wolves 3-0

Independent:

Chelsea revived as Romeu runs riot
Chelsea 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0: Villas-Boas signals start of new era at Stamford Bridge with demotion of Lampard to bench and a debut to graduate of Barcelona's famed academy
RORY SMITH STAMFORD BRIDGE

The executioner has arrived. Not for the Chelsea manager, as Andre Villas-Boas might have feared, but for the old certainties, the old stalwarts. Revitalising victory over Wolves offered a fleeting glimpse into Stamford Bridge's future. In it, the Portuguese's head is not on the block. But other heads are. Previous managers would have found the concept of entering a game of this magnitude with their leading scorer on the bench inconceivable, particularly when that title is held by Frank Lampard. On this point, though, Villas-Boas has been very clear: the future will not be stopped.
The Portuguese will stand or fall by his beliefs, but he will never waver. After four defeats in seven games, he would have been forgiven for abandoning his revolution, or at least slowing the pace of change. Instead, he accelerated it. Out went Lampard, in came Oriol Romeu, for his Premier League debut, and the manager was rewarded with a comprehensive win, thanks to goals from John Terry, Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata, his side's best performance for weeks and the abeyance of Chelsea's mounting crisis.
"We are not going to fill ourselves with arrogance and think this is suddenly a good period," said Villas-Boas. "We have to wait and see. What makes us proud is that we did not deserve the results we have had, and we changed it [not by changing style but] by continuing to be the same team. The side we sent out was based on freshness. It does not mean we do not have confidence in the players who did not play, but we have a top team with amazing talent. Now we have to build on this to be a continuous threat. We have games with Newcastle and Manchester City to show we are a quality side."
Whether Lampard features in those games or not, it is too soon to say he is finished. His introduction, albeit with the game settled, illustrated that he still has a part to play, but it is clear Villas-Boas has no intention of being held hostage to gilded memories.
Villas-Boas wants movement, intensity. Ramires, Raul Meireles and Romeu, signed from Barcelona this summer, offer him that. Flanked by Mata and Sturridge, they tore Mick McCarthy's abject side to shreds in the opening period, Romeu collecting the ball from Terry and David Luiz, orchestrating the destruction. "He was educated at the best school in the world," said his admiring manager. "We do not have to teach him how to play."
Ramires and Meireles played the part of foot-soldiers, swarming forward. The former drew the first save of many from Wayne Hennessey, the Welshman clawing away the Brazilian's shot low to his right. The stay of execution was brief: Mata swung in the resultant corner, Terry rose above Roger Johnson and the ball eluded the goalkeeper's grasp."There was an atmosphere of foreboding when we came here," said McCarthy of his nervous hosts. "We soon sortedthat by giving a goal away."
Mata might have doubled the lead, scooping Branislav Ivanovic's cross over, before he skipped past Ronald Zubar and fizzed a cross along the six yard box. Hennessey hesitated, as did his defence, and Sturridge tapped home. Chelsea increased the tempo; on the touchlines, Villas-Boas swept his players forward. There is, as Gary Neville might observe, something of the 10-year-old playing PlayStation about the Portuguese: he directs every pass, attempts to control every movement, occasionally referring to the big screen at the corner of the Shed End. It is when his players cease to harass and to harry, though, that he presses their buttons most furiously.The result, when it works, is a team of a breathless relentlessness.
Johnson, finding his every avenue of escape cut off just before the interval, could but turn and play the ball back to Hennessey, to McCarthy's disdain. "What am I meant to do?" queried the defender, in exasperation. Concentrate, McCarthy might have replied. A moment later, Johnson lost Didier Drogba down the left. The Ivorian's shot hit Christophe Berra, but Drogba collected, ferried the ball to Ashley Cole, whose low cross found Mata, unmarked, in the centre. The Spaniard's finish was unerring.
Chelsea's progress going forward may be visible, but they remain mired in uncertainty at the back. A better team than Wolves might have taken more advantage of the host of chances they were granted: Berra missed one chance, Stephen Ward three. True, only Hennessey's reactions kept the score respectable – he denied Sturridge and Mata in quick succession in the second half – but Villas-Boas is right that Chelsea are a work in progress. The bloodletting is yet to come.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ivanovic (Bosingwa, 77), David Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Romeu, Meireles (Lampard, 70); Sturridge, Drogba (Torres, 77), Mata.
Wolves (4-5-1): Hennessey; Zubar (Forde, 75), Johnson, Berra, Elokobi; Jarvis, Henry, Milijas (Ebanks-Blake, 38), Edwards, Ward; Fletcher (Guedioura, 83).

