FA Cup 2016/17: Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-2 Chelsea, 5 talking points

Chelsea left their expected victory a little late when they took on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fifth round FA Cup game on Saturday. Their slow start could have resulted in an upset especially since the hosts had knocked Liverpool out of the competition in the previous round. However, a miracle was not forthcoming for Paul Lambert’s side in spite of their promising start.

Both managers made extensive changes to their side, as is the custom in this competition. While Lambert made five changes from the team that played in their defeat against Wigan Athletic, Antonio Conte made seven changes to the starting XI that drew with Burnley in the Premier League last weekend.

After a competitive first half that saw the Wolves hold their own quite remarkably, the side finally gave in to Pedro’s headed goal in the second half. Their place in the final eight of the competition was sealed when Diego Costa scored a second a minute before the end of regulation time.

In what was a highly competitive and fast-paced game, here’s a look at the five major talking points:

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#1 A poor showing from Hazard

Eden Hazard had a performance to forget against Wolverhampton Wanderers

Antonio Conte named a strong forward line against Wolves with Eden Hazard being one of the most notable inclusions in Chelsea’s FA Cup side. However, the Belgian was far from his best against a side that he should have been able to tear to shreds. In contrast to some of his previous performances this season, the winger was a subdued figure on the pitch as he had very little effect on the game.

For someone who is supposedly having a good season, the 26-year-old was far from his best as he struggled to make his mark with some very poor ball distribution in the first half. Even though he was quick on the counter, Hazard made very little of those opportunities count as he followed them up with weak passes and poor ball control.

His form improved marginally after the break as he began to influence the game a little more but it was hardly a performance he or the Chelsea faithful will want to remember. Kept in check by Conor Coady, a makeshift right-back for the Wolves, the only time the former Lille player got the better of him was in the opening minutes of the second half.

#2 The other Costa

Helder Costa runs past Pedro with the ball

Even though it was Diego Costa who finally got the goal that saw Chelsea through to the next round, it was the other Costa – Helder, who was the more impressive player on the pitch. The Portuguese winger is the most expensive EFL Championship player at the moment and after his performance against the Blues – it's no surprise Wolves signed him permanently this January for a club-record of £13 million.

Touted to engineer an upset against Chelsea by his own manager, the 23-year-old did just enough to be one of the standout performers of the night. Even though he was inconsistent at times and didn’t maintain a stable influence on the game, some of his movements caused the Chelsea backline some trouble.

He did well to outrun Pedro who was deployed as a wing back in the first half, but could only get a corner off of John Terry after his move. It was a contest that would continue during the entire match but Pedro eventually did get the better of him. The former Benfica player whipped in a couple of promising crosses for his teammates as well, but Chelsea defenders were always around to clear the danger.

#3 Fabregas – the best player on the field

Cesc Fabregas was out to impress manager Antonio Conte against Wolves

Antonio Conte may see Cesc Fabregas as a mere substitute but that didn’t stop the Spaniard from putting on a great performance that visibly helped him stand out from all the other players on the pitch. The former Arsenal player may not be as quick as the Italian would like him to be, but he more than made up for it with his intelligent style of play.

The midfielder was quick to realise Wolves were playing a high line at the back and started delivering balls just behind the defenders whenever the opportunity presented itself. Willian almost scored from one such delivery in the first half when Fabregas spotted his run in between the Wolves players but failed to convert, after a nifty bit of ball control from the Brazilian.

The 29-year-old looked confident as he ran the show for extended periods of time and made some excellent deliveries that had the opposition scrambling to cover. His ability to make such passes sets him apart from both Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante – both of whom are great in their own right but simply lack the former Barcelona player’s creativity. With such a strong showing in the FA Cup draw, one has to wonder when he’ll get his next Premier League start.

#4 Wolves impress although they did not get the desired result

George Saville (right) hits the post against Chelsea

Wolves may have eventually lost out to the Blues but they made it very hard for the visitors to gain a definite advantage in the game. Amongst all the eleven who started for the home side, George Saville and Danny Batth really stood out from the rest of the team.

Saville, a former Chelsea youth player, almost made his former team regret letting him go when he queued up a shot that bounced off the post as early as the fourth minute. Centre-backs Kortney Hause and Danny Batth put on a great display themselves as the duo negated the threat of Diego Costa. Keeping him constantly sandwiched between them, the striker hardly got any shots on target.

Batth’s contest with Costa was especially intriguing because of its physical nature and the 26-year-old should take pride in his performance even though the Brazilian did score eventually. Overall, the Wolves defended well and might have gotten more out of the game if they had been more clinical going forward.

#5 Conte’s second-choice backline looked nervy

John Terry took up his post as the usual leader after remaining on the sidelines

Much like Chelsea's former manager Jose Mourinho, Conte likes sticking to a particular defensive lineup but decided to rest Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz who is suffering from a knee injury. While the Spanish defender was placed on the bench, the other three were given the night off in favour of starting club captain John Terry, Nathan Ake, Kurt Zouma and second keeper Asmir Begovic.

The new partnership came with its own problems as Begovic and the three defenders suffered from a lack of communication during specific moments of the game. Zouma made some poor clearances that may have potentially given Wolves the lead. Ake and Begovic were indecisive at times but the same can't be said for ‘Mr. Chelsea’ himself. Assured and confident, Terry kept a lid on any movement from the Icelandic striker Jón Böðvarsson.

His presence was sometimes the only thing that was keeping Chelsea’s defence from falling apart especially since they lacked the additional protection usually offered by Marcos Alonso who was also rested against Wolves.