CARELESS 10-man Chelsea just about survived a second-half fightback from wounded Wolves.
Liam Delap became the FIFTH Blues player to be sent off this season as his return from injury lasted barely 25 minutes.
Delap was shown a second yellow card with five minutes to go and left his team hanging on for a win which should have been comfortable.
In a crazy climax, Jamie Gittens seemed to have killed off the game with a screamer.
But Wolves left-back David Moller Wolfe scored his second of the night early in six minutes of stoppage time and the Blues were in danger of throwing the game away.
Home boss Vitor Pereira was spoiling for a fight with his own fans after the home defeat by Burnley.
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When his wretched-looking team went 2-0 down inside 15 minutes, the Molineux faithful told him he would be getting sacked in the morning.
But the home fans who after Estevao made it 3-0 just before the break missed a rally which suggested the Wolves players still have their hearts in it and are fighting for their under-fire manager.
On another night the Blues’ familiar defensive frailties, including another goal conceded after a long throw – and their terrible disciplinary record – could have cost them dear.
The managers made 21 changes between them to the teams that had started the disappointing weekend defeats.
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For a completely different Wolves line-up, it was the same old story for the opening 45 minutes.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca had an Arne Slot-style whine about pesky Sunderland not lining up the way he anticipated last Saturday..
But in the first half Wolves delivered exactly what you would expect: rubbish.
Inside five minutes, centre-forward Tolu Arokodare gave the ball away and Andrey Santos tucked away his first goal for Chelsea.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Blues broke the press, Gittens beat Matt Doherty and crossed for Tyrique George to score from three yards.
The Wolves fans behind Jose Sa’s goal had already demanded club owners Fosun should go.
After that second goal, they went for “We’re going down”, “You’re getting sacked in the morning” and a chant that expressed their dislike of executive chairman Jeff Shi.
George should have made it three before 20 minutes were on the clock.
The home side gifted Chelsea their third goal. Sa passed out to Fer Lopez, but Santos robbed him and Estevao seized on the ball before chipping it impudently into the net.
Arokodare should have pulled one back but headed wide from 10 yards after Lopez’s free kick.
Yet within three minutes of the restart, the big man did score.
Facundo Buonanotte gave the ball away and Wolves were 2 v 2. Hwang Hee-Chan played in Arokodare and this time his finish was excellent.
Chelsea second-string goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was looking nervous and Arokodare had another good chance only to send a header wide.
Things seemed to settle down and Delap came on with half an hour to go after 10 weeks out with a hamstring injury.
But with 17 minutes to go, Maresca’s side were yet again undone by a long throw, as they had been for Sunderland’s equaliser.
The Blues failed to clear Yerson Mosquera’s delivery and when the ball fell to left back David Moller Wolfe, he drilled it home superbly.
Delap was shown his first yellow card for a scuffle with Mosquera. WIth five minutes left he tangled with Agbadou, and was given a second, perhaps a little harshly.
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Gittens lashed home a fabulous fourth but Wolves were not done.
Wolfe dinked the ball over Jorgensen to keep home hopes alive, but Chelsea just about survived.