Referee Lee Mason.
Man of the match Sturridge (Chelsea).
Match rating 6/10.


---------------------------------------

Observer:

John Terry puts Chelsea on way to win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
Jamie Jackson at Stamford Bridge

Four matches in 14 defining days now stand before André Villas-Boas as the serious work of rewriting the verdict on his hopes as Chelsea manager begins.
Liverpool (in the Carling Cup on Tuesday), Newcastle United (league), Valencia (Champions League) and the league visit of Manchester City on 12 December will define how much festive cheer courses through Villas-Boas and his band.
"We can," Villas-Boas said when asked if Chelsea can still win the title. "It was important for us to get the three points, we managed to shorten the distance to Manchester United and Newcastle but for us to be a threat we need to continue to win. We have the game against Newcastle [on Saturday] and the game against the leaders to show that we are a quality side. Let's wait and see."
For Villas-Boas, December will be the defining month, with Tottenham Hotspur also on the horizon: "It's very important – we have the Champions League fixture to play, but the rest are league fixtures and December can have a part to play in the pattern of what is going to happen in the Premier League. We need to have a good December."
After the talk of "high lines" and philosophies never dying, Villas-Boas took a step away from the gallows with this win. So had the pressure now eased? "It doesn't take pressure off me. We have to continue to grow as a team," he said.
The match had been as close to a banker as any side who had last won at home a month ago can have. Wolverhampton Wanderers were supine and ended the first half 3-0 down, with the spectre of a real drubbing on the cards.
Frank Lampard had been dropped – to allow Oriol Romeu a full league debut – which, after the defeats preceding this encounter, made him appear the scapegoat. According to Villas-Boas, this was not so. "Selection was based on freshness and, regarding Lamps, also that he was carrying four yellows and we are counting on him against Liverpool," he said, before laughing off the suggestion that a late card for John Terry had been accrued deliberately to ensure he misses Tuesday's Carling Cup encounter and is clear for the league clash at Newcastle.
Fernando Torres remained dropped – his stock is so low now that a murmur was barely raised – although the crowd sang for him to appear well before he finally emerged on 77 minutes, with Villas-Boas clear that he, not supporters, decides when changes are made.
Fortune was shaped Chelsea's way but Nenad Milijas offered them a hand after seven minutes to send Mick McCarthy ballistic. The midfielder's dawdle near halfway allowed Ramires to pilfer the ball and when the Brazilian advanced, his 25-yard shot drew a fine save from Wayne Hennessey. McCarthy's fury became despair when, from Juan Mata's corner, Terry headed home, the ball taking a deflection from Stephen Ward.
The Wolves manager said the opening goal had been the root cause of their problems. "There was no air of confidence around the place, more an air of foreboding," McCarthy said. "But hey-ho, we soon released that. A poxy corner and they scored off it."
After 29 minutes, Chelsea fashioned a superb second, though again Wolves made this easy, allowing yards of space down the left, as they did throughout the match. Ashley Cole found Raul Meireles, who moved possession to Mata and from his precise cross Daniel Sturridge, making a poacher's run, slotted the ball home. Just before the break, Chelsea had their third. Didier Drogba surged forward and when his shot was blocked he turned the ball back to Cole. The left-back's delivery was smacked home by Mata and Villas-Boas punched the west London air again.
His orders at the break will have been more of the same, with no defensive snoozing. Ramires provided the forward thrust, blazing a shot that the excellent Hennessey plucked from the air in the old style: two-handed.
There was a rare scare at the back for Chelsea. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, on for the disgraced Milijas, threaded a ball through from midfield and Ward slipped easily away from David Luiz before placing his shot wide. There were other concerns: when possession was lost near him, Sturridge was scolded by Villas-Boas.
And, when the same player made a quicksilver burst into the area and flipped the ball across goal, Drogba nor any other colleague was anywhere near.
Villas Boas also confirmed that Roberto di Matteo is happy to stay as his assistant following speculation regarding his future.


