Wolves vs. Chelsea: Score and Reaction from 2017 FA Cup

Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, as they battled to a 2-0 win over a gallant Wolverhampton Wanderers side at Molineux. 

Host Wolves had the best chance of the opening period, when former Blues academy man George Saville smashed the post after finding space in the area.

It was profligacy they were made to rue, as Pedro snuck in at the back post in the second half to head Chelsea into a 65th-minute lead. From there, the Blues dominated, with Diego Costa adding a scrappy second in the 90th minute.

After shocking wins for Lincoln City and Millwall earlier in the day, Wolves may have felt extra confident about their chances of a victory in this one.

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They certainly started like a team that believed and should have been in front in the fifth minute. That was after the ball dropped to Saville in the penalty area; with time to pick his spot, he could only rattle the woodwork.

Per Ste Hoare of Fresh Press UK, the 23-year-old really should have found the back of the net:

Chelsea started to control the match after that scare and created their best chance of the first period not long after. Cesc Fabregas lofted a super pass into the path of Willian, but Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was out well to shut down the angle.

That opening aside, the Premier League leaders were frustrated by their diligent hosts, who were putting a new-look Blues back three of John Terry, Nathan Ake and Kurt Zouma under plenty of pressure. 

While the home side weren't able to grab an opening goal, as noted by Miguel Delaney of The Independent, they were undoubtedly acquitting themselves well against their illustrious opponents:

The early stages of the second period didn't see anything in terms of a Chelsea response initially, with winger Helder Costa (no relation to Diego) in particular causing a lot of problems for Pedro, who was being utilised as a left-sided wing-back.

Gradually, Chelsea took over, and Costa manufactured his clearest opening of the game just after the hour mark, shrugging off a defender before firing a low shot into the side-netting. But the visitors were finding a rhythm and not long after were in front.

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It was a slick break from Chelsea, involving Costa, Eden Hazard and Willian, culminating with Pedro heading in the latter's pinpoint cross in at the back post. As detailed by the BBC's Match of the Day feed, the Blues moved from one end to the other very quickly to take the lead:

Having worked so hard, the goal naturally sapped some of the impetus out of Wolves, who suddenly looked jaded by their first-half efforts. Antonio Conte introduced Cesar Azpilicueta from the bench in place of Pedro, evidently looking to take any sting out of the game.

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It was a tactic that worked, and although Willian and Fabregas came close in the dying embers of the game, it was Costa who made the game safe, hammering home after the ball dropped to him in the penalty area with two minutes left.

Per Liam Twomey of ESPN FC, it had been a relatively long time coming for the striker:

Chelsea's main focus this season will be converting their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table into a title, but they continue to make effective progress in the FA Cup, too. It was clear by the switches in personnel that the Blues have the quality to compete on both fronts during the run-in.

Wolves acquitted themselves well, and their win over Liverpool at Anfield in the previous round will live long in their memory. Here they were eventually undone by the standout passage of play in the match that was put together by some world-class footballers.

Post-Match Reaction

After the contest, Chelsea captain Terry revealed some shocks earlier in the day had refined the team's focus.

"Seeing the other results, this was not going to be easy, and it is a tough place to come," he said, per BBC Sport. "We did well in the end. It would have been nice for [Saville] to score, but for players like me and [Fabregas], who have not been playing, we need to come in, do well, keep the run going and give the manager food for thought."

Conte also spoke of the upsets on Saturday and praised Lincoln for their remarkable win over Burnley:

Wolves boss Paul Lambert commended the attitude of his team after their defeat. "I could not ask for anymore," he said, per BBC Sport. "The game plan was unbelievably performed, and we were up against a world-class side. Not just class—world-class."

Chelsea will learn their opponent in the final eight when the quarter-final draw takes place 6:30 p.m. GMT Sunday.