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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Verri

Chelsea 2-2 Wolves: Conor Coady nets stoppage-time equaliser as Blues’ stumbling form continues

Conor Coady headed home a 97th-minute equaliser to give Wolves a dramatic 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

After a stumbling run of form, three points were vital for the Blues and they looked well on course for them when Romelu Lukaku scored twice in as many minutes for his first Premier League goals of 2022 to put the hosts in charge in the second-half.

A nervy finish was set up though when Francisco Trincao blasted home with ten minutes remaining, and Coady then rose at the back post deep into stoppage-time to earn Wolves a point.

It leaves Chelsea vulnerable in third, with Arsenal able to close within a point of them should they beat Leeds on Sunday.

Todd Boehly was in attendance at Stamford Bridge, after it was announced that he had won the race to purchase Chelsea.

There was not a huge amount for him to get excited about in the early stages of the match, with neither side able to take full control of proceedings.

Romain Saiss should have put Wolves ahead when unmarked in the box from a free-kick, but sent his header into the ground and over the bar.

Timo Werner did have the ball in the net for the Blues after a smart finish, only for the referee’s whistle to go for the slightest of shoves on Saiss from the German.

There was more misery for Chelsea a few minutes later, when Ruben Loftus-Cheek bundled home from close range. A long VAR check eventually ruled that Romelu Lukaku was offside as the ball bounced off his knee, into Loftus-Cheek’s path.

Just before the break, Pedro Neto had a shot saved by Edouard Mendy who parried it straight out into the path of Leander Dendoncker, who somehow blazed over with the goal gaping.

A quick-fire double from Lukaku after the break put the Blues in control. Saiss brought down Lukaku with a clumsy tangle of the legs, and after another VAR review the penalty was eventually rewarded. The Belgian stepped up and dispatched his spot-kick into the back of the net.

Seconds after kick-off Werner hammered over, before Lukaku extended the lead. Coady’s pass gave Chelsea possession back, Christian Pulisic found Lukaku and the striker did the rest with a lovely first-time finish.

It looked like being a comfortable conclusion to the match for Chelsea, but they were caught on the break as Wolves halved the deficit. The visitors played it out to Trincao, who had just come off the bench, and he cut inside before firing home a stunning finish into the far corner.

Trincao very nearly equalised minutes later, before Raul Jimeenz fired wide from just outside the box with Mendy motionless.

The goal did come though, with effectively the final kick of the game. Coady burst forward to join the attack, and he was there at the back post to give Boehly a painful introduction to life in the Premier League.

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