==========================

Telegraph:

Chelsea 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
By Duncan White, Stamford Bridge

Andre Villas-Boas can be many things: aloof, beguiling, gnomic but there was no question that on Saturday he was just plain relieved. This was exactly the sort of game he needed after losing against Liverpool and Leverkusen. Thanks to goals from John Terry, Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata, an uncharacteristically meekWolverhampton Wanderers were done by half-time.
The Chelsea manager is trying to change the Chelsea way. It is an ambitious thing to undertake, and one that is rich with risk. Results like this help restore the faith, though.
It took less than seven minutes for Wolves to crumple. Nenad Milijas was ponderous on the ball when his side were looking to build an attack. Ramires, who never stops running, robbed him of the ball and went sprinting towards goal.
The Brazilian placed his shot into the bottom left-hand corner but Wayne Hennessey managed to get a glove to the ball and divert it wide.
From the corner, Mata sent the ball high into the box and Terry headed into the net, the ball taking a deflection off Stephen Ward on the way.
Any tension that the Chelsea team might have felt after recent results was immediately dissolved. “That was the root cause of it,” Mick McCarthy said of the way his side conceded the first goal.
“I don’t think there was an air of confidence around the place before the game. If anything there was an air of despondency. Hey ho, we soon released that, didn’t we?”
Confidence was coursing through the Chelsea team as they looked to hit Wolves hard every time they won back the ball. It was almost cruel, the way the home side coiled in anticipation and then struck with speed. Mata could have scored himself from one swift counter before making Chelsea’s second as part of a superb move.
Ashley Cole who raided with impunity from left-back throughout the first half, hit a clever ball into Raul Meireles who moved the ball on to Mata. The Spain international forward skipped away from Ronald Zubar’s challenge and played the ball across the face of goal, where Sturridge converted from close range.
Wolves were in danger of falling apart. Both David Edwards and Karl Henry were booked for fouling Ramires and Chelsea were pouring forward at will.
McCarthy substituted Milijas, sending on Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, and switched to a 4-4-2 formation, exhorting his team to make it to half-time without a further concession. They nearly achieved it, too.
Sturridge had almost scored his second when Hennessey almost let his long-range shot between his gloves and he was involved in setting up Chelsea’s third. He hit a crossfield pass towards Didier Drogba, whose superb touch took him past Roger Johnson. The Chelsea striker surged deep into the Wolves half but his attempt to curl the ball around Hennessy was blocked by Christophe Berra. Drogba did pick up the loose ball, though, and he found Cole, running up in support. The Chelsea left-back passed the ball to Mata for a first-time finish. It was all too easy.
Wolves did improve in the second half but they could hardly have got any worse. With a Carling Cup quarter-final against Liverpool to come on Tuesday, followed by league games against Newcastle and Manchester City either side of that crucial Champions League match against Valencia, it was little wonder that Chelsea eased up in the second half.
They might still have picked off another goal or two but it was all done at a more leisurely pace. Wolves did force Petr Cech to make a couple of saves — with 15 minutes to go he kept out first Matt Jarvis and then Ward from the rebound — but the biggest threat to the Chelsea goalkeeper was when David Luiz accidentally went crashing into him with 10 minutes left.
That run of fixtures will offer a far more accurate assessment of Chelsea’s ability than this game. Villas-Boas said part of the reason for resting Frank Lampard for this match was that he was on four yellow cards. “We are counting on him for the game against Liverpool,” he said.
Not a damning demotion of Lampard to the status of a League Cup player but a measure of how seriously Villas-Boas is taking that competition. Any trophy will help give him protection.
Publicly at least, Villas-Boas is still saying that the title is winnable.
“We have to wait and see,” he said. “It is difficult to look at such a distant leader, but we have the example of the past that we can shorten this gap.
“If that is to serve as an inspiration to us we need to get on a winning streak like we did last year. We have the talent in this squad. Belief will be the last thing to die with us.”
Privately, qualifying for the Champions League, will be the more modest goal. To that end this was a step in that direction. A small step, but a positive one.


