Stamford Bridge used to be a fortress under José Mourinho’s leadership. However, it is now more known as a charitable ground, as Wolves and Matheus Cunha comfortably dismissed Chelsea in their own backyard. Before the match started, a nerving atmosphere surrounded the stadium as Chelsea fans were still recovering from their 4-1 loss against Liverpool earlier in the week. Things looked to be heading upward for the Blues faithful when in-form Cole Palmer scored in the 19th minute, but their joy only lasted three minutes as Matheus Cunha scored his first goal of the day. Then, it turned into another day to forget as Matheus Cunha scored two more to send Chelsea packing home.
Matheus Cunha Exposed Chelsea’s Defensive Vulnerabilities
The defence was once the most reliable factor in Chelsea, but it is now a source of vulnerability as Chelsea’s defence has capitulated since the appointment of Frank Lampard. This match perfectly showcased their defensive woes as Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto danced around the Blues’ uncoordinated defence with relative ease. For example, everyone knows that you are most vulnerable when you just scored.
However, Chelsea paid no heed to the warning as they conceded after three minutes as they lost possession of the ball in their own half and allowed Matheus Cunha to score the equaliser via a deflection. For Wolves second, Chelsea will argue it was another stroke of bad fortune, but Wolves will proclaim they made their own luck as Rayan Aït-Nouri shot towards the goal deflected via Axel Disasi for an own goal. With the home crowd booing off the players at halftime, the Chelsea squad felt even more pressure, and they crumbled as they were lambs to the slaughter in front of the hungry Wolves.
Matheus Cunha scored the Wolves third and his second in the 63rd minute as Neto and Cunha combined brilliantly from the flank to the box. Matheus Cunha then closed off the memorable day with his hattrick from the spot as he calmly slotted the ball to the opposite side of the net. As such, he became only the fourth opposition player to score a hat trick at the stadium. Thiago Silva got one back for the Blues in the 86th minute, but it did little to prevent Wolves first win at Stamford Bridge since 1979.
Also Read: EFL Cup Semifinal Second Leg: Chelsea Hammer Middlesbrough 6-1 at Stamford Bridge to Reach Final
🔵 Chelsea are 11th in PL table with 31 points… and more goals conceded (39) than scored (38).
🟠🇧🇷 Matheus Cunha, excellent once again. pic.twitter.com/UYa1wfwEK3
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 4, 2024
Matheus Cunha Delighted with His Dream Becoming True
Speaking to Wolves TV after the match, Matheus Cunha reflected on this win at Chelsea. “Incredible day. It’s like what I said before. It is the stadium you always watch on TV, and we come here and I scoring a hattrick in my first time here is a dream come true. 100%, I need to thank my teammates, the staff, my family and the people who support me on my bad days and enjoy the good days.”
When asked what was pivotal to today’s decisive win, Matheus Cunha responded: “I think it’s always the same thing we do in a group. The group is the most important as we run together and execute the plan the gaffer told us as a team. I think the good results always come from that belief.”
The Brazilian also took to his Instagram social media and wrote a humble message: “THANK YOU to all of you who have been supporting me at every moment. You are in charge of your future. I love being here and sharing the field with these guys, this staff and these fans.
Also Read: Wolves 3:4 Manchester United: Kobbie Mainoo Wins It Right at the Death for the Red Devils
View this post on Instagram
Under-Pressured Mauricio Pochettino Apologised for Abyssmal Performance
As for the losing party, Mauricio Pochettino admitted Chelsea’s performance these past two matches is unacceptable and apologised to the fans. “I apologise to the fans and thank those who stayed and supported the team until the end. We are sorry and so disappointed.”
The Argentina manager also stated he and the players are equally responsible for the defeats. “We didn’t manage the situation properly. No one can be safe. I don’t want to come here and say I am the best and the players the worst. I think we are all responsible. But the players need to take responsibility also. “
“At the moment, we are not matching the club’s history. We need to accept that and be critical, but we cannot give up. It is a different project, and it is always a matter of time, but it is difficult for me to always ask for time, time, time. It’s normal that patience is not infinite.”
The Same Old Blues for the Blues
After spending over ₤1 billion on players since Todd Boehly took over, one would assume Chelsea would be right on the necks of Manchester City. However, reality is often different, and the Blues are now in the lower half of the table after their defeat to Wolves. After their 4-1 loss in midweek at Anfield, it is now consecutive games in which Chelsea have conceded four goals.
Furthermore, with Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool to play in the remainder of February, Chelsea could be starting down another season of disappointment. Hypothetically, if Chelsea were to lose to these three teams and get knocked out of the FA Cup, get humbled by City and lose another final to Liverpool, is it time for Poch to go? Here’s a thought – Chelsea might want to spend more money on prayers instead of players and managers.
To follow Chelsea’s journey, bookmark AsiaSport for live coverage of the Blues and catch high-definition highlights of their matches or any other clubs you support in Europe’s top five leagues.
Chelsea drop down to 11th in the league with just 31 points from 23 games 😐 pic.twitter.com/LNH5tSgyeZ
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 4, 2024
