Spot-on Cole Palmer Fires First-half Hat-trick As Chelsea Win At Woeful Wolves

It would beryllium easy to overgarment this arsenic a Cole Palmer masterclass, nan Chelsea midfielder completing his hat-trick wrong nan opening 38 minutes, but it is adjacent to opportunity by nan clip he was substituted connected nan hour, his activity was done. At that constituent it was 3-1 to nan visitors, Wolves pulling a extremity backmost early successful nan 2nd half erstwhile Tolu Arokodare spun successful nan container to person astatine a corner.

From there, if not earlier, it was difficult not to consciousness arsenic though Chelsea were going done nan motions. Palmer’s trio of cool finishes, 2 from nan punishment spot, earned triumph and his third, capping a slick squad move, was surely nan astir pleasing for Liam Rosenior. Rosenior’s grounds arsenic Chelsea caput coach now sounds 7 wins successful 9 matches and 4 successive victories successful nan Premier League.

With fourth-placed Manchester United uncovering their groove nether Michael Carrick and registering a fourth consecutive league triumph themselves, Chelsea, a constituent and a spot down them, knew nan value of keeping pace. Wolves must beryllium sick of nan show of Chelsea, moreover if location was a somewhat different look to nan broadside that won nan reverse fixture 3-0 astatine Stamford Bridge successful November.

Palmer, of course, was nan evident absentee location and it was nan aforesaid communicative erstwhile a youthful Chelsea broadside won present 4-3 successful nan Carabao Cup. Wolves person now mislaid their past 4 matches to Chelsea by an aggregate scoreline of 15-4 and that is without mentioning their 6-2 defeat astatine nan commencement of past season.

Wolves began nan amended broadside but they crumbled aft Matt Doherty, their captain, gave distant a silly penalty. João Pedro was moseying distant from José Sá’s extremity but Doherty was overzealous and gave nan Brazil guardant a bump successful nan container that gave nan referee, Jarred Gillett, small prime but to constituent to nan punishment spot.

Palmer sent Sá nan incorrect measurement and covered his ears pinch his achromatic gloves arsenic he wheeled distant towards nan Chelsea supporters strewn crossed nan little slope of nan Steve Bull Stand. Pedro Neto, who caused havoc for Hugo Bueno connected his return to Molineux, was nan catalyst for nan move, burning past nan Wolves left-back earlier sending nan shot into nan box.

Chelsea triumphed from their first meaningful onslaught and it seemed they would people from almost each 1 that followed. Such was nan assurance flowing done nan visitors, Enzo Fernández attempted a rabona, earlier being flagged offside. Malo Gusto tested Sá pinch a stinging changeable towards nan apical area and it seemed a matter of clip earlier different extremity came.

Cole Palmer takes clip retired from his accustomed ceremony aft scoring Chelsea’s first extremity from nan punishment spot. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

The galling point for Rob Edwards and nan Wolves support is that it was thing of a gift, Yerson Mosquera’s brainless two-handed shove connected João Pedro giving nan officials different elemental decision. The only point to cheque was whether nan foul was successful nan box. Once confirmed, Palmer removed his hands from his hips and dispatched nan shot successful nan other corner. Every outfield Chelsea subordinate joined nan celebrations.

Chelsea’s 3rd extremity was crisp successful each sense. Neto sent nan shot crossed nan section from correct to near for Fernández and nan Argentina midfielder spied nan tally of Marc Cucurella. When Cucurella trim nan shot backmost for Palmer, a gait aliases truthful successful beforehand of nan punishment spot, Palmer lashed a first-time decorativeness into nan tile of nan net. A disappointment Sá made sure, wellying nan shot into his broadside netting successful anger. In driving rain, it threatened to descend into a genuinely humiliating afternoon.

Chelsea, however, were decidedly drifting by nan clip Alejandro Garnacho, 1 of those hooked by Rosenior against West Ham past weekend, entered successful spot of Palmer. In fact, Palmer’s 3rd was Chelsea’s past effort connected goal. Wolves showed immoderate fight. Arokodare reacted aft reference nan debutant Adam Armstrong’s tiny backward header, his extremity moments aft Mateus Mané, a agleam ray successful a gloomy season, struck nan wrong of a post. Robert Sánchez fumed astatine his defence.