PA Media/dpa
London
Chelsea slumped to a third defeat in four Premier League games as second-half goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty earned Wolverhampton Wanderers a deserved 2-1 victory at Molineux on Sunday.
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.
This was another day when Chelsea’s failings in attack came back to haunt them. They have now have failed to convert 36 big chances in the league this season - the most of any team.
Pochettino said: "We feel very disappointed because I think we deserve much more. This competition wounds you when you are not clinical enough.
"We created chances, that is why it is so disappointing. We conceded after a few corners and it was really difficult.
"We have players playing for the first time in the league, they need to adapt. It is confidence and about quality. We need to score if we want to win the games.” Nicolas Jackson’s contribution was so underwhelming his exit 10 minutes from time was cheered by the Chelsea fans.
The result leaves the club 10th, seven points off qualification for the Europa Conference League, which, even at this stage, looks the best the Londoners can hope for.
No side has lost more Premier League matches in 2023 than Chelsea (19), while only Almeria (24), Werder Bremen (20) and Empoli (20) have lost more games than the Blues across the big five European leagues this calendar year.
Wolves are now level on points with Pochettino’s men after a battling display, although the victory came at a price as experienced defender Craig Dawson limped off during the second half with what appeared to be a serious
injury.