Wolves 3 (Arokodare 48, Wolfe 73 & 90+1) Chelsea 4 (Santos 5, George 15, Estevavo 41, Gittens 89)
Wolves showed the fight that remains in them, as they pushed Chelsea all the way in a seven-goal fourth round Carabao Cup tie, but were eliminated at Molineux.
The second half was a big improvement, after an opening 45 which saw Chelsea race into a three-goal lead, with Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Estevao punishing defensive mistakes.
However, Wolves rallied. Tolu Arokodare swept home straight after the interval and David Moller Wolfe arrowed home his first goal for the club. Jamie Gittens restored the away side’s two-goal lead, before Wolfe bundled home his side, but a dramatic winner never arrived.
Vitor Pereira’s eleven changes from the Burnley defeat presented opportunities for others, but it was the visitors who capitalised on the Old Gold’s start to take a six-minute lead. Tolu Arokodare’s heavy touch in the middle of the park left the defence stretched, and as space opened up for Santos, he was able to fire low into Jose Sa’s bottom corner.
For a short period, Wolves did rally. When Jackson Tchatchoua’s cross fell to Hee Chan Hwang, his first-time effort needed blocking near the line, before Arokodare found space down the right, but dragged his shot wide of the post.
Instead, it was the visitors who grabbed the next goal. Wolves lost possession high up the pitch and were punished for committing bodies up the pitch, with Gittens powering down the left and firing across goal for George to tap in from close range.
Both Hwang and Emmanuel Agbadou then missed the target with powerful efforts, but when Fer Lopez was robbed of possession by Santos having dropped deep, Estevao made it three by dinking over the head of Sa.
Arokodare should at least have pulled one back when Lopez whipped in a dangerous free-kick and the striker stayed onside, before nodding wide while unmarked in the middle.
Half-time | Wolves 0-3 Chelsea
After a disappointing first half, Wolves took just three minutes to get themselves back in it after the interval. Hwang won his side possession and advanced with Arokodare alongside him, and once he laid off for the Nigerian, he swept home his second goal for the club into the far corner.
That goal livened the hosts up and Yerson Mosquera headed Hwang’s free-kick wide, while a corner from the South Korean soon after caused issues, but Mosquera again couldn’t convert.
The Old Gold kept pushing to their credit – first Agbadou was denied by Filip Jorgensen, before the goalkeeper denied substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen, who’d linked up with Arokodare, although the flag was up regardless.
Then 3-1 became 3-2. Crucially, Wolves won all three flick from a long Mosquera throw in – Marshall Munetsi, Ladislav Krejci and Agbadou – but there was still plenty to do for Wolfe, who drilled first time, low and left-footed, and beyond Jorgensen.
An eventful game took yet another turn four minutes from time when the visitors were reduced to ten men. Moments after being booked for clashing with Mosquera, Delap only had eyes for Agbadou and caught him with an elbow, and out came the second yellow.
Straight after the dismissal, Chelsea had their fourth as Wolves lost possession from their own throw in and Gittens produced a stunning strike with the outside of his foot, in via the inside of the post.
There was one last rally, however. A long ball into the Blues box caused problems and once Agbadou kept the attack alive, Wolfe threw himself at the ball and squeezed it over Jorgensen and into the roof of the net, via Marc Cucurella’s failed attempt to clear.
Wolves pushed in search a dramatic late equaliser which didn’t arrive, but left with sense of pride, having pushed the contest until the final moments.
Full-time | Wolves 3-4 Chelsea
Wolves | Sa, Tchatchoua, Doherty (R Gomes 19)( Krejci 45), Mosquera, Toti, Wolfe, Agbadou, J Gomes, Lopez (Munetsi 45), Hwang (Strand Larsen 68), Arokodare (Bellegarde 81).
Unused subs | Bentley, H Bueno, Chirewa, Mane.
Chelsea | Jorgensen, Gusto (Cucurella 60), Acheampong, Tosin, Hato, Lavia (Enzo 61), Santos, Estevao (Delap 61), Buonanotte (Caicedo 85), Gittens, George (Neto 76).
Unused subs | Sanchez, Fofana, James, Pedro.
