Well, they certainly made it difficult for themselves, but nevertheless, Chelsea were the team to progress to the next round of the EFL Cup, defeating Wolves 4-3 at the Molineux Stadium.
It was looking like a routine night for the Blues, 3-0 up and cruising at half-time. But, this could not have been further from the truth as Enzo Maresca's men allowed their opponents a way back into the game.
It was a wonderful strike from Jamie Gittens that secured progression for Chelsea, but it certainly was not the result that fans would have been expecting at half time.
Story of the Match
As expected, Chelsea gained control of possession almost instantly, as it looked like Wolves were happy to try and soak up the pressure.
It is no secret that the Blues have continued to struggle against a defensive set-up, which is why a compact Wolves team looked like it could cause them some problems.
But on this occasion, this was not the case as Maresca’s men got off to the perfect start at the Molineux, foiling their host’s game plan before it was really put to use.
A swift change of pace exposed the frailties of Wolves’ backline as Jamie Gittens found Andrey Santos in space on the edge of the box.
The Brazilian’s effort was not a particularly powerful one, but it did enough to beat José Sá and roll over the line to give the visitors the lead inside the opening five minutes.
It was exactly what Vitor Pereira and his side did not need so early into the game, as the head coach was looking to settle the mood around the Molineux after the turmoil of Sunday’s defeat.
But if the hosts wanted a result now, they would have to do it the hard way.
They’ve come back against Chelsea before at Molineux, the most recent occasion being in December of 2020. Pedro Neto, now a Blue himself, scored in injury time to win it for the West Midlands side.
But there were no shades of that Wolves team tonight as their opponents moved quickly to double their advantage just 15 minutes into proceedings.
Jamie Gittens was once again the creator, driving forward with the ball before sliding it through, this time to Tyrique George, who was left with a simple tap-in to pile the misery on the home side.
It could have been three only a few minutes later as George very nearly made it a brace for himself. He, however, was unable to guide the ball into the back of the net, sparing Wolves’ blushes on this occasion.
The hosts did have their moments in Chelsea’s defensive third, but poor levels of decision-making certainly cost Pereira’s side as Jorgensen continued to enjoy a quiet night.
It only got worse from there as the visitors made it three just minutes before the break. Fer Lopez was played into danger by Sá, leading to the 21-year-old being dispossessed before Estêvão dinked the ball over the keeper.
It had simply been a half to forget for the hosts.
Whilst it was the visitors who had a great start in the opening half, it was Wolves’ turn in the second half, as Chelsea’s advantage had soon taken a hit.
The visitors had taken their foot off the gas as a complacent pass put them in danger. Tolu Arokodare, who had been the main source of threat for the hosts all night, was played through on goal.
The Nigerian was found in space past a backtracking Josh Acheampong, took a wonderful touch and placed his effort sublimely into the bottom right corner.
This goal sparked some life into not only the player but the crowd as well, as it seemed like a glimmer of hope was visible to the Wolves’ faithful.
A good period followed for the hosts as it looked like Chelsea had not quite got up to speed after a routine first half for them.
Despite the error early in the half, the Blues were weathering the storm rather effectively, as Jorgensen was not overly threatened in the goal.
There was plenty of noise in the away end when the board went up to signal the return of Liam Delap, marking his first appearance since sustaining an injury against Fulham back in August.
Clear that they had to test a Chelsea defence that did not look entirely comfortable. Pereira made another positive change, introducing Jørgen Strand Larsen to the encounter.
The Norwegian came extremely close to making an instant impact when his touch on the ball forced a magnificent save from Jorgensen to maintain Chelsea’s two-goal lead.
But, there would soon be more joy around the Molineux as Wolves got another goal back this time through David Møller Wolfe.
A long throw yet again was the creator of Chelsea’s downfall, as multiple flick-ons left the ball to the unmarked Norwegian. His effort was sweetly struck past Jorgensen, who could not get down quickly enough.
Tosin had a chance to make the final minutes a lot more comfortable for his side, but could not guide his headed effort on target.
After a naïve first yellow card, Liam Delap’s return was brought to a disappointing end when he led into a challenge with an elbow, being dismissed from the action.
It once again looked like Chelsea had put the game to bed late on as Jamie Gittens unleashed a venomous strike that rattled off the post and into the back of the net.
But only moments later, Wolves would strike yet again as Wolfe secured his brace. Cucurella attempted to clear the ball off the line, but the Spaniards efforts were unsuccessful.
Despite making it incredibly nervy for themselves, Chelsea did hang on to the result, avoiding the fate of penalties and progressing to the next stage of the EFL Cup.
Whilst it certainly was not a good defensive display from Chelsea, the same cannot be said about the offence. Gittens was the standout of the frontline on the night, setting up the first two goals of the evening.
His vision was excellent, but it was his speed and trickiness that earned him the two assists before the English topped his performance off with an excellent strike in the latter stages of the game.
The goal ensured that the Blues would not have to face penalties and therefore their progression to the next stage. Superb from the winger who is surely pushing for a start at the weekend.