Wolverhampton Wanderers entered the game after enduring a dreadful start to the Premier League campaign, having lost the previous game 3-2 to Burnley. This was not the night the losing streak would be broken; despite a spirited second-half comeback, Chelsea scraped through to the next round of the competition, beating Wolves 4-3 at Molineux.
𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗚𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗘 as Chelsea knock Wolves out of the League Cup 🍿 pic.twitter.com/jl8NdywbDg
— 433 (@433) October 29, 2025
Fast start and first-half collapse
From the moment the whistle blew, it was one-way traffic for the visitors during the opening 45 minutes. Chelsea struck in the 5th minute through Andrey Santos after Wolves lost possession high up the field. Just ten minutes later, Tyrique George added a second with a tap-in following a poor defensive sequence by Wolves. Then, shortly before half-time, Wolves’ sloppy build-up gifted the visitors a third when Santos’s intervention teed up Estêvão, who chipped in a sublime third goal. Wolves went into the dressing room battered and 3-0 down.
FT: Wolves 3 Chelsea 4. Crazy game. Chelsea 3-0 up at half-time thanks to Santos, George and Estêvão. But spirited Wolves fought back. Tolu and Møller Wolfe's brace almost led to a second-half fightback. But Gittens' sensational strike in-between the two Møller Wolfe goals just… pic.twitter.com/top0e5AhIk
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) October 29, 2025
Second-half comeback, but too little, too late
Wolves started the second half with renewed intent and looked like a drastically different team. Tolu Arokodare pulled one back early in the second half by exploiting a shaky Chelsea backline. Then, in the 73rd minute, David Møller Wolfe smashed in Wolves' second of the night, sparking hope that the comeback might be on. Yet more disciplinary issues plagued Chelsea, with substitute Liam Delap sent off after receiving a second yellow card. In the 89th minute, Chelsea momentarily regained control when Jamie Gittens scored Chelsea's fourth, but Wolves refused to back down: Wolfe popped up with his second goal of the night, sparking a frantic finale. Despite a rousing second half, Wolves couldn't find an equaliser.
🚨🏴 JAMIE GITTENS HAS MADE IT FOUR FOR CHELSEA! WHAT A FINISH!
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) October 29, 2025
Wolves 2-4 Chelsea.pic.twitter.com/JFq0M9zKN9
Despite the loss, Wolves can take some positives from the second-half performance. The character and fight shown after the break prove that there is resilience and some belief within the squad. But lapses in concentration, slow starts and embarrassing defensive errors continue to cost them. If Vítor Pereira's men can start games with the same intensity they finish them, Wolves have the quality to turn performances like this into wins rather than near misses.
