Chelsea striker Abraham’s hat-trick secures all three points for Chelsea in 5-2 thriller at Molineux
By PAUL LAGAN
Tammy Abraham produced a mesmeric hat-trick as the west Londoners ran riot over Wolves at Molineux this afternoon – winning 5-2. The other goals came from a brilliant long range effort from centre-back Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount deep Minto added time at the end of the game. It sealed the win that took a small degree of pressure off head coach Frank Lampard who had won just one Premier League game this season.
A later rally bun the home side saw them take advantage of a porous Chelsea defence but it was too little, too late tom affect where the points were heading.
Camberwell-born Abraham, 21, who went to Pimlico Academy is the Premier League’s top hit-man with seven goals in five matches this term.
However he limped off the pitch on 78 minutes after appearing to be accidentally trod on at a corner and could be a doubt for Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Valencia.
While the Blues have struggled at home with two 2-2 draws, on their travels they have seen off Norwich 3-2 while taking a thumping at Old Trafford 4-0 on the season opener.
Abraham’s three goals will ensure that Lampard goes into a tough week full of confidence.
After Valencia the Blues face top of the pile Liverpool at Stamford Bridge at the weekend.
Frank Lampard opted to replicate Wolves’s back three but with just a day and a half to work on it due to international call-ups, the subtle nuances of the formation might have proved a dangerous option.
Instead it worked a treat.
Wolves, as expected looked the greater attacking threat in the opening exchanges as Chelsea looked to consolidate – Adams Traore, the right winger, was the home side’s major outlet.
However the first chance, fell to Antonio Rudiger who managed to clip a Mason Mount corner towards then near post but then ball was deflected away for another cornerback kick.
William created some space for himself on 29 minutes, but skied his right footer over Rui Patricia’s crossbar.
It was left to centre-back Fikayo Tomori to do what no one else attempted – a shot on goal.
And what a shot it was. Mount of the right fed the ball square to in-0running Tomori and the defender smashed a scintillating curling, powerful right-footer that saw the ball bend viciously i the air, night and wide of the shocked Patricio.
Two minutes later and the Blues, playing in white, doubled their lead.
And it’s was a goal, made in the Chelsea academy. Tomori raced into the Wolves penalty area on the left, passed to Mount, who managed to tuck the ball across to Tammy Abraham who swivelled 180 degrees and slotted cooly home from eight yards out.
All three players have taken their chance in the first team and seen the fruits of their endeavour coupled with the fortitude of the transfer ban to put the west’s Londoners in a commanding position.
Another sensational break five minutes from the break, saw William race clear on the right. While his cross was cleared the ball was instantly fed to the left. Marcos Alonso was on the spot to ping the ball back into the six-yard box and Abraham was on the spot to direct a powerful header into the back of the Wolves net.
That was Abraham’s sixth goal in three games.
Raul Jimenez saw a deft header inch wide of Kepa Arrizabalaga, post deep into added time, after Traore sliced thenChelsea defence apart with a sizzling run.
Abraham notched his first senior hat-trick for the Blues when he latched onto a Jorginho long ball. The striker still had work to do but he knocked the ball past Conor Coady and thumped the ball across Patricio and into the far side of his net to make it 4-0.
Wolves attempted a spirited comeback and on 70 minutes Romain Saiss powered a header goal-bound. Kepa did well to block it, but the ball bounced off the right hand of Abraham and into the net.
With six minutes left Wolves notched up their second when Patrick Cutrone tucked home from close range. VAR had a look bit dismissed any suggestion of an infringement in the build up.
Mount scored the fifth with the last kick of the game, slotting home from just inside the Wolves penalty area.
Teams: Chelsea Kepa, Rudiger, Christensen , Tomori, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso, Willian, Mount, Abraham
Subs, Caballero, Zouma, Barkley, Pulisic, Pedro, Giroud, Batshuayi
Wolves: Patricio, Vallejo, Neves, Jimenez, Coady, Jota, Jonny, Saiss, Mourinho, Dendoncker, Traore,
Subs, Ruddy, Doherty, Neto, Citroen, Gibbs-White, Vinagre, Kidman,
Referee: Graham Scott