Chelsea’s expensively assembled team slumped to a second straight heavy loss in the Premier League, with Wolverhampton following Liverpool in taking apart Mauricio Pochettino’s team in a 4-2 victory on Sunday.
Chelsea was overrun in a 4-1 hammering at Anfield on Wednesday and was also picked off by Wolves, for whom Brazil striker Matheus Cunha scored a hat trick at Stamford Bridge where jeers rang out at fulltime.
Chelsea, which was quiet in the January transfer market after spending more than $1 billion in three previous windows, dropped to 11th place and below Wolves in another below-par league campaign under the club’s American ownership.
Cole Palmer gave Chelsea the lead in the 19th minute but the hosts were behind at halftime thanks to Cunha’s deflected equalizer – after center-midfielder Moises Caicedo was dispossessed – in the 22nd and an own-goal in the 43rd by Axel Disasi, who stretched to block Rayan Ait-Nouri’s shot and saw the ball spin into the net.
Cunha converted Pedro Neto’s cut-back in the 63rd for 3-1 and calmly stroked home a penalty in the 82nd after he was tripped by Malo Gusto.
Thiago Silva replied for Chelsea in the 86th but Pochettino’s team couldn’t add another despite heavy pressure in 10 minutes of stoppage time.