Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, center, celebrates scoring with teammates during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England. Sunday Aug. 25, 2024. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
Noni Madueke scored a second-half hat-trick as Chelsea crushed Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-2 away in a frenetic Premier League clash at Molineux on Sunday.
Chelsea’s first Premier League points of the season and the first for new manager Enzo Maresca arrived in spectacular fashion as the visitors ripped Wolves apart after the break following an absorbing first period.
Maresca’s side led twice in the first half with goals by Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer but both times Wolves deservedly hit back through Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Wolves fell part after the break, however, and Madueke took the game beyond them with three goals in 15 minutes, all of them assisted by the excellent Palmer.
Joao Felix came off the bench to mark his return to the club with his side’s sixth goal.
Much has been made of Chelsea’s huge squad and the puzzle Italian Maresca has been hired to solve, but the youthful side he selected on Sunday gelled impressively.
Madueke was the villain for the home fans in more ways than one. The English forward was booed from the start after a deleted social media post in which he insulted Wolverhampton.
He silenced the hecklers in emphatic fashion, however, to get Chelsea’s league campaign up and running after they were beaten by champions Manchester City on the opening weekend.
The 22-year-old restored Chelsea’s lead in the 49th minute with a shot that deflected off of Rayan Ait-Nouri.
That goal sapped the fight out of Wolves who had arguably been the better team in the first half and it was Palmer again who sent Madueke clear to slam a shot through the legs of Wolves keeper Jose Sa’s legs.
Madueke made it 5-2 with another almost identical goal as Wolves conceded possession and Cole sent him clear to complete his hat-trick.
With Wolves in disarray, Pedro Neto, who left them for Chelsea in the summer, teed up Felix for a cool finish.
