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Chelsea climbed to second in the table with a dominant 3-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday - netting three in the second half after a first ever goal from unlikely scorer Malo Gusto.
The Frenchman headed the Blues in front after a frustrating first half against the Premier League's biggest strugglers, with Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto adding to the scoresheet to hand Enzo Maresca's side a comfortable victory in west London.
Daily Mail Sport's KIERAN GILL was at Stamford Bridge to assess Chelsea's performance as they returned to winning ways after Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Qarabag.
GARNACHO COULD BE A STEAL
Inevitably the focus will fall on Estevao Willian. Chelsea’s wonderkid at 18 years old, he assisted Joao Pedro within a minute of coming on as a substitute, and the supporters were singing the new song they have bestowed upon him: ‘Estevao, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it, uh-huh uh-huh.’
Rightly so, too, for the Brazilian has been instrumental in helping Chelsea rise to second in the Premier League, though significant praise should go to their other assister in this win over Wolves.
Chelsea triumphed 3-0 over Wolves as Pedro Neto scored the third in a superb second half
Malo Gusto rises to head Chelsea into the lead, with his first-ever goal for club and country
Alejandro Garnacho could prove a bargain at £40million after another impressive display
That was Alejandro Garnacho, the 21-year-old Argentinian who produced two assists in a Premier League game for the first time in his career. He set up Malo Gusto for Chelsea’s first, Pedro Neto for their third, and was a source of positivity throughout this performance.
When Chelsea committed to signing Garnacho for £40million from Manchester United, it was not a transfer celebrated wildly. He arrived to little fanfare but he was a big reason why the Blues were not ruing another frustrating night against an opponent utilising a back five and a low block.
It was a sign of Wolves’ stubbornness that it took Gusto’s first-ever goal in what was the 165th game of his career for club and country to break through them, but it was Garnacho’s cross which forced that opener. He then showed his pace in sprinting down the left-hand side before setting up Neto with a perfectly slid pass into his path.
Garnacho has the potential to go on to make his £40m cost appear cheap. Certainly, games such as this show why Chelsea were happy to pay that price.
PEDRO WILL PROSPER FROM STAR MAN'S RETURN
Before this game got going at Stamford Bridge, we had a surprise visitor to the press room: Cole Palmer. Sadly, it was not to provide reporters with a personal update on his injured groin. Rather, he was there to grab a plate of the grub that the Blues kindly lay on for us.
Chelsea want him tucking into opponents on the pitch, not the cottage pie off it, and the good news is that should come soon enough. They hope he will return by the end of this month even, perhaps in time for Barcelona in the Champions League and Arsenal in the Premier League.
Certainly, they could do with Palmer healthy sooner rather than later, if only to ease the pressure on Joao Pedro in the No 10 position. Up until he scored, the 24-year-old Brazilian endured a challenging evening, with Chelsea’s fans groaning whenever he surrendered possession.
Joao Pedro celebrates his goal, though he struggled at times in the No 10 role for Chelsea
The Brazilian will prosper from the return of Cole Palmer, who will return from injury shortly
Maresca never wastes an opportunity to tell us that Joao Pedro is carrying a niggle. The Blues boss tends to add into those conversations how he is unable to train fully. And yet, he has started every single Premier League game this season for a Chelsea side that regularly rotate.
In the last week alone, he has been handed three starts by Maresca. Tottenham: 90 minutes. Qarabag: 71 minutes. Here: 83 minutes. At times here, he looked tired, overused, and in need of help from others as Maresca urged him to keep trying from the touchline.
Joao Pedro could have scored in the 44th minute, only to drag wide from 18 yards as boos greeted the half-time whistle. When he eventually got his goal in the 65th, you were glad for him in a way, but Chelsea could do with Palmer returning soon after this international break to help.
DELAP FLUFFS CHANCE TO SHINE
Liam Delap had his chance to make it up to Chelsea’s fans. Red carded at Wolves in the Carabao Cup 10 days ago via two wholly unnecessarily yellows, he was handed the start here.
However, it was a largely ineffective outing from Chelsea's striker as it was the man who replaced him that wooed the supporters instead. Estevao emerged in the 64th minute, and by the 65th, he was setting up Joao Pedro for 2-0.
He has that ability to lift a crowd instantly, which is a powerful tool from the bench, even if he does deserve to be starting.
FORGOTTEN MAN EMERGES AHEAD OF JANUARY
Chelsea’s Under 21s had a forgotten £38.5m defender in their line-up on Saturday in Axel Disasi. The 27-year-old Frenchman, capped five times by his country, captained the development side in a 4-1 win over Reading.
Rather than building him up to rejoin Maresca’s senior squad, it is suspected to be with the aim of boosting his match fitness in the build-up to January, when he will be available for sale or loan.
Axel Disasi captained Chelsea's development side in a 4-1 win over Reading on Saturday
Disasi was deemed surplus under Maresca in the summer, but much like Raheem Sterling, they were unable to move him on.
After Tosin Adarabioyo and Jorrel Hato failed to provide any sense of security against Qarabag in the Champions League in midweek, here Chelsea had Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah, arguably their best centre-back pairing. Wolves never came close to scoring with those two.
