Chalobah shines as Chelsea resume their winning way

It was like he had never left Chelsea. Trevoh Chalobah, a familiar face around this corner of London, was summoned on a chilly night at Stamford Bridge for a team craving three points. Enzo Maresca has been desperately searching for a performance, but most importantly a result, after five Premier League games without a win.

- JACK RATHBORN

And after tumbling down to sixth and now poised to play the reenergised Manchester City on Saturday, Chelsea gathered vital momentum with an unspectacular 3-1 victory over Wolves. It was Chalobah’s influence that was dearly felt by the hosts across the pitch, re-establishing their once radiant top-four challenge which briefly threatened to flourish into a title tilt.

Slotting in on the left side of a back three in possession, the 25year-old Chalobah helped clinch the goal to settle home supporters’ nerves, heading across for Noni Madueke to make it 3-1 and secure a vital two-goal cushion. It broke the resilience of a spirited Wolves outfit rejuvenated under Vitor Pereira after they had ruthlessly punished Robert Sanchez’s ghastly error on the stroke of half-time thanks to Matt Doherty’s bundled finish.

But a scruffy finish from Marc Cucurella restored the lead to Chelsea after the restart, before Chalobah assisted Noni Madueke’s close-range finish.