CHELSEA 2-0 WOLVES
Well, we went into this one without too much to worry about – two points clear of City and none of our rivals playing today, so as long as we didn’t lose there didn’t feel as if there was any real pressure – and that’s pretty much how we played the game.
Pretty unremarkable first half really, with plenty of patient passing play on our half and a resilient display from the visitors with the amount of men they’d put behind the ball giving a hint of their game plan from the off.
A nice one-two with Drogba and Bosingwa had Hahnemann tipping it wide just about ten minutes in, with Ashley Cole pressuring him to clear just minutes later. The Chelsea left-back earns us a free-kick but Drogba’s ball over the top, tipped just wide off the Chelsea captain’s head sees the offside flag raised anyway.
The visitors decide patience isn’t for them as they have a go at pressing, with Foley chipping a decent ball in for Edwards to head into Cech’s hands. They pay the price for taking their eyes off our attack though and Malouda makes them pay with the opener. Our patient play sees Anelka slip in Zhirkov to square it to Malouda for a tidy finish.
Fair play to Wolves for not letting their heads drop and they have a go with a counter but their vulnerability is highlighted with a break from Drogba and Anelka – and the Frenchman drives it into the side netting. A couple of comfortable saves made by Cech but the pressure’s all on Wolves really, supplied in no small part by the returning Jose Bosingwa, who looks no worse for a year out.
First yellow card of the day sees Stearman late on a rampaging Didier Drogba, who finishes the move with a lovely triple roll. The Ivorian recovers enough to see a shot blocked at the front post before he wins a corner which he then duly wastes by failing to clear the first man. Wolves have just about parked the bus now though, snuffing out whatever we create and leaving us hanging around the edge of their area without ever really penetrating.
Just five minutes before the break and it really should’ve been 2 for us by now but instead, we spend the last few minutes hanging around the edge of the Wolves area with nothing really doing and go into the break just the one goal up.
The second half opens with a predictably warm reception for Stephen Hunt, coming on for Van Damme and he does himself no more favours than usual when he leaves Bosingwa wincing. Wolves started brightly though, trying to create a few chances for themselves but without ever really threatening Cech, who was more than up to the task.
Drogba could and very probably should have made it 2 after the hour mark, finding himself in acres of space up against a stranded Hahnemann. The Wolves keeper stood tall and came out the stronger though against a Didier Drogba in casual form. We were definitely looking for a second though but against a resilient Wolves defence, it was going to take some patient probing.
Any counter from Wolves always left them looking vulnerable and it was a mixture of casual Chelsea play, resolute defending and the odd Chelsea player blocking their own shots that kept it at 1-0 for so long. Ten minutes before the end though, Kalou who’d come on for Malouda ten minutes earlier, put the game to bed finishing a lovely one-two with Essien by sliding the ball under Hahnemann for our second and that’s where it ended.
Overall then, an unremarkable win but another win nonetheless. Neither Drogba nor Anelka looked particularly lively and it was Jose Bosingwa, after a year out, who stood out as the biggest thorn in the Wolves side with a really encouraging performance after such a long lay-off. Another 3 points though and another clean sheet at home. Can’t grumble at that!
TEAMS
CHELSEA: Cech, Bosingwa (Ferreira, 77), Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Essien, Mikel, Zhirkov (McEachran, 81), Anelka, Drogba, Malouda (Kalou, 71).
Unused subs: Turnbull, Sturridge, Bruma, Kakuta.
WOLVES: Hahnemann, Foley, Berra, Stearman, Ward, Jarvis (Fletcher, 86), Edwards, Milijas, David Jones, Van Damme (Hunt, 45), Doyle (Ebanks-Blake, 85).
Unused subs: Hennessey, Elokobi, Mouyokolo, Davis.
GOALS
Malouda 23, Kalou 80
Blue is the colour
