making was on display in the second half as he bagged the assists for all three of Madueke's goals. His best moment, however, was in the first period, finding the back of the net with an audacious chip to bag Chelsea's second of the game. He finished with five shots, four chances created, and four passes into the final third.

Noni Madueke - 10/10

A constant threat down the right flank, Madueke validated his place in the lineup after being left out of the clash against Manchester City. He troubled Ait-Nouri throughout the game and his incisive finishing and threatening directness were a thorn in the side of the hosts.

Mykhailo Mudryk - 5.5/10

Another forgettable performance from the Ukrainian who continues to struggle at Stamford Bridge. He barely featured in the first half before being taken off for Neto who performed better.

Nicolas Jackson - 7/10

While he may not be the best of finishers, Jackson's ability in link-up play continues to be invaluable to Chelsea. He scored one, assisted one, and was involved in two of Madueke's goals.

Substitutes

Pedro Neto - 6.5/10

A marked improvement over Mudryk for the second period and bagged an assist over his former employers.

Joao Felix - 7/10

Felix marked arked his second debut for the Blues in style, scoring with a cool first-time effort.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - 6/10

Came on for Caicedo to close the game out and apart from one nervous moment on the ball, he looked solid.

Renato Veiga and Christopher Nkunku - N/A

The pair came on too late and did not play enough minutes to merit a rating.