Chelsea sweep managerless Wolves aside to go second

Malo Gusto scored his first senior goal after 165 career appearances as Chelsea swept managerless Wolves aside 3-0 to move second in the Premier League.

The Chelsea defender headed in after 51st minutes of his 98th appearance since joining in 2023. Striker Joao Pedro added a second goal, and Pedro Neto completed the scoring.

Yet Chelsea had found it hard to create clear chances against Wolves in the first half, and some fans at Stamford Bridge booed the team at half-time.

But Chelsea did not allow Wolves - led temporarily by academy coaches James Collins and Richard Walker until the expected appointment of Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards - a shot before the interval.

Meanwhile, Chelsea had multiple efforts saved from Alejandro Garnacho and Enzo Fernandez, with Joao Pedro going closest when he dragged an effort just wide before half-time.

After a frustrating half, Gusto headed in the first goal from close range at the far post after a cross from Garnacho.

Substitute Estevao Willian had been on the pitch for just 68 seconds before he set up his fellow Brazilian Joao Pedro for the second goal. Garnacho then started a counter-attack and crossed for Neto to make it 3-0.

It was an impressive outing for Garnacho, signed for £40m from Manchester United in the summer, especially having scored midweek to seal a 2-2 draw at Qarabag, as he delivered two assists for the first time in 99 Premier League matches.

The only shots of note from Wolves after they were 2-0 down included a 30-yard effort by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and a strike from substitute Marshall Munetsi after a poor Marc Cucurella backpass.

Chelsea move second after 11 games on 20 points, while Wolves remain bottom with just two points.

Chelsea analysis: Shock at Gusto's goal

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca looked shocked when Gusto scored with a header, and his team-mates laughed while celebrating.

His lack of goals had become a running joke at the club, the France defender even mentioning it in interviews.

But he finally scored by simply using his running ability to get into space at the far post and head in from Garnacho, who himself has been improving in recent weeks.

"Finally! We like to attack with full-backs, sometimes it's [Marc] Cucurella," Maresca told Sky Sports after the game.

"Last season Cucurella scored six or seven goals - hopefully Malo can score more goals this season. Malo is one of our main players because he allows us to be versatile."

A run of 165 games without a goal is remarkable. Stats website Transfermarkt lists him among Europe's top seven players for the longest droughts since their professional debuts.

Chelsea lack a striker like Erling Haaland, who can score consistently on his own, and Maresca has stressed the squad must contribute goals as a group.

The manager has been drumming into his players that he needs goals from multiple sources this season to achieve the goal of Champions League qualification.

"Our mood is good," Maresca added. "It's the noise from outside because you drop points against a team that are doing well. People expect Chelsea to win all the games but the reality is it's not like this."

Wolves analysis: Tough task for Edwards

The Wolves job is seen as a dream role for incoming manager Edwards as he arranges his departure from Middlesbrough.

The 42-year-old made more than 100 appearances for Wolves between 2004 and 2008, and his family still live in the Midlands.

But this is a tough time to join a bottom-of-the-table club who have not won since April.

They lack quality in the squad and only stayed competitive at Stamford Bridge until Chelsea scored.

Wolves took 61 minutes to register a shot on goal. They managed just three shots in the match - none on target - and had only 35.5% possession.

However, they showed resilience until conceding in the 51st minute.

That could give Edwards a foundation to build on, but the challenge is huge. No club has survived with as few as two points after 11 games in Premier League history.

Their spirit could help, but Wolves face major problems and potentially lack that underlying quality from their players to survive.

What's next for these teams?

Chelsea travel to Burnley after the international break on Saturday, 22 November (12:30 GMT), before facing Barcelona in the Champions League the following Tuesday.

Wolves welcome Crystal Palace to Molineux after the break on the Saturday (15:00).