Wolves v Chelsea LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Matt Doherty winner punishes woeful Blues

Wolves 2-1 Chelsea: A Christmas Eve set-back for Mauricio Pochettino’s side as goals from Mario Lemina and Doherty earn the hosts a deserved win at Molineux

Mauricio Pochettino: Chelsea need to improve in next transfer window

Wolves continued their stellar home form with a 2-1 win over Chelsea in the Premier League thanks to second-half strikes from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty.

Lemina headed in a Pablo Sarabia corner six minutes after halftime to give Wolves the lead before Doherty secured the win for Wolves with a second goal in added time.

Christopher Nkunku netted a consolation goal for Chelsea, his first for the London club since his close-season move, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side could not find an equaliser as they fell to their eighth league defeat of the season.

Follow the live action in the blog below

Premier League: Wolves v Chelsea

• FULL TIME! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea
• 90+5’ GOAL! Nkunku pulls one back late on with goal on Premier League debut (WOL 2-1 CHE)
• 90+2’ GOAL! Doherty punishes woeful Chelsea defending to put Wolves two up (WOL 2-0 CHE)
• 63’ OFF THE LINE! Toti denies Nkunku as Chelsea hunt for equaliser (WOL 1-0 CHE)
• 50’ GOAL! Wolves lead as unmarked Lemina heads in from corner (WOL 1-0 CHE)
• 44’ CHANCE! Hwang blazes over on the break as Wolves grow into it (WOL 0-0 CHE)
• 32’ CHANCE! Sterling wastes Chelsea three-on-one as Sa saves (WOL 0-0 CHE)

[24 December 2023 15:32 · Jamie Braidwood]

Pinned

FULL TIME! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

Chelsea slumped to a third defeat in four Premier League games as second-half goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty earned Wolves a deserved 2-1 victory at Molineux.

Lemina headed in unmarked from Pablo Sarabia’s corner early in the second period, just reward after Gary O’Neil’s side had weathered early pressure and the hosts had spurned a host of chances, most glaringly from Raheem Sterling.

Chelsea laboured to find a way back, but as so often this season failed to find the key pass in the final third, with Cole Palmer noticeably out of sorts.

Then in stoppage time and with the visitors committed forward, Wolves broke and Hugo Bueno crossed for Doherty to take advantage of a poor clearance to slam home a second.

Substitute Christopher Nkunku headed his first Chelsea goal in the dying minutes, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side slipped to a third away league defeat on the spin.

[24 December 2023 15:22 · Jamie Braidwood]

FULL TIME! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

Chelsea have now also lost four away games in a row in the Premier League - the club’s worst run since 2000.

[24 December 2023 15:17 · Jamie Braidwood]

FULL TIME! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

A harrowing stat for Chelsea fans before Christmas - no Premier League team has lost more games than the Blues in 2023.

19!

[24 December 2023 15:11 · Jamie Braidwood]

FULL TIME! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

Doherty’s goal wrapped up the win for Wolves! It meant Nkunku’s late header counted for nothing, apart from offering Chelsea some hope they finally have the finisher that has been desperately missing.

[24 December 2023 15:08 · Jamie Braidwood]

FULL TIME! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

As for Chelsea... their dismal year continues with another defeat. More questions for Mauricio Pochettino to answer as the Blues suffer another set-back, just as they had some momentum with their Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Newcastle in midweek.

Wasteful in the first half, shambolic defensively in the second, it’s more of the same really.

(Getty Images)

[24 December 2023 15:01 · Jamie Braidwood]

FULL TIME! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

Another brilliant Molineux win for Wolves to wrap up 2023! They move level on points with Chelsea and extended their unbeaten home run to seven games, adding to scalps over Manchester City and Tottenham with this deserved win over Chelsea!

(Getty Images)

[24 December 2023 15:01 · Jamie Braidwood]

Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

90+12 mins: Still playing in the 102nd minute, as Hwang races away! But Silva gets back and does enough. Surely that’s it?!

[24 December 2023 14:59 · Jamie Braidwood]

Wolves 2-1 Chelsea

90+9 mins: Sterling goes to ground in the box looking for a late penalty - and is booked for diving! That means he will also now miss the match against Crystal Palace, as well as Palmer.

[24 December 2023 14:54 · Jamie Braidwood]

GOAL! Wolves 2-1 Chelsea (NKUNKU 90+5’)

Hang on! Chelsea are still alive thanks to a late header from Christopher Nkunku on his Premier League debut. It’s a brilliant finish from Sterling’s cross, stood up to the back post. Nkunku guided it into the far corner to give Chelsea some late hope.

Still four or five minutes still to play...

[24 December 2023 14:51 · Jamie Braidwood]

GOAL! Wolves 2-0 Chelsea (DOHERTY 90+2’)

That’s it! Matt Doherty surely wraps up a brilliant win for Wolves with his first goal on his second spell for the club!

But what a disaster this is for Badiashile. The defender fails to clear a simple cross and allows Doherty to slam home a simple finish.

Pochettino rubs his face - what an awful day this has been for Chelsea.