Chelsea 3-1 Wolves player ratings: Trevoh Chalobah shines on return as Blues end winless run | OneFootball

Chelsea ended their five-game winless run in the Premier League with a 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers to move them back into the top four.

The Blues had looked bereft of confidence since Christmas and it was the same when Matt Doherty cancelled out Tosin Adarabioyo’s opener just before half-time. But second-half goals from Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke did secure a valuable three points for Enzo Maresca’s side.

It does mean Wolves remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference, with that gap to Ipswich Town now cut to four.

Chelsea player ratings

Robert Sanchez: 58%

Robert Sanchez had a howler for Wolves’ equaliser, dropping an easy catch from a corner. It was his fourth error leading to a goal in the Premier League this season, the second-most in the division. He did make three saves and one successful punch, boosting his Score slightly.

Reece James: 71%

The Chelsea captain was very much involved at both ends of the pitch, winning three tackles and making one interception retaining possession. He also won possession four times and won nine duels, having more touches than any other Chelsea player during his time on the pitch. In attack, James had two shots and created two chances before going off with just under 15 minutes to go.

Tosin Adarabioyo: 69%

Tosin Adarabioyo opened the scoring for Chelsea with his first Premier League goal for the club, taking the ball down well and finishing after a set-piece. He also looked solid defensively, with his performance including two clearances and 100% ground duel success rate.

Trevoh Chalobah: 78%

Starting after his return from loan, Trevoh Chalobah showed why the decision to send him out in the first place was a bizarre one. Never mind getting the assist for Madueke’s goal with a good header that was on its way in, Chalobah was a rock defensively. He had three interceptions, including one in the box, won four aerial duels and made seven clearances. The Englishman was also reliable on the ball, boasting a retention rate of 95.96%.

Marc Cucurella: 69%

Marc Cucurella was playing so advanced at times you could be forgiven for thinking he had started as a No.10. The Spaniard scored the winning goal in the second half, showing composure to take the ball down and finish under pressure. Overall, he had four touches in the opposition box and won possession three times in the defensive third.

Moises Caicedo: 74%

There was a moment in the first half when Chelsea’s fans’ hearts would have been in their mouths as Moises Caicedo looked in pain. But the Ecuadorian midfielder soldiered on and was a solid part of the Blues team as always. He won two tackles and won possession five times in the middle third, with six ball recoveries. Caicedo also completed six passes into the final third.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: 65%

Although he got an assist, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall got a bit lost in the game. The former Leicester City midfielder wasn’t as involved as he would have liked to be in attack with just three passes into the final third completed, and was dispossessed twice. He was taken off with just under 15 minutes to go.

Noni Madueke: 66%

Noni Madueke got another goal to take his tally against Wolves to four for the season. That was nodded in on the line when the ball already looked to be going in, just when it seemed as though Madueke wouldn’t get his goal. The Englishman had six shots in total, more than any other player, but only two hit the target. He did also put in a good cross for Cucurella’s goal, though he didn’t get an assist for it.

Cole Palmer: 70%

It was a fairly quiet game for Cole Palmer by his high standards. But he still created two chances and had three shots, though only one hit the target. He did also make 19 passes into the final third before coming off in the 84th minute.

Pedro Neto: 61%

Up against his former side, Pedro Neto will have wanted to make an impact. But he wasn’t involved too much, with a lot of Chelsea’s action coming down their right. The Portuguese winger had six touches in the opposition box but no shots and just once chance created. He also failed to complete a take-on or win a duel before coming off just after the hour-mark.

Nicolas Jackson: 42%

It was another quiet game for Nicolas Jackson, who has been suffering for form of late. The Senegalese striker had two shots, one of which hit the target, generating a total non-penalty xG On Target of 0.24. He also missed a big chance and was offside four times, including one which saw a goal ruled out.

Wolves player ratings

Jose Sa: 55%

Conceding three goals on the night, Jose Sa did also make three saves, preventing 0.28 goals. But he had no other goalkeeping actions and didn’t complete a single long pass. In fact, he was accurate with just nine of his total 23 passes overall.

Matt Doherty: 64%

Matt Doherty stabbed home the equaliser from close range, capitalising on another Chelsea error at the back. Both of his Premier League goals this season have come in London, also scoring at West Ham United in December. The wing-back-turned-centre-back also made eight clearances, more than any other player on the pitch, won four aerial duels and three interceptions retaining possession. It’s just the goals conceded and Expected Goals faced that cuts his Score down.

Santiago Bueno: 48%

Santiago Bueno was the least involved of Wolves’ centre-backs, with only two clearances and one interception retaining possession. He also won just 54.55% of his ground duels, alongside no aerial duels.

Emmanuel Agbadou: 51%

Making his second successive start after joining the club, Emmanuel Agbadou had a tough evening. The centre-back did make seven clearances and won two tackles, alongside two interceptions retaining possession. But he also failed to win an aerial duel and, of course, was part of the defence to concede 15 shots from inside the box. And his retention rate of pretty low, at 76.19%.

Nelson Semedo: 58%

Nelson Semedo was busy defensively, with four clearances and two successful offside traps. He also completed three take-ons, more than any other player. But the Portuguese wing-back was given a very busy night by Madueke.

Andre: 54%

Andre was Wolves’ more reliable midfielder on the ball, boasting a retention rate of 90%. He also made two interceptions retaining possession during his time on the pitch. But Andre wasn’t involved too much, keeping his teammate very busy.

Joao Gomes: 61%

Joao Gomes was a very busy man at the heart of Wolves’ midfield, winning eight tackles in total. That was double the amount of the rest of his teammates combined, and as many as the entire Chelsea team. He also won possession six times in the defensive third, with seven ball recoveries. But on the ball he wasn’t as good, with three unsuccessful touches and a retention rate of 82.09%.

Rayan Ait-Nouri: 55%

With Chelsea focusing a lot of their attacks down the opposite flank, Rayan Ait-Nouri didn’t have too much to do, with two interceptions and two possessions won in the defensive third. He also had one touch in the opposition box before coming off with just over 15 minutes to play.

Pablo Sarabia: 55%

You could be forgiven for forgetting that Pablo Sarabia was on the pitch when his substitution was announced with just over 15 minutes left. The Spaniard really struggled to make an impact on the game, with just one chance created and eight final third passes completed.

Matheus Cunha: 63%

He was the man to play Adarabioyo onside for the Chelsea opener, but he made up for it with some testing corner deliveries. Including the one which lead to Doherty’s equaliser. Matheus Cunha had 14 penalty area entries in total, with seven touches in the opposition box and one chance created. It was a decent enough performance on his first start after suspension.

Jorgen Strand Larsen: 44%

Jorgen Strand Larsen had two shots on target against Chelsea, but they generated a total xGOT of 0.14, failing to really test Sanchez. And that was about it for his involvement, cutting a lonely figure up front for Wolves.

How do Squawka player ratings work?

Squawka’s new player rating system is wholly stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.

We tailored each score to the players’ respective positions using extensive research and expertise. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box, and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes, etc.