=================================

Mail:

Chelsea 3 Wolves 0: AVB breathes sigh of relief as Mata lifts Chelsea gloom
By ROB DRAPER

There can be no more accommodating guests to entertain amid a crisis than Wolverhampton Wanderers.
When manager Andre Villas-Boas, a man subjected to ever-increasing degrees of pressure at Chelsea, surveyed the forthcoming fixtures, then yesterday's match must have stood out as light relief.
Managers would never concede as much, but with Liverpool, Newcastle, Valencia, Manchester City and Tottenham to come before Christmas and, having recorded four defeats in seven games, the visit of Mick McCarthy's team must have been seen as the ideal opportunity to alleviate the gloom.
But even then, they could not have expected the generosity they received from their opponents.
'I don't think there was a great air of confidence beforehand,' said McCarthy of the Stamford Bridge atmosphere, which was flat and uninspired. 'In fact, I sensed one of foreboding. But, hey, ho. We soon got rid of that, didn't we?'
Indeed. Wolves were lamentable in the first half, presenting space, losing possession and conceding an early goal. It really was just as Villas-Boas would have wanted. Relaxed afterwards, he was able to strike a positive note.
'There are some crucial matches coming up but belief will be the last thing to die at this club,' he said. 'I believe we can still win the title but let's wait and see. We need to get a winning streak. We needed this win.'
There is some way to go before Chelsea's season is back on track.
'I don't think the pressure has come off,' he conceded. But there is something to be said for the theory that Villas-Boas is starting to impose himself.
There was no Fernando Torres or Frank Lampard in the starting lineup and Nicolas Anelka was not even on the bench.
A midfield of Oriol Romeu, Ramires and Raul Meireles had the look of a Villas-Boas team for the future. Romeu looks more than a step ahead of John Mikel Obi in holding midfield. Up front, Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge gave youthful support for Didier Drogba.
The times are changing at Stamford Bridge, though where Torres, brought in as the vanguard of the revolution, fits is anyone's guess.
Generously, Chelsea fans chanted his name and demanded his presence in the second half as the game ambled towards its conclusion, when Villas-Boas did relent. But he is a £50million reserve at present.
Lampard was rested, Villas-Boas said, because he is on four yellow cards and one more caution away from suspension.
But that did not stop John Terry from playing and picking up his fifth yellow of the season for time-wasting in the dying minutes of a game that had been long since won.
Coincidentally, it is a caution that will rule him out of a Carling Cup tie but leave him available for the crucial December run.
That said, it was difficult to judge the new, emerging Chelsea, so poor were Wolves in the first half. In mitigation, they had four players out through suspension and injury, but their midfield failed to compete, the back four declined to mark and the lone striker was wholly redundant.
The opening goal on seven minutes was a prime example of Wolves' shortcomings, though by no means unique. Nenad Milijas dallied on the ball in midfield and was robbed by Ramires, whose shot was turned aside by the excellent keeper, Wayne Hennessey.
Nevertheless, McCarthy was close to apoplexy on the bench and rightly so, for from such mistakes games are lost.
And from the resulting Mata corner, Terry rose to head home. Damningly for Wolves, the player closest to Terry was David Luiz, who did more to distract his team-mates than any of his opponents, with the ball even taking a deflection off the Brazilian.
The sheer ineffectiveness of the Wolves right side was exposed again on 29 minutes, with Ashley Cole combining well with Meireles to send Mata scurrying away down the left. He brushed aside Ronald Zubar and crossed for the incoming unmarked Sturridge, who finished off a fine move.
McCarthy was forced to make a tactical change after 38 minutes, taking off the lacklustre Milijas and bringing on Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, switching to 4-4-2. Much good it did them.
Drogba took the ball down delightfully on 45 minutes to race past Roger Johnson and although he was blocked en route to goal, he still managed to lay the ball back to Cole, who crossed for an unmarked Mata to score the third goal from close range.
Wolves were vastly improved in the second half, with Stephen Ward going close when played in by Ebanks-Blake and later forcing a decent save from Petr Cech.
For Chelsea, Sturridge continued to impress, especially in skipping past Christophe Berra on 59 minutes and Ramires tested Hennessey with a dripping shot.
But, in truth, the game had long since lost a competitive edge.


