5 Things We Learned As Diego Costa And Pedro Goals Keep Double Hopes Alive

Apart from that one Willian chance , they
barely had a sight of go
al until Diego Costa ,
twisting and turning past two markers, fired
into the side netting after an hour.
And it was a travesty when Pedro , who had
been a weak link at left wing -back
defensively, popped up unmarked to head
the Blues in front from Willian’ s cross 20
minutes after the break .

From that moment onwards , Chelsea . looked
comfortable . And it was no surprise when
Costa made it 2-0 with a smart finish a
minute from the end of normal time.
Pedro of Chelsea scores the opening
goal.

1 . Two sides to Pedro
He popped up to head Chelsea in front –
against the balance of play – and deserves
credit for venturing forward from an
unfamiliar patrol as left wing - back.
But Pedro did not look comfortable in the
role where Marcos Alonso has excelled for
Chelsea this season.
He gave the ball away too often , did not
enjoy his beat when Helder Costa was
running at him and he was fortunate that
Nathan Ake was on alert form and dealt with
any gaps Pedro left behind .

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Wolves’
Conor Coady battle for the ball.

2 . Diego wins the battle of the Costas
In the duel of Wolves’ record £13 million
signing and Chelsea’ s incendiary top scorer ,
it was Diego Costa who just about came out
on top .
When the Premier League leaders were
struggling to get the gearbox out of neutral
for 45 minutes, their warrior centre forward
was one of the few in blue shirts who put
himself about until Chelsea finally got hold
of the game after an hour.
He does not save his snarling , combustible
persona for top - flight defenders – he had a
running battle with Wolves skipper Danny
Batth.
And he deserved his 89 th minute goal,
devoured with customary aplomb , to make
the tie safe .
Helder Costa , on the other hand , made less
headway as the game wore on – although
you can see why he has already scored nine
goals this season and he will become a
crowd pleaser in the Black Country .

3 . Terry ’s full kit days coming to an end
Former England captain John Terry , making
only his third appearance of 2017 , is in the
twilight of his career at 36.
The days when he pulls on his full kit for 90
minutes of hard graft – instead of photo
opportunities at trophy presentations – are
becoming fewer and further between .
Restored to the armband at Molineux , he
made a ropey old start as George Saville
was afforded far too much space to crash
an early shot against the post .
The old warhorse still knows his way around
the pitch – but in a reshuffled back line, he
did not always look at ease.

Wolves’ Carl Ikeme in action with
Chelsea’s Willian.

4 . Conte leaves back door ajar
Chelsea look unstoppable in the title race,
but they were far from convincing at the
back at Molineux – partly because pied piper
Antonio Conte changed his back three .
Gary Cahill , Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz
have been magnificent in the Premier
League , and on paper John Terry , Kurt
Zouma and Nathan Ake should have been
capable alternatives .

But there was not the same chemistry , nor
the same assurance , from Conte ’ s rfejigged
defence. Much of their discomfort in the
face of Wolves’ first -half onslaught stemmed
from their uncertainty at the back .
Where the back door invariably remains
locked and bolted in the Premier League , you
often felt it was ajar here.

Chelsea’s Diego Costa and Wolves’
George Saville receive medical
attention after sustaining an injury.

5 . Lambert on the rise again
After three years of fighting relegation at
Aston Villa , and an inconclusive stopover at
Blackburn , Paul Lambert is due a managerial
assignment where the line on the graph
curves upwardly again.
Wolves are far from safe in the foothills of
the Championship , but on the evidence of
their Cup run they are far too good to go
down.
For long periods here, they were committed,
vibrant and inventive . Finish the season
strongly, and there is no reason why a
famous old club should not be in the shake -
up for the play -off places this time next
year .