PEDRO NETO had been screaming out in frustration after being denied a penalty by VAR.
He had been screamed at by members of Frank Lampard’s coaching staff for ‘diving’.
Pedro Neto scored a last-gasp winner as Wolves beat Chelsea 2-1Credit: Getty Images – Getty
The Blues have now lost their last two Premier League gamesCredit: Reuters
But the Portuguese ended up yelling in sheer delight after netting a brilliant breakaway winner in injury time to sentence Chelsea to back-to-back defeats.
For the second time in four days, the Blues suffered a nosebleed and blew the chance to top the Premier League table.
Had they held onto Olivier Giroud’s 50th-minute opener, they would have overhauled Tottenham and Liverpool to reach the summit for 24 hours.
But Wolves staged a spirited fightback, equalising through Daniel Podence and then having a penalty decision overturned when Neto had tumbled after an attempted challenge from Reece James.
That started a slanging match on the touchline between the two coaching staffs – but it only seemed to fuel Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, as they snatched a victory which had never seemed likely until late on.
Chelsea’s 17-match unbeaten run had ended at Everton on Saturday – but Lampard opted for an attacking line-up, Mason Mount dropping into a deeper midfield role and Christian Pulisic added to a potent-looking attack.
The Blues had won 5-2 here early last season in something of a landmark performance for that youthful side.
But if he sensed that Nuno’s men – without Raul Jimenez and the suspended Joao Moutinho – were there for the taking, then his team seemed less convinced.
The forward made up for a VAR penalty diving storm with a terrific strike deep in injury timeCredit: PA:Press Association
Chelsea looked to be in total control after Olivier Giroud’s second-half openerCredit: Ryan Browne-The Times
The start here was cagey, as befitting two sides who had suffered weekend defeats .
Wolves had suffered back-to-back defeats and had failed to score since the victory at Arsenal, during which Jimenez suffered a fractured skull.
And we had to wait 19 minutes for a clear-cut chance, Ben Chilwell’s in-swinging corner finding Giroud, who could not keep his header down.
Soon Neto, teed up by Fabio Silva, had a volley turned wide by Edouard Mendy as Wolves began to show some belief.
Conor Coady survived a VAR check for handball as he challenged Giroud from a Chilwell free-kick.
But the first half was cautious, flat, pandemic football – crying out for a baying Molineux crowd to cry out and liven things up.
Daniel Podence’s brilliant equaliser pulled Wolves back into the gameCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Neto had the final say as Wolves got back to winning waysCredit: Reuters
Chelsea probed but lacked imagination and conviction, forcing a few set-pieces but little else Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, their expensive summer recruits from Germany, anonymous.
A minute before half-time, another Chilwell corner was met with a Zebedee leap from Kurt Zouma, whose header crashed off the crossbar with Giroud unable to snaffle up the scraps.
Nuno sent on teenaged American midfielder Owen Otasowie for a Premier League debut at half-time, in place of Leander Dendoncker.
Chelsea found the breakthrough inside five minutes of the restart – Werner finding Chilwell on the overlap and the England left-back drilling in a cross to the near post Giroud executing an expert left-foot volley.
Rui Patricio could not hold on, only managing to claw back the ball once it had crossed the line.
Chilwell to Giroud had always looked the most likely route to goal for Chelsea and so it proved.
Giroud’s clever volley was unable to be kept out by Rui PatricioCredit: Ryan Browne-The Times
Podence twisted and turned before firing past Edouard MendyCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
It was a seventh goal in as many games for the veteran French World Cup-winner but if Lampard hoped it would be a springboard for a
Wolves soon had the ball in the net – Neto centring for Fabio Silva to slot home but the 18-year-old Portuguese striker had strayed offside by more than the length of his curly locks.
On the hour, Nuno sent for the express pace of Traore but the Spanish flyer was soon hindered by a whack.
Not that Wolves were overly concerned as they equalised on 66 minutes – though not without controversy.
Wolves won a corner, which ought to have been a Chelsea goal-kick as the ball had struck Willy Boly on its way out.
When Chelsea failed to clear, Podence twisted past Chilwell, leaving the left-back on his backside, and fired in a shot which might have counted even if it had not deflected in off Reece James.
Neto was delighted with his late impact as Wolves bounced back from successive defeatsCredit: PA:Press Association
Chelsea will have to go back to the drawing board after another defeat on the roadCredit: PA:Press Association
Lampard withdrew Giroud and Havertz, with Tammy Abraham and Mateo Kovacic arriving.
But suddenly Chelsea were living dangerously, Nelson Semedo having a shot blocked when the Blues defence seemed to evaporate.
Attwell awarded Wolves a penalty when Neto went down after an attempted tackle from James.
Yet VAR Michael Oliver sent Attwell to the pitchside monitor, whereupon an angry slanging match broke out between members of the coaching staffs – Lampard becoming involved but Nuno seeming to keep out of it.
Attwell decided that James had made no contact – Neto screaming out in frustration but the eventual decision looked correct.
And in the 94th minute, Wolves broke suddenly and Neto, with blistering pace and sorcerous guile beat Zouma and drilled past Mendy.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