==============================

Mirror:

Chelsea 3-0 Wolves: Mata banishes AVB's Blues
By Anthony Clavane

Chelsea were kicked in the Ballacks in when their former star suggested they lacked mental strength – but yesterday their under-fire boss showed he had balls.
The over-the-top reaction to the Bayer Leverkusen defeat suggested Andre Villas-Boas might panic into making wholesale changes.
According to reports he was fighting to keep his job after a nightmare run that had seen the west Londoners lose four out of seven games.
But the Portuguese didn’t panic. Michael Ballack’s Bayer might have heaped pressure on him – the European Cup is, after all, Roman Abramovich’s Holy Grail – but AVB kept calm and carried on.
That takes a lot of guts when Abramovich’s itchy finger is on the trigger.
But Villas-Boas was rewarded with a vital win over struggling Wolves and said: “We wanted this. Now we need to go on a winning run and there are some crucial matches coming up. Belief will be the last thing to die at this club.
“I believe we can win the title still. Let’s wait and see. We need to get into a winning streak and, if we do, we can close the gap.
“I don’t think the pressure has come off me. A lot of the negative results have not been what we deserved.
“But we are now back to winning ways and we need to keep this going in December.”
Only Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s top scorer, was left out of the starting line-up – the boss keeping faith with Didier Drogba, who scored in the Champions League defeat in Leverkusen.
The Blues hadn’t lost at home to Wolves since 1979 and there was no chance of Mick McCarthy’s strugglers bucking the trend.
It was suggested they would attempt to exploit the Chelsea rearguard’s lack of pace by lifting the ball over the top.
But, superbly marshaled by John Terry, the defence never gave them a chance.
Terry has come in for a lot of stick this season, but his response to adversity was – as usual – to rise to the occasion.
In fact, it only took him seven minutes to rise and head Juan Mata’s corner into the Wolves net.
Roger Johnson is a lifelong Blues supporter – apparently he has a slab of concrete from the legendary Shed terrace at home – and a big fan of JT.
But that was no reason for the 28-year-old defender to allow his opposite number so much time and space in the goalmouth to pick his spot.
Chelsea should have already been one up when Ramires broke through only to see Wayne Hennessey deny him with a magnificent save.
But they doubled their lead in the 29th minute following a magnificent five-man move.
David Luiz began it with a cross-field ball to Ashley Cole, who played it on to Raul Meireles. The midfielder put Juan Mata through on the left and the Spaniard skipped past Ronald Zubar to deliver a low cross which Daniel Sturridge converted from a few yards.
That was Sturridge’s seventh goal of the season – and he came close to claiming his eighth five minutes later when his swirling 25-yard shot was tipped over by Hennessey.
The Blues were being given so much space on the left and it came as no surprise when Cole, with plenty of time to pick out Mata in the box, crossed for the Spaniard to make it 3-0 just before the interval.
As for Wolves, they have now won only one of their last 11 league games and have lost their last four on their travels – conceding 12 goals in the process.
True, they were without three key players – midfielders Jamie O’Hara and Stephen Hunt and defender Richard Stearman.
But even in the second half, when Chelsea took their foot off the pedal, they troubled Petr Cech on only one occasion, when he needed to be alert to block Stephen Ward’s shot.


