There was a sense of inevitability when Noni Madueke fired past Jose Sa in the 49th minute. After criticizing the city of Wolverhampton on Instagram just hours earlier, the Chelsea winger was far from a fan favorite among the home crowd.
The reaction was immediate. Every time Madueke touched the ball, the fury of the Wolverhampton supporters was deafening, making it clear they had all seen the post. Despite the hostility, the 22-year-old showed flashes of brilliance in the first half, repeatedly getting the better of Rayan Ait-Nouri, a strong left-back, in one-on-one situations. When Madueke is in that kind of mood, driven by the animosity around him, few defenders can match him.
Madueke had a promising first half, but what he needed was some end product, and he delivered just minutes into the second period. He scored in the 49th, 58th, and 63rd minutes, with each goal resembling the last—Cole Palmer setting him up and Madueke finishing expertly each time, although the first goal took a fortunate deflection.
In recent weeks, there has been speculation about Madueke’s future, but his performances, particularly at Molineux, have silenced those doubts. Chelsea fans, now more than ever, do not want to see the talented winger leave. Under Enzo Maresca’s guidance, Madueke is thriving, showing a new level of play that seemed just out of reach under Mauricio Pochettino.
While Madueke’s star is rising, Mykhailo Mudryk’s fortunes are not as bright. The Ukrainian winger has started the last two games, during which Chelsea scored eight goals, but he hasn’t contributed directly to any of them. Mudryk had moments of promise against Wolves, but poor decision-making let him down again.
Maresca, known for his straightforward approach, didn’t hold back when explaining Mudryk’s half-time substitution: “Because I was not happy. He was working very hard off the ball, and that was very good. But in terms of on the ball, I expect a bit more quality from Misha.” With fierce competition for spots from Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, and Christopher Nkunku, Mudryk needs to find his form quickly. It would be surprising to see him in the starting lineup when Chelsea face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in six days.
On a brighter note, Wesley Fofana’s return to action has been a highlight. After missing the entire 2023/24 season due to an ACL injury, Fofana is gradually regaining his form. While he’s not yet back to his best, the signs are promising. During the win against Wolves, Fofana showed his leadership qualities when he intervened in a tense situation between Marc Cucurella and Yerson Mosquera, preventing what could have escalated into a more serious incident. His mature response exemplified the captain material Chelsea sees in him.