Chelsea 6 Wolves 0 - analysis and pictures
Sorry Wolves were given a painful reminder of the Premier League as they quickly perished to rampant Chelsea last night.
The scoreline was every bit as emphatic as it sounds as Wolves exited the League Cup third round with a whimper to Champions League opposition for the fourth season in a row.
Defeat was the club's heaviest ever in the competition and the biggest of any kind since the 6-0 loss to Southampton in March 2007, obliterating any importance from a Wolves angle at least of John Terry's surprise appearance in the European champions' line-up just hours after his FA hearing at Wembley.
Terry was a spectator virtually throughout, more Wolves' inability to defend well enough and some ruthless finishing the biggest factors in the outcome.
Sadly, the writing was on the wall far too quickly as Wolves did what they have done at Stamford Bridge on their last three visits – end up well beaten before half-time as they were ruthlessly taken apart and subjected to a brutal lesson all too familiar for those who witnessed their Premier League demise.
The hope is they can dust themselves down and recover quickly in time to continue their three-match winning league run against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, safe in the knowledge they won't encounter teams anywhere near Chelsea's unforgiving quality in the Championship.
The fact manager Stale Solbakken made 10 changes should ensure any scars from this setback are kept to the fringe players whose effort and commendable spirit were no match for their hosts' lavish skills and finishing.
Fans will have their own views on whether Solbakken was waving the white flag with his selection or being sensible with such a crammed fixture list in the Championship.
He argued last night he would do the same again; the 1,000 travelling supporters who paid £25 for a ticket and £20 coach fare might view it differently. Whichever way you look at it, it wasn't a proud night to be a Wolves fan, to the extent where supporters must have been left considering whether it's worth entering the League Cup, if it is such an apparent inconvenience as to be the domain of under-strength line-ups.
That debate is for another day as Wolves were left licking their wounds at the scale of defeat, which included three setpiece goals.
Gary Cahill headed the first after four minutes when he climbed all over Richard Stearman at the far post to Juan Mata's free kick after Ronald Zubar fouled Victor Moses.
Three minutes later, left-back Ryan Bertrand crashed home from the edge of the box after keeper Dorus De Vries parried Oriol Romeu's shot and debutant Lucas Piazon returned the loose ball.
By the time the influential Mata sliced through Wolves' defence in the 17th minute, it was a case of game over as the midfielder, pursued by Stephen Hunt, exchanged passes with Ramires then Fernando Torres before firing home first time from just inside the area.
Despite a cripplingly one-sided affair, Wolves created two scoring chances of their own before half-time.
David Davis, whose tackling, commitment and passing made him Wolves' best player, saw a rising effort tipped over by keeper Ross Turnbull in the 22nd minute.
Three minutes later, Slawomir Peszko – watched by Poland national coach Waldemar Fornalik - rounded Turnbull only to fire into the sidenetting with the goal at his mercy after he outpaced Cahill from Davis' through pass.
With the game won, Mata almost made it 4-0 in first-half injury-time with a 25-yard free kick that fizzed inches wide.
Chelsea had to wait until the 53rd minute for their fourth goal when Romeu drove home from the spot after De Vries brought down Moses, who latched onto Mata's defence-splitting pass in the six-yard box.
Wolves missed the chance of a consolation in the 56th minute when the unmarked Peszko sliced wide from 13 yards with Tunrbull to beat after Boukari powered past debutant Cesar Azpilicueta and Cahill before crossing.
Wolves paid a heavy price just two minutes later as Torres met Mata's inswinging corner with a bullet header which gave De Vries no chance.
But Chelsea weren't finished and Moses easily beat Zubar to plant a fierce, downward header past De Vries from Oscar's left-wing cross with 20 minutes left.
Clean-through Torres somehow missed the chance to make it 7-0 when he drove against De Vries' left leg.
There were precious few positives for Wolves, but one at least came seven minutes from time when 18-year-old Zeli Ismail finally made his debut, as a replacement for Peszko.
The long-held jewel in the academy's crown will hope to parade his talent on such stages in future – hopefully with Wolves but on a more equal footing than last night.
By Tim Nash