====================================

Sun:

CHELSEA eased the pressure on under-fire boss Andre Villas-Boas with a thumping win over Wolves.
The Blues had lost their last two Premier League home matches and went into today's clash off the back of Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
But three first half strikes at Stamford Bridge put the Londoners back on the victory road
Captain John Terry opened the scoring with a header from Juan Mata's corner after just seven minutes.
And the hosts doubled their lead just before the half hour mark with a well worked goal involving Mata, Raul Meireles and Daniel Sturridge.
Meireles played the ball to Mata and the Spaniard hared past Ronald Zubar before laying the ball off to Sturridge, who beat George Elokobi before poking the ball home.
The impressive Mata then got on the score sheet himself, volleying in Ashley Cole's cross from the left on the stroke of half time.
Six minutes after the break saw Ramires test Wayne Hennessey with a ferocious 25-yard strike but the Wolves stopper was equal to it.
The visitors looked a much more confident outfit in the second half and almost pulled one back when Sylvan Ebanks-Blake — on for Nenad Milijas — threaded Ward through.
However, the Irishman's shot trickled a couple of yards wide of Petr Cech's goal.
Karl Henry's cross whistled just over the heads of a posse of Wolves attackers before Chelsea came close to adding a fourth on the counter.
Sturridge slipped into the Wolves box after getting on the end of Ramires's pass and sneaked past Christophe Berra, but saw his cross cleared by Roger Johnson when he should have shot at goal.
Didier Drogba — who had been anonymous for most of the match — then hammered a powerful drive just wide while Hennessey was scrambling across his line.
Frank Lampard received a huge welcome when he came on in the 69th minute to replace Meireles.
Sturridge then unleashed a 30-yard strike straight at Hennessey as the Blues pushed for a fourth.
And Hennessey was called on again a minute later when he pawed away another Sturridge shot before blocking Mata's follow up.
Matt Jarvis then forced Cech into his first save of the match before Stephen Ward tested the Czech No1 moments later.
Sturridge then fluffed his lines when he sliced a half volley wide following excellent play from Mata again.
Villas-Boas brought on Fernando Torres and Jose Bosingwa for Drogba and Branislav Ivanovic with 12 minutes remaining.
Wolves then suffered an injury scare when Steven Fletcher — just back from an injury lay-off — picked up a knock. He was replaced by Adlene Guedioura.
Torres darted into the Wolves box, keen to make an impact, but his fierce shot was deflected wide.
He then stormed into the penalty area but failed in his audacious attempt to lob Hennessey from 18 yards as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes.
Wolves had one last push for a consolation, but Ebanks-Blake's weak injury-time header was the closest they came to a reply.
And when the final whistle came, it brought a big smile to the face of Villas-Boas as he went down the tunnel.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic (Bosingwa 77), Luiz, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Meireles (Lampard 70), Romeu, Mata, Sturridge, Drogba (Torres 77).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Mikel, Malouda, Kalou.
Booked: Terry.
Goals: Terry 7, Sturridge 29, Mata 45.

Wolverhampton: Hennessey, Zubar (Forde 75), Berra, Johnson, Elokobi, Jarvis, Henry, Milijas (Ebanks-Blake 38), Ward, Edwards, Fletcher (Guedioura 83).
Subs Not Used: De Vries, Craddock, Hammill, Doherty.
Booked: Edwards, Henry.
Att: 41,648
Ref: Lee Mason (Lancashire).



