Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha scored a hat-trick to give his team a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, once again exposing Chelsea’s defensive shortcomings.
After losing 4-1 to Liverpool on Wednesday, the high-spending London team conceded four goals for the second time in a week, which increased pressure on manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Cole Palmer’s well-taken goal in the 20th minute gave Chelsea, who were playing well at the beginning, the lead. It was Palmer’s tenth Premier League goal for his new team.
However, Joao Gomes found fellow Brazilian Cunha two minutes later, and Cunha’s shot significantly misdirected Chelsea defender Thiago Silva.
Just before the break, Wolves’ second goal came from a shot by Rayan Ait-Nouri that caught Axel Disasi off guard and was chalked off as an own goal, catching Chelsea custodian Djordje Petrovic off guard.
Chelsea moved forward, but their defence was disjointed. Silva, who is 39 years old, seemed to be losing speed, and his youthful defensive teammates lacked cohesiveness and experience.
Cunha scored his third goal from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute after being hauled down by Chelsea defender Malo Gusto, making it 3-1 halfway through the second half after Pedro Neto caught Chelsea napping.
With four minutes remaining in normal time, Brazilian Silva scored a consoling header, but many home fans had already left the stadium.
With Wolves overtaking Chelsea to take 10th place in the standings and Chelsea falling to 11th, the loss puts additional strain on manager Mauricio Pochettino.
He claimed that the players’ performances were insufficient and that they lacked confidence.
The former Tottenham Hotspur coach went on to say that the players were aware of the high expectations.
