Chelsea vs Wolves result: Eden Hazard spares Blues’ blushes but opportunity missed in race for top four

Chelsea 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Hazard netted a 92nd-minute equaliser to earn Chelsea a point but chance to move into the Premier League top four

Eden Hazard scored an injury-time equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw against Wolves (AP)

Eden Hazard spared Chelsea's blushes with a late equaliser as a disciplined Wolves side took a deserved point from Stamford Bridge.

Raul Jimenez bundled in the visitors’ first shot on goal in the 56th minute at the end of an impressive two-man counterattack with Diogo Jota, and the Wolves defence withstood lengthy spells of Chelsea possession before Hazard fired in from 25 yards in injury time to prevent Maurizio Sarri suffering only his second home defeat of the Premier League season.

For Wolves, this was another impressive result in a league campaign that has taken them up to seventh in the Premier League, and for much of the second half they threatened to secure their first league double over Chelsea since the 1974/75 season.

Knowing they had a chance to end the day back in fourth with a win, Chelsea struggled to conjure a late surge as Wolves grew in confidence after taking the lead, and despite Hazard's late strike this must be considered a big opportunity missed to gain ground in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Sarri made six changes to the Chelsea team that beat Dynamo Kiev 3-0 in the Europa League in midweek, with Hazard, N’Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger among the regulars recalled. Pedro, a scorer in two of his previous three appearances, was preferred to Willian on the right flank.

Wolves arrived at Stamford Bridge having kept just two away clean sheets in the Premier League this season, and it quickly became clear that Nuno Espirito Santo was determined to improve that record.

The visitors were content to camp in their own half with Chelsea in possession, and reluctant to commit numbers upfield in support of Jimenez and Jota on the counterattack. Their strategy forced Sarri’s men into the kind of slow, sideways passing that has so infuriated Stamford Bridge in recent weeks.

Gonzalo Higuain was responsible for the only attempt at either goal in the opening 45 minutes, darting onto a first-time floated through pass from Jorginho and stinging the palms of Rui Patricio from a tight angle. A smattering of boos greeted the half-time whistle at a frustrated Stamford Bridge.

Hazard succeeded in causing panic in the Wolves defence soon after the break, combining neatly with Higuain and forcing a combination of Romain Saiss and Matt Doherty to bring him down just outside the penalty area. David Luiz’s free-kick caught the top of the Wolves wall before flying high and wide.

But as Chelsea were weighing up how best to pick apart their stubborn opponents, Wolves got the opportunity they had been waiting for.

Wily Boly’s aimless clearance found Ruben Neves, who brought it down and released Jota and Jimenez to drive at the backpedalling home defence. They dovetailed brilliantly, picking their passes to each other as the Chelsea defence parted until Jimenez bundled the ball beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga and in.

Raul Jimenez put Wolves in front against Chelsea (PA)

Sarri responded immediately, replacing the ineffective Mateo Kovacic with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Chelsea found fresh intensity. Patricio was forced to parry Higuain’s low left-footed shot just wide at the end of a flowing move, then tipped Pedro’s fierce shot over after good work from Loftus-Cheek.

Callum Hudson-Odoi followed Loftus-Cheek onto the pitch and there was even a belated formation change from Sarri, with Willian replacing Jorginho.

The alterations could not provide Chelsea with fresh ideas though, and they lost rather than gained momentum in the final minutes with Wolves at times carrying a greater threat in transition through lively substitute Morgan Gibbs-White.

Hazard celebrates his equaliser (Action Images via Reuters)

Patricio had one final save to make, flying to his left to parry Willian’s long-range curler wide of his far post, but could do nothing to prevent Hazard's shot squirming past him into the far corner.

Teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Palmieri; Kante, Jorginho (Willian 72), Kovacic (Loftus-Cheek 57); Pedro (Hudson-Odoi 61), Higuain, Hazard.

Subs not used: Caballero, Barkley, Giroud, Christensen.

Wolves (5-3-2): Patricio; Doherty, Saiss, Coady, Boly, Jonny; Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neves; Jota (Gibbs-White 82), Jimenez (Traore 89).

Subs not used: Ruddy, Cavaleiro, Costa, Vinagre, Kilman.