==============================

Star:

CHELSEA 3 WOLVES 0: PRESSURE EASES ON ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS

By Daily Star Reporter

THREE first-half goals eased the pressure on Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas as the Blues got back to winning ways against Wolves.
Recent losses to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen had piled the pressure on the 34-year-old Blues boss, but the tension at Stamford Bridge eased in the sixth minute of today's game when John Terry capitalised on some poor marking to head home Juan Mata's cross.
Daniel Sturridge slipped his marker to tap home Mata's cross just before the half hour and the Spaniard added the hosts' third in the last minute of the first half when he was given plenty of space to convert Ashley Cole's centre from 12 yards.
The result could have been a rout had it not been for a series of excellent stops from Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, the highlight of which was a double-save from Sturridge and Mata halfway through the second period.
The performance was hardly vintage Chelsea, and they will come up against much tougher opponents in the coming weeks, but the result will ensure Villas-Boas sleeps easier tonight, even though his team remained fifth after Manchester United's draw with Newcastle.
Villas-Boas, whose team had gone into today's match having lost two of their last three league games, cut a defiant figure yesterday, insisting he was the man to lead Chelsea out of their current slump.
And today's game provided him with a perfect chance to restore some belief among the club's hierarchy and support.
Wolves, who had won just one of their last 10 games before today, were there for the taking, and after a cagey opening five minutes, Chelsea took hold of the game thanks to Terry's opener.
Ramires stole the ball off a dallying Nenad Milijas and fired goalwards only to see Hennessey tip the Brazilian's effort wide with a brilliant save.
Stamford Bridge was sent into uproar from the resulting corner as Terry lost his marker to head Mata's cross home from eight yards to give the Blues the lead.
Despite taking the lead Chelsea, still lacked confidence and instead of pushing for an immediate second, they allowed Wolves time to settle.
The midlanders lacked creativity, however, and their only real chance of the opening quarter came when Stephen Ward's header looped over the bar.
The Blues were cautious in possession and appeared to lack the confidence to turn the screw on their opponents, but they suddenly sprung to life to double their lead in the 29th minute.
Ronald Zubar attempted to bail Mata over, but the Spaniard kept his footing and sent over a low cross that Sturridge tapped home from close range after muscling past his marker.
David Edwards headed wide from eight yards after Chelsea failed to clear a Wolves corner as the visitors looked for an immediate reply, but Mick McCarthy's vocal attempt to inject some life into his team failed.
Instead, the Wolves boss looked to change things around with Milijas coming off for striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in the 38th minute.
Hennessey spilled Sturridge's powerful shot over the bar just before the break and Mata made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time when he was given room to beat Hennessey from 12 yards.
Hennessey pulled off a top-drawer save to stop Ramires' powerful volley after the break as Chelsea looked to start the second half in the same way they had ended the first.
Wolves looked a much more confident outfit in the second half, however, and almost pulled one back when Ebanks-Blake threaded Ward through, but the Irishman's shot trickled a couple of yards wide.
Karl Henry's cross whistled just over the heads of a posse of Wolves attackers before Chelsea came close to adding a fourth on the counter.
Sturridge slipped into the Wolves box after getting on the end of Ramires' pass and sneaked past Christophe Berra but saw his cross cleared by Johnson when he should have shot at Hennessey.
Didier Drogba, who had been anonymous for most of the match, then hammered a powerful drive just wide while Hennessey was scrambling across his goal-line.
Frank Lampard, dropped for Oriol Romeu, received a huge welcome when he came on in the 69th minute in the place of Raul Meireles.
Hennessey then pulled off an excellent double save from point-blank range to deny Sturridge and then Mata.
The home crowd demanded Fernando Torres' introduction, and Villas-Boas finally unleashed the former Liverpool man in the place of Drogba.
The Spaniard darted in to the Wolves box, keen to make an impact, but his fierce shot was deflected wide.
Torres once again stormed the Wolves penalty area but failed in his audacious attempt to lob Hennessey from 18 yards as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes.
Wolves had one last push for a consolation, but Ebanks-Blake's weak injury-time header was the closest they came and the final whistle came, bringing a big smile to the face of Villas-Boas as he went down the tunnel.


