Despite their poor form, Chelsea started very much on the front foot here, with talisman Cole Palmer – passed fit to start – curling narrowly wide on 12 minutes before testing José Sá with a low drive from inside the box.
Soon after, Sá was left red-faced when recalled loanee Trevoh Chalobah’s long ball forward was headed past the Portuguese stopper by his teammate Matt Doherty, only for the Irishman to get back and concede a corner with ex-Wolves winger Pedro Neto lurking.
And that mix-up proved costly, as after Neto’s corner was headed away by Jørgen Strand Larsen, it was driven towards goal by home captain Reece James, with the shot finding its way to Tosin Adarabioyo, who converted coolly from close range.
The goal did eventually count, despite initially being ruled out for offside, but Wolves grew into the contest and levelled just before HT as Matheus Cunha’s corner was fumbled by Robert Sánchez, with Doherty bundling in the loose ball.
Enzo Maresca will have headed in at the break exasperated given his side’s first-half territorial dominance, but Chelsea retook the lead just before the hour mark as Noni Madueke’s cross was flicked on by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall into the path of Marc Cucurella, who lost his balance but still managed to steer the ball past Sá.
And the West Londoners’ lead was duly doubled when, following Rayan Aït-Nouri’s foul on Nicolas Jackson, Palmer’s inviting free-kick was nodded across goal by Chalobah, with Madueke applying the finishing touch.
That was Wolves’ 19th goal conceded from a set-piece in the league this season, with visiting boss Vítor Pereira soon making a triple substitution, shortly before Chelsea briefly thought they’d made it 4-1, only for Jackson to be flagged offside.
They ultimately closed out the match though, leapfrogging Newcastle United and Manchester City in the process.
On a slightly negative note, Chelsea have now kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 home league games, but they are on the road next Saturday against Man City.
Wolves meanwhile – above the bottom three only on goal difference – host Arsenal earlier that same day.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)
