Noni Madueke underlines importance for Chelsea by setting tone in fiery win over Wolves

By the time Noni Madueke capped his 14-minute hat-trick, the Molineux faithful might just have been inclined to agree with his previous night’s expletive-ridden appraisal of Wolverhampton.

A tempestuous Premier League clash that was finely poised at 2-2 at half-time was fully settled less than 20 minutes later, Cole Palmer claiming a trio of assists as Madueke swiped the match ball.

When Madueke struck home his third goal to put the Blues 5-2 up with hardly more than an hour on the clock, any worries about the 22-year-old’s misguided Instagram post the previous night evaporated on the blustery Black Country breeze.

Madueke had posted on Instagram on Saturday night: “Everything about Wolverhampton is s***.”

Wolves themselves certainly matched that billing in a wretched performance amid a rampant Chelsea’s 6-2 triumph, for Enzo Maresca’s first Premier League win at the Blues helm.

Wolverhampton the city has always had its charms even if Madueke might not be able to locate them, with the young Chelsea forward quickly apologising for his social media faux pas.

The former PSV Eindhoven man did not put a foot wrong on the Molineux turf though, as Chelsea delivering a stunning victory, where Nicolas Jackson and new boy Joao Felix also found the net.

That Madueke Instagram post set the tone for a feisty, fiery and high-octane battle, that descended into a worryingly facile loss for Wolves.

Even though there are those who might have found humour in Madueke’s wider sentiment, the Chelsea winger is not about to land himself a travel writing gig any time soon.

Luckily he does not need to launch any kind of Late Night Lonely Planet endeavour, because he has more than enough attacking talent to keep himself in gainful top-flight employ.

Madueke was resoundingly booed every time he touched the ball in a blistering first-half, that somehow ended up honours even at 2-2.

Jackson found time to have a spat with almost every Wolves outfield player, even being dragged away at one point by Levi Colwill, who had to run fully 30 yards to intervene.

The Senegal striker was quickly in the groove however, turning the ball home at the far post to hand Chelsea an immediate lead, only to enrage the home crowd still further by celebrating in front of the Sir Jack Hayward Stand.

Cunha had the ball in the net twice before Wolves levelled, the first chalked off for offside but the second well and truly counting.

Chelsea were riding their luck and holding on come the end of the half, despite a relatively promising display.

When Cunha saw a smart effort deflect onto the top of the bar and bounce to safety, the Wolves forward would have been forgiven for lamenting a half in which he could easily have had a hat-trick.

Just when Chelsea thought they might have to shut up shop until the interval though, up popped Sanchez to launch a training-ground special.

The goalkeeper has been tasked with raising his distribution game, and for the Blues’ second goal he delivered in style.

The former Brighton stopper pinged a fine long ball out to Jackson through the inside left channel, and the Senegal striker strode on before finding Palmer lurking infield.

The England star steadied himself then pinged past the stranded Jose Sa for a fine 25-yard finish, to wrestle Chelsea a 2-1 lead.

Wolves refused to roll over though, and struck back straight away, with Strand Larsen poking in at the far post.

If a 2-2 half-time score was a relatively fair reflection, Madueke’s deflected second-half opener was harsh on the hosts and a significant boon to the Blues.

And when Palmer teed up Madueke again for a near carbon copy effort for the Blues’ fourth goal, Wolves’ heads dropped for the first time all match.

A third effort where Palmer laid on Madueke’s hat-trick proved barely believable, and Chelsea were not finished there either.

Former Wolves man Pedro Neto was back to haunt his old employers with a neat assist for replacement Felix. The luck was certainly all Chelsea’s here, and Maresca will hope to carry that forward into the far tougher assignments ahead.