=================================

Express:

CHELSEA 3 WOLVES 0: TAME WOLVES LET ANDRE OFF HOOK
John Terry gives Chelsea the perfect start
By Colin Mafham

THIS was one time when being thrown to the Wolves was a very pleasant experience... for Chelsea in particular.
Just when under-fire manager Andre Villas-Boas and his boys were looking decidedly under the weather and in need of a tonic, Wolves without teeth were just what the doctor ordered.
As a result, Chelsea put their Blues behind them and cantered to a result that will do their previously flagging confidence no harm at all.
Let’s be honest here, these particular Wolves were as tame as they come. But you could still almost feel the tension around the place to start with.
So, when the going gets as tough as it looked for Chelsea beforehand, it wasn’t rocket science to work out that they needed someone special to show them the way.
Enter John Terry.
Six minutes was all it took the Chelsea skipper to ease the seemingly intolerable pressure with an opening goal.
Ramires started it with a shot that Wayne Hennessey could only parry round the post and the Juan Mata corner that followed was directed home by a towering Terry.
Not that that was enough to ease the nerves for Villas-Boas on the touchline. As Chelsea’s sixth manager in eight years, it was going to take more than Terry’s head to make him feel comfortable.
His demeanour didn’t change much on the half-hour, either, when Daniel Sturridge got Chelsea’s second.
Once again Mata was a key figure, illustrating the importance he is going to play in any revival Chelsea might mount from now on. And he reinforced that right on half-time with a delightfully-struck third goal after Ashley Cole found him in the sort of space Wolves just can’t afford to give anyone right now. Mind you, the same could also be said for the impressive Sturridge.
Hennessey needed to be at full stretch to turn one of his piledrivers away and you had to wonder why AVB insists on playing the lad out wide on the right. Right now he looks a darned sight more effective up front than any of the others the manager prefers to play up there.
Having said that, woeful Wolves were just the sort of fodder Chelsea –and AVB in particular – needed right now.
They didn’t manage a single effort worth talking about in a first half that enabled troubled Chelsea to get their heads together and stroke the ball about just when they needed to.
But for Hennessey, Chelsea would have had a fourth within five minutes of the restart.
The volley Ramires unleashed from 20 yards was heading for the top corner but the Welshman stretched to his limit to stop it going there.
To their credit, Wolves came into the game for the first time then and Stephen Ward, Matthew Jarvis and Steven Fletcher all reminded Petr Cech that he wasn’t just there to make up the numbers.
It was all too little, too late and, with Fernando Torres on for the ineffective Didier Drogba late on, Chelsea remained a threat.
And that was enough to put the smile back on the manager’s face.
“We didn’t deserve the results we have had and for us to continue being a top team we now have to continue winning,” Villas-Boas said. “Chaos happened and now we have to make sure we get back on track.”
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy had no such lofty ambitions.
He added: “There was some foreboding about the place when we started, but hey ho, we soon changed that, didn’t we?
“We came here trying to take advantage of things that had happened here before but ended up trying to salvage a bit of pride and self respect.”

MAN of the MATCH: Juan Mata. A toss up between him and Ramires. But one goal and two assists just edge it for the increasingly-influential Spaniard.

TEAM UTD: Cech; Ivanovic (Boswinga 76), Luiz, Terry, Cole; Romeu; Ramires, Meireles (Lampard 69); Sturridge, Drogba (Torres 76), Mata.
TEAM CITY: Hennessey; Zubar (Forde 75), Johnson, Berra, Elokobi; MIlijas (Ebanks-Blake 37), Henry; Jarvis, Edwards, Ward; Fletcher (Guedioura 81).