Blues up to second in Premier League table as managerless strugglers now eight points adrift

CHELSEA climbed towards the summit by pushing Wolves closer to the door.

The Blues enjoyed a rare romp – tearing apart the pathetic bunch propping up the Premier League with a rampant second half.

There was plenty to eventually be happy about from the Chelsea perspective.

Malo Gusto scored a first career goal to get things going, Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto both kept up their scoring form – and Estevao continued to delight.

Back-to-back Premier League wins, either side of a 5,000 mile round trip to Baku, is not to be sniffed at either.

Chelsea are now six points back from leaders Arsenal, moving second briefly – putting into perspective the criticism Maresca has faced this week.

Maresca will not talk them up for the title, but he is not ruling it out as he was a year ago.

The only positive for the travelling fans was that they do not have to watch their side for another fortnight.

Two points from eleven games is a sorry state of affairs, and sitting eight points adrift of safety does not make for good reading.

Rob Edwards, who is abandoning Middlesbrough’s promotion charge to take over this sorry lot, must have considered crawling back up the M1 to make his apologies last night.

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Maresca has struggled to build confidence and a connection at Stamford Bridge.

Just two Premier League wins before last night did not match the new ‘World Champions’ title emblazoned above The Shed End.

Brighton, Sunderland and Crystal Palace have all left here with points so far this season. 

And there was plenty of discontent during a barren first half in west London, but moody Blues fans were lifted as their side eventually strolled through a desperate Wolves, who folded in an almost impressive fashion.

Chelsea began with a barrage of the Wolves goal, but had nothing to show for it.

Alejandro Garnacho was guilty of missing the best chance from the five-minute salvo – firing straight at Sam Johnstone after Enzo Fernandez’s neat clipped ball.

Maresca’s men have found it a struggle against five-man defences which sit deep on many occasions under the Italian.

Fernandez was making the best fist of finding gaps, rattling balls forward and in behind the Wolves defence – but they were wasted across a frustrating first half.

Liam Delap had returned to lead the line – his first Premier League start since August – as one of eight changes, but was anonymous.

Maresca had to defend his rotation policy after making seven for the midweek draw against Qarabag.

His approach was given full-throated backing from boardroom level, it is unlikely they approve of Delap’s policy of barely touching the ball.

It was not just the big No9, however.

The squad landed back from Baku in the early hours of Thursday morning and played the majority of the first half like they had not slept since.

There were a few sudden bursts of movement, pointing to what was still to come. Fernandez had a curling corner cleared off the line and drew a diving save from Johnstone.

But it was largely underwhelming stuff and Maresca’s men were booed for passing backwards and as they headed down the tunnel.

That tension would evaporate not long after the break.

The visitors, without a manager after axing Vitor Pereira last week, had offered precious little.

Their one first half foray forwards ended with Jorgen Strand Larsen – a player they wanted £70million for in the summer – turning back instead of attempting a shot.

Wolves sat tight, following the Sunderland playbook of pushing Chelsea wide – forcing them to cross into the box.

Unlike Sunderland, they were not quite as capable of dealing with them.

Having held firm for the first half, they cracked six minutes into the second half, allowing 5ft 10in Gusto to head in.

The ever busy Marc Cucurella fed Garnacho down the left, the former United man cutting in onto his right.

A dipping cross was sent straight onto the head of Gusto, who could not miss his first Chelsea goal – two games shy of his 100th appearance for the club – from two yards.

The opener appeared to remind Wolves that they too could run forwards.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde sent an effort over the bar as Strand Larsen and Hwang Hee-Chan finally saw some action, though produced little.

The briefest of Old Gold surges prompted Maresca to send on the effervescent Estevao in place of Delap and within a matter of moments he created the second.

Estevao collected the ball on the right corner of the box, drifted past Hugo Bueno with incredible ease and watched his deflected cross sent into the back of the net by the boot of Pedro.

Wolves were now in pieces and for the taking – Chelsea grabbing second place in ruthless fashion.

Garnacho, growing in confidence with each game for his new club, provided a second assist of the night.

The Argentine raced away and squared for Neto to score against his former club, before the two propped themselves on the advertising hoarding to soak in the moment.