ESPN pundit Don Hutchison believes Wolves beat Chelsea in terms of both quality and hard work yesterday – and described Molineux as ‘hostile’.
Julen Lopetegui oversaw a 1-0 win against the Blues at Molineux to relieve a bit of pressure on his side.
Wolves have gone four points clear of the relegation zone, and it is now about following this result up.
It was a fantastic performance from Wolves yesterday.
Every single player put in a great performance, and there was absolutely no sign of any ‘new manager bounce’ for the Blues, with Frank Lampard taking his first game as interim boss.
Wolves were first to all second balls, and Matheus Nunes’s strike was worthy of winning any game.
Speaking on ESPN UK, Hutchison, who commentated on the game, noted that Wolves’ hunger was a big reason for the victory.
He suggested that the collective display from Wolves made for an intimidating environment for Chelsea.
He said: “Wolves today, they beat Chelsea with a bit of quality. But they also beat them with hard work. And that’s worrying for Frank Lampard and Chelsea.
“This is a Wolves side that made Molineux hostile. They were bigger, they were faster, they were stronger, they had more hunger.”
Wolves players’ gave life to Molineux crowd yesterday against Chelsea
It is an interesting observation from Hutchison.
The Molineux atmosphere has been a debate for some fans on social media this season, with some suggesting it hasn’t quite been what it used to be.
Atmospheres are often reflective of what is being served up on the pitch. And Wolves have obviously struggled in a lot of games this season.
The crowd play their part, but sometimes it can be difficult for them to lift the team when a performance is so poor.
Yesterday though, the Wolves players showed amazing fight and this gave the Molineux faithful life.
And in the end, Chelsea simply couldn’t cope with Wolves being spurred on.