Wolves v Chelsea LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Matt Doherty winner punishes woeful Blues

Chelsea slumped to a third defeat in four Premier League games as second-half goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty earned Wolves a deserved 2-1 victory at Molineux.

Lemina headed in unmarked from Pablo Sarabia’s corner early in the second period, just reward after Gary O’Neil’s side had weathered early pressure and the hosts had spurned a host of chances, most glaringly from Raheem Sterling.

Chelsea laboured to find a way back, but as so often this season failed to find the key pass in the final third, with Cole Palmer noticeably out of sorts.

Then in stoppage time and with the visitors committed forward, Wolves broke and Hugo Bueno crossed for Doherty to take advantage of a poor clearance to slam home a second.

Substitute Christopher Nkunku headed his first Chelsea goal in the dying minutes, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side slipped to a third away league defeat on the spin.

Chelsea have now also lost four away games in a row in the Premier League - the club’s worst run since 2000.

A harrowing stat for Chelsea fans before Christmas - no Premier League team has lost more games than the Blues in 2023.

19!

Doherty’s goal wrapped up the win for Wolves! It meant Nkunku’s late header counted for nothing, apart from offering Chelsea some hope they finally have the finisher that has been desperately missing.

As for Chelsea... their dismal year continues with another defeat. More questions for Mauricio Pochettino to answer as the Blues suffer another set-back, just as they had some momentum with their Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Newcastle in midweek.

Wasteful in the first half, shambolic defensively in the second, it’s more of the same really.

Another brilliant Molineux win for Wolves to wrap up 2023! They move level on points with Chelsea and extended their unbeaten home run to seven games, adding to scalps over Manchester City and Tottenham with this deserved win over Chelsea!

90+12 mins: Still playing in the 102nd minute, as Hwang races away! But Silva gets back and does enough. Surely that’s it?!

90+9 mins: Sterling goes to ground in the box looking for a late penalty - and is booked for diving! That means he will also now miss the match against Crystal Palace, as well as Palmer.

Hang on! Chelsea are still alive thanks to a late header from Christopher Nkunku on his Premier League debut. It’s a brilliant finish from Sterling’s cross, stood up to the back post. Nkunku guided it into the far corner to give Chelsea some late hope.

Still four or five minutes still to play...

That’s it! Matt Doherty surely wraps up a brilliant win for Wolves with his first goal on his second spell for the club!

But what a disaster this is for Badiashile. The defender fails to clear a simple cross and allows Doherty to slam home a simple finish.

Pochettino rubs his face - what an awful day this has been for Chelsea.