Chelsea ratings: Forwards misfire vs. Wolves, but Nkunku offers hope،
Chelsea traveled to Wolverhampton Wanderers for the Premier League's first Christmas Eve match since 1995, but there wasn't much joy as the Blues were beaten 2-1 at Molineux.
Mario Lemina headed home from Pablo Sarabia's corner to score the opener shortly after half-time, before Matt Doherty added a second which left Chelsea with nothing to take home despite a late header from Christopher Nkunku.
If the Blues stay ahead of their hosts to remain 10th, they are now tied on points with Wolves and Bournemouth.
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Good points
There was plenty of exciting play from Chelsea, with some incisive running and passing in the first half. Raheem Sterling was the most obvious example before missing a big chance as Nélson Semedo struggled to deal with the winger. Even in periods when they weren't playing well, Chelsea were still in promising positions. It will be nice to see Nkunku score on his Premier League debut, six months after officially joining Chelsea from RB Leipzig.
Negative points
After dominating many periods of the first half, Chelsea should have taken the lead when they were put under pressure, but they wasted too much in front of José Sá's goal. There was also some sloppy play at the back which only added to the pressure, and a terrible start to the second half was made worse by conceding goals against a weak defence. There was a lack of discipline, with yellow cards awarded for dissent and for kicking the ball.
Manager's note
Mauricio Pochettino, 6 years old — I chose to cast Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja early on, but neither of them looked particularly impressive. He decided not to change anything at half-time and quickly saw his team score, although his substitutes breathed some life into the attack when they came on. More work will need to be done on corner defense on the practice field.
Player Ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Djordje Petrovic, 6 — He didn't have much to do in the first half, but he came out decisively to prevent Semedo from reaching the ball behind the Blues defense. Made a superb save to deny Toti Gomes after the restart, but could do nothing about either goal. I blocked Tommy Doyle's shot.
DF Malo Gusto, 5 years old — He made some superb forward swings, one of which resulted in a pass from which Broja should have scored. He was nowhere near strong enough to defend the corner against Lemina's goal and that set the tone for his second half. The right-back looked unconvincing, was booked for throwing the ball and conceded a chance with a poor touch.
DF Axel Disasi, 6 years old — I got out of a tricky situation against Hwang Hee-Chan with a free kick. Stayed strong in potentially tougher scenarios, notably against Craig Dawson from set pieces. A sloppy play put his team in trouble shortly after the goal.
DF Thiago Silva, 6 — Made some big clearances, including a no-nonsense one after his teammates had lost possession cheaply in the corner. He was caught out on one occasion when Hwang ran behind him and conceded the ball unnecessarily on the edge of the box on another occasion. I did well to stop Hwang towards the end.
DF Levi Colwill, 6 years old – Was saved by Petrovic on one occasion after a ball went over his head. Waged an intriguing battle against Pablo Sarabia, notably managing to stop him when there was a chance to break. Stopped Hwang to save his team after a mistake by Disasi.
Mr. F. Cole Palmer, 6 years old — Hit a wild shot harmlessly off target before seeing another deflected just before halftime. I won the ball in good positions in the second half and put the ball back to give Sterling the chance. Irregularly, he was booked and consequently missed the next match.
MF Lesley Ugochukwu, 6 years old — He looked tidy on the ball and passed it well in the first half. Well recovered to save Silva after conceding possession at the edge of the area. But, after looking dominant in the air during the first half, he didn't do enough to stop Lemina with a header in the opener and suffered an injury shortly after.
Mr. F. Conor Gallagher, 6 years old — Took a good position to cut out João Gomes' pass, but there were times when he looked uncomfortable receiving the ball from his defenders and conceded free kicks in dangerous areas. Booked at the half-hour mark for bringing down Rayan Ait Nouri.
Mr. F. Raheem Sterling, 8 years old — Semedo simply couldn't cope with Sterling for long periods of the first half as he made direct runs and played incisive passes that Broja and Jackson wasted. However, the winger missed the biggest chance of all after stealing the ball from Gomes but seeing his shot saved in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He finally got his assist with the cross for Nkunku's goal, but was booked for diving, so he will miss the next match.
FW Nicolas Jackson, 5 years old — Was let down by a horrible touch after Sterling's cross and was far too heavy after slipping between two Wolves defenders, allowing Semedo to get back. He was indicted for dissent.
FW Armando Broja, 4 — He took too long on the ball after being played in by Sterling and was tackled by Lemina, then missed his attempt on Gusto's cross. He also didn't offer much in his overall play, with his touch looking poor at times.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes receive no rating)
Mykhailo Mudryk, 6 years old — Replaced Broja in the 59th minute and showed plenty of intent, but found his final pass missing at times, one putting Gallagher in a tricky situation. His corner deliveries were also disappointing.
Christophe Nkunku, 7 years old — Replaced Ugochukwu in the 59th minute for his Premier League debut after spending most of this season injured. Launched an effort towards goal but it was cleared off the line and then a header was saved. Was rewarded with a goal from a great header.
Ian Maatsen, N/R — Replaced Colwill in the 80th minute and looked uncomfortable when called upon defensively, with Hwang rolling him over easily.
Benoit Badiashile, N/R — Replaced Gusto in the 80th minute, and his shocking clearance gifted Doherty a chance at a plate to score Wolves' second goal.
Noni Madueke, N/R — Replaced Jackson in the 80th minute and got things going. He was unlucky not to find Nkunku with his ball into the box, then hit a poisonous ball that made things difficult for Sa, but he sent a shot slightly wide.
