Chelsea delivered a dominant second-half performance to defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, November 8, 2025, with right-back Malo Gusto scoring his first professional goal in his 165th appearance.
Comprehensive Victory for Blues
The FIFA Club World Cup champions secured their second consecutive win against the relegation-threatened Wolves through goals from Malo Gusto, João Pedro, and Pedro Neto. This crucial victory propelled Chelsea to second place in the Premier League table with 20 points, potentially maintaining that position through the international break depending on other results.
Meanwhile, the defeat condemned Wolves to the bottom of the league standings with just two points, adding pressure ahead of new manager Rob Edwards' anticipated arrival.
Maresca's Reaction to Mixed Performance
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed understanding toward fans who booed the team during a disappointing first half, acknowledging the challenges of matches perceived as "easy."
"I was very worried before this game. These are the worst games, they're tricky. Everyone is thinking it's going to be easy," Maresca stated during his post-match comments.
The Italian manager highlighted the impact of substitute Estevao Willian, whose introduction transformed the game's energy. "I can understand that in the first half people were not happy because we didn't score. Then when Estevao came on the energy was raised because people love that kind of player."
Managing Young Talent
Maresca defended his cautious approach with 18-year-old Brazilian talent Estevao, explaining the need for gradual integration into English football.
"You can see his talent. We are trying to help him to adapt and give him the right minutes. He arrived from Brazil, he needs time to adapt, but he's going to start games for us in the future," Maresca elaborated.
The manager revealed Estevao arrived from his previous club without optimal physical conditioning and emphasized the importance of all-around development. "He knows that to play with us he needs to be good on the ball and off the ball otherwise he's not going to play. We are very happy with him."
Chelsea now faces crucial fixtures after the international break, including Premier League matches against Arsenal and Champions League encounters with Barcelona within their first three returning games.
