Noni Madueke scored a brilliant second-half hat-trick as Enzo Maresca claimed his first Premier League win as Chelsea head coach in emphatic fashion, with the Blues dispatching Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-2 at Molineux.

Noni Madueke scored a brilliant second-half hat-trick as Enzo Maresca claimed his first Premier League win as Chelsea head coach in emphatic fashion, with the Blues dispatching Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-2 at Molineux.

It was all square at the break, with Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen cancelling out Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer’s goals in a thrilling first half.

Madueke then netted a 14-minute hat-trick from a trio of Palmer assists before new signing Joao Felix scored to make it six and add further gloss for the visitors.

Cunha and Mario Lemina had a goal each ruled out for the hosts, but Gary O’Neil’s team were cut open at the back and ultimately, soundly beaten.

Chelsea’s victory takes them into the top half as one of seven teams on three points, while Wolves are 19th after two defeats.

How the match unfolded

Chelsea made a blistering start, with Madueke forcing a save out of Jose Sa before Jackson nodded them in front from the resulting corner.

Jackson’s goal is the fastest in the Premier League so far this season, timed at 98 seconds. and is Chelsea’s earliest Premier League goal since September 2017 against Stoke City, when Alvaro Morata struck after just 82 seconds.

Wolves almost hit back when Yerson Mosquera struck a post before Cunha was denied by the assistant referee’s flag, with VAR confirming Strand Larsen had strayed offside.

Cunha would not be denied again, though, as the hosts pounced on a loose pass in midfield, with the Brazilian bending a first-time finish past Robert Sanchez.

Palmer restored Chelsea’s lead in the 44th minute with a wonderful lob, but Strand Larsen swiftly levelled, stretching to poke in his first Premier League goal in the final action of the first half.

But it was Madueke who stole the show after the break, netting his hat-trick with three similar, low strikes from the right-hand side of the box, with a Wolves response through Lemina ruled out for offside.

And with 10 minutes left, Joao Felix announced his return to Chelsea in some style, meeting Pedro Neto’s cross to rifle a first-time effort into the top corner.

Wolves crumble in second half

Wolves did the double over Chelsea last season, stunning them with two impressive wins, including a comeback victory in their most recent before today.

And it looked like they might be on to recreate that result in this fiery encounter, led by Cunha, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s clash at Stamford Bridge.

He could have easily had three goals again – slicing an effort wide on the stretch and was unlucky that Strand Larsen had strayed marginally offside for his disallowed strike.

However, all of Wolves’ bright attacking play fizzled out in the second half, with the hosts struggling to show the same threat when Chelsea fixed their own defensive problems.

Gary O’Neil’s side have now lost their last five matches in the Premier League. Although they have their first goals of the season, he still has some problems to solve if they want to get their first win before the international break, with a trip to Nottingham Forest next up.

Madueke and Maresca make their mark

Maresca earned his first win in charge of Chelsea on Thursday in a UEFA Conference League qualifier and will be happy they built on that for his first Premier League victory.

Madueke scored in that match, with Maresca asking the youngster to deliver consistent performances, as the Italian laid out his plans to keep hold of the winger in the last week of the window.

After angering Wolves fans with a now-deleted comment made on social media, Madueke was already an unpopular figure at Molineux before playing a starring role.

He set the tone from the start, winning the corner that led to Jackson’s early goal.

And his inspired performance was justly rewarded, as he boosted his chances of cementing a regular starting place with three finely-taken goals, showing his pace and finishing prowess, as he beat Sa from tight angles.

Maresca will feel much more confident after such an impressive attacking performance from his side, though he may still have problems to solve at the back.

Club reports

Wolves report | Chelsea report

Match officials

Referee: Darren England. Assistants: Nick Greenhalgh, Constantine Hatzidakis. Fourth official: Rob Jones. VAR: John Brooks. Assistant VAR: Gary Beswick.