After being continuously booed by the home crowd for a derogatory social media post about Wolverhampton, Noni Madueke responded with a second-half hat-trick to give Chelsea their first Premier League win under manager Enzo Maresca.
Madueke scored three goals in 14 minutes – all assists from Cole Palmer – to pave the way for a 6-2 win over Wolves that was at times characterised by the same chaotic atmosphere that characterises pretty much everything at Chelsea these days.
But the impressive second-half performance also suggested Maresca may already have figured out how to use the wealth of attacking talent at his disposal – and the Blues’ triumph overshadowed a more routine 2-0 win for Liverpool against Brentford in new manager Arne Slot’s first game at Anfield later on Sunday.
Madueke’s hat-trick capped a day in which he had already made headlines with an Instagram post in which he said: “This place is shit” after Chelsea’s arrival at Wolverhampton.
He later deleted the post and apologized – but Wolves fans booed him at every opportunity.
It turns out that might have been a bad idea.
After Chelsea had twice given up the lead in an eventful first half, culminating in Palmer’s improvised long-range lob for his side’s second goal, Madueke ensured there was no turning back for Wolves in the second period.
His goals all had a similar atmosphere: Palmer passed it in on the right side of the box and Madueke beat goalkeeper Jose Sa with a shot from a tight angle – the first deflected and then sailed into the far post.
New signing Joao Felix then sealed the deal by inside-footing a cross from fellow substitute Pedro Neto, the winger who joined from Wolves this month.
Nicolas Jackson had already scored Chelsea’s opening goal with a header in the second minute, but Matheus Cunha equalised in the 27th minute.
Palmer then scored a spectacular goal with a lob from well outside the box, reminding us why he was voted the league’s best young player last season. Jorgen Strand Larsen equalised for Wolves shortly afterwards in first-half stoppage time.
Afterwards, Madueke apologized: “Of course it was a mistake and I am sure Wolverhampton is a great city.”
He added that he would not be posting anything on Instagram any time soon.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s slot version still closely resembles Jürgen Klopp’s model.
Liverpool’s goals were the result of a lightning-fast counterattack and a precise finish from Mohamed Salah. All very Klopp-like.
While Slot may not have the German’s energetic style on the sidelines, his team appears to have lost none of the intensity they displayed under his predecessor.
Luis Diaz put Liverpool ahead by finishing off a quick counterattack initiated by Salah from a Bournemouth corner in the 13th minute, before the Egyptian superstar scored his second goal in two games in the 70th minute.
In Sunday’s other early game, Bournemouth were denied a late winner due to a VAR review and had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle.
Dango Ouattara thought he had secured the win with a header in injury time, but the goal was disallowed for handball.
Bournemouth took the lead in the 37th minute through Marcus Tavernier, but Anthony Gordon equalised for Newcastle in the 76th minute.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola freaked out: “It was so obvious. I’ve just watched the video and the fact is that it didn’t hit the arm, it hit the shoulder. A clear goal and three points for us.”
