(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Wolves - Chelsea

As we near the end of a bizarre year in the life of Chelsea Football Club, we have yet further novelty. It is Christmas Eve and there's a game on. The Blues are at Molineux for a final fix and festive cheer before a big lunch tomorrow and a feast of football thereafter. Wolves are in good home form, they've had some time off. Chelsea arrive here in the Midlands having beaten Newcastle on penalties in the Cup quarter-final at the Bridge. This year, of all years, we take nothing for granted. There are only three points between these two as we kick off. Gary O'Neill all smiles at the moment. He's made a couple of changes to his lineup here. His first choice goalkeeper Jose Sarr is fit to come back after a shoulder issue. Dan Bentley has been playing. The other change, Ryan Aitnouri returning at left wing back. Wolves still playing that shape as they seem to have done forever now. Huang is their top scorer with six at Molineux alone but Kunya has also started to find the net with some regularity. For Chelsea, Badia, Scheel and Mudrick drop to the bench. Caicedo isn't well so there are three changes for the Blues today. Malagusto starts. Di Zassi therefore moves in field. It's Gallagher and Ugo Chukwu in midfield and Breuer starts up front which is interesting because it means Nicholas Jackson will start a match for the first time on the left which is where he often started for Villareal. Here's Stirling. Now Jackson. That might be a shout for a penalty by the way. Outside the box. Yeah right on the edge. Lamina who's been immaculate really in his challenging. Well he took a risk early on didn't he when the box the one on Breuer but here his wrong side he's not gonna be able to stretch. Brilliant dynamic direct play from Raheem Stirling. Fantastic stuff after the giveaway. Now Stirling at Bournemouth hit a beautiful dipper that hit the bar and at Newcastle he scored it. This exact goal. I mean it might have been a yard further out. I think I know what he's going to hit. Let's hope Jose Sarr doesn't. He's thinking near top corner I reckon. He's gone for it again and the fans loved it. And it was the Wolves fans. Ain't Nury seeing a gap going for it. Look at the space over there. That's a clip from Connor Gallagher for sure. He's going to be carded. Just glad he didn't get the pass off. But now Wolves have a free kick in a position much like the one Chelsea had a moment ago. Sarabia. Oh it's deflected. It'll be a corner. At least the Wolves did its job okay. There's the press. Stirling's got it. Huge moment. Raheem Stirling. He got two men square. He didn't pass. Connor Gallagher. He wanted to shut up those Wolves fans as Gallagher puts it right down Jose Sarr's throat. It's only ever okay to be selfish if you put it in the back of the net. The pass is straight into Gomez. Doesn't know what's around him. And look at Palmer's reaction. Just has to go to the right. They're queuing up. It's brilliant from Raheem Stirling. He's had a great half but here he's got to flick it outside of the right foot. Square. But it's a certain goal. Petrovic. Where is he? It doesn't matter but he should be coming out and getting that. Hwang must have been expecting a body check from the goalkeeper. Why on earth is Djordje Petrovic not coming for this? Yes good movement. Goes just towards the ball and spun in behind Thiago Silva. Looks like it's too much. Oh he's dropped it. Lucky boy Jose Sarr. Kunja presented it. Cole Palmer. This is worth a hit and he does hit it. Almost their own worst enemy there a couple of times over. He's decided to reverse it again. Nick it really well. Kunja loose in possession. Must have got a nick. Desperate last few away performances. This has been much better. Hwang. Back foot. Oh huge deflection. Just seeing where that was bobbling. Petrovic stood there hoped and prayed with the rest of us. Yes everybody. I mean the shot could have gone in with the deflection. It could have been a penalty. It's a free header at the back stick. Totti Gomez and then Sarabia. Well done Petrovic. Wolves should be in front. Cueing up. Absolutely cueing up Kilman. I'm not sure if he just maybe puts off Gomez in the end. He's up in front of him. With the ball in. Oh it's in this time. It's been coming. Mario Lamima the best player on the pitch in the first half has put Wolves in front early in the second. And I can't say I'm that surprised. It's a clean header. Direction is perfect and there's a whole cluster of Wolves players on the edge of the six yard box. And watch it back and gets it back. Here he is. Cole Palmer. That's Kilman. He then tried to get out of the way for his keeper and Kunku. Was it over the line? No. I think we'd have heard by now. That's how close it was. Jackson. Tough for Colwell but it's worked out. And Kunku. Square. Palmer. Sterling. This is the moment. Well it was. Between them Dawson or maybe a bit of Sar. Maybe a bit of both have done the job. Chelsea squeeze hard for the equaliser. Hugo Bueno on the cut back. Oh no. 2-0. Game over. One sub feeds another. Wolves 2. Chelsea 0. Not a very merry Christmas at all. Well it's Badia Scheel that can't sort his feet out or can't get a good enough clearance onto the ball. Bueno puts in a fine delivery off the left hand side. Two substitutes involved and that unfortunately is probably that. Not enough attacking threat. Too many defensive mistakes. It's a bad combination let's be honest. In from Sterling and Kunku. Hello. He has his first Chelsea goal. He's ghosted in. We've got five and a half minutes to get another. Wolves just nodding off. He'd like it to be in different circumstances. Maybe it still will be. He's enjoyed it. You can see all clenched fist and it's a nice little comfortable first goal for him. Sterling puts in a beautiful ball and for the first time really completely unopposed the Chelsea player in the 18-yard box. Doherty with the winning goal as it stands. His header then Doyle and then Huang getting the better of Thiago Silva. Huang still going and still going. He's fallen over. He's still going. What an absolute mess. Doesn't that just sum up this football match? The final whistle of which has still not gone and here's Michailo Modric. Smashed out by Samedo. There's the full-time whistle. Mary Molyneux. Not much cheer for Chelsea. Four away defeats running Sam. Wolves scored in their good spell which has sort of ended first half start a second. That was the killer goal for much of it. Doherty got the second and Kunku got one but we're frustrated again right? Chelsea going to Christmas. 10 points off Europe. 10 points off relegation. It is middle of the road in every sense as we begin driving home for Christmas. Wolves 2 Chelsea 1.