Wolves vs Chelsea Review: What We Learnt

Palmer’s Record

What was colder - the rain at Molineux or Palmer scoring his 4th PL hattrick without leaving first gear? It was, arguably, the least impressive of Palmer’s hattricks. Two penalties arrived gift-wrapped thanks to some clever play from Joao Pedro and utterly dunderheaded defending from Wolves’ defenders. Both were graciously accepted before a third was guided into the roof of the net, making him the first player in PL history to score 3 hat-tricks in the first half.

It was far from vintage Palmer on show. 41 touches was exactly in line with his average touches/90 this season [41.2], a slight oddity considering Chelsea had 67% of the ball against the bottom side in the PL. Palmer did not create a single chance during his 61 minutes on the pitch, and he contributed one solitary defensive action in that period.

None of that will matter to a single Chelsea fan if he takes three shots and scores with each every game. It is still encouraging that even when still feeling his way back from a persistent groin issue and visibly some way off his imperious best, his confidence remains sturdy, even in the pouring rain. He’s still stuck on 0 assists for the season though, but now is only 3 goals away from hitting double figures for a third season running.

Rosenior’s Tinkering

A surprise 3-5-2 made an appearance midweek against Arsenal, and Declan Rice admitted post-game that the formation change caught Arsenal off-guard. Rosenior’s willingness to test out different formations and roles continued here as he tried out Enzo Fernandez in a LW position in the 4-2-3-1.

While Maresca did not seem intrigued by the idea of using all three of his South American midfielders simultaneously, Rosenior’s affinity for Santos has changef the equation. Switching to a midfield 3 offers up conundrums through, the big one being that Cole Palmer cannot play as a 10.

Maresca got around that 3-body problem by playing Lavia and Enzo together with Caicedo at RB (which did not work.) Using Enzo at LW allowed Rosenior to play all three of his CMs, play Palmer at 10 and offer Enzo the on-ball influence he craves - 92 touches, 3 shots on goal offering a nice glimpse into his all-round contributions.

The big [potential] issue is out of possession, where Enzo is forced to slot out at RM, having to defend wide and track back long distances. It is a role Conor Gallagher played well under Pochettino due to his athleticism and relentless industry. Enzo, unfortunately, only possesses one of those two qualities. Against quicker winger + fullback combinations, it could pose a serious risk to Chelsea’s out-of-possession unit. Here though, it held up. It probably won’t be in the bigger games.

Balance and Workload

6 tackles won, 11 ground duels contested, 8 recoveries and 2 interceptions. There is little doubt that Chelsea’s Ecuadorian midfield dismantler is a machine. But machines overheat, or blow a fuse if you keep them running. This was Caicedo’s 13th full 90 in his last 14 games (he played 72 vs Palace.)

Enzo completed his 6th consecutive 90. With Andrey forced off due to a knock, Reece already carrying one, Essugo out until March and Lavia as mythical a creature as an honest politician, how Rosenior will manage his midfield will undoubtedly be his biggest headache until the end of the season.

45’ Minute Team?

2 unanswered first goals against West Ham & Napoli, and an unanswered 2nd half goal against Wolves will only exacerbate concerns that Chelsea remain a team capable of turning up only for one half at a time.

It isn’t a Rosenior problem though, neither is it a consistent one. Chelsea were slow starters under Maresca and have been under new management too. Fans will hope that three goals in one half against a 20th placed side is a turning point and not a statistical anomaly.

For now, despite the limp manner of the Carabao Cup exit against Arsenal over two legs, it is now four wins in four PL games for Rosenior and Chelsea sit exactly where they’d like to be. A trip to his and the other Liam’s former side Hull await in the FA Cup, the Blues’ one and only realistic chance of silverware this season. Unless of course, Rosenior emulates what another Chelsea manager hired midway through the season did after beating Napoli from an improbable position. Dreaming is free.