Chelsea won for the first time in six Premier League matches when they beat relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 at home on Monday with goals from defenders Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Cucurella and a third from winger Noni Madueke.
The win pushed Chelsea – who had been second as recently as last month – above Manchester City and Newcastle United into fourth place, while Wolves remained out of the bottom three only on goal difference ahead of Ipswich Town.
The hosts, seeking to get back on track for a place in next season’s Champions League, went ahead in the 24th minute when Tosin sidefooted home from close range.
But goalkeeper Robert Sanchez gifted Wolves an equaliser in first-half stoppage time when he dropped a corner and Matt Doherty stabbed the ball in.
The home fans were fearing a repeat of recent games when Chelsea threw away leads until Cucurella popped up in attack to score after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – in his first league start for the Blues – flicked on a Madueke cross on the hour.
Five minutes later, Madueke nodded in to make sure a header from Trevoh Chalobah – returning to Stamford Bridge after being recalled from a loan spell at Crystal Palace – crossed the line.
“It’s instinct. Attacker’s instinct,” Madueke told Sky Sports. “I knew it was going over the line. I said sorry to Trevoh after. I had to put this in the net for sure.
“He was saying ‘No way you took my goal’ but I said ‘You have to understand, this is what they pay me for’.”
Chelsea have 40 points from 22 games, 10 adrift of leaders Liverpool and four behind second-placed Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. They are two points above Manchester City and Newcastle.
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca was boosted by the return of club captain Reece James who made his first start after the latest in a string of injury absences.
Chalobah also gave the Blues’ defence a stronger shape after the loss of Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile due to injuries.
Defender Levi Colwill and midfielders Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez were all absent from the squad ahead of Chelsea’s trip to champions Manchester City on Saturday.
