Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Chelsea Shocked by Wolves in 2-1 Premier League Defeat

Wolverhampton Wanderers finally halted their lengthy winless streak on Wednesday, shocking Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League.  

Ruben Loftus-Cheek gave the visitors the lead with a deflected effort, and the Blues dominated before the break. They were unable to double their advantage, however, and Wolves completed an unlikely comeback. Raul Jimenez gave the hosts an equaliser after 59 minutes, and less than five minutes later Diogo Jota got the winner.

Wolves had lost five of their last six, with no wins since the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on October 6.

Wolves Defeat Highlights Chelsea's Lack of Mental Strength

Chelsea struggled to their second defeat in their last three Premier League matches on Wednesday, leaving them well behind Manchester City in the title race. After 15 matches the gap is 10 points.

It never should have happened, as the Blues were in control throughout the first half, especially defensively. Their opponents never came close to goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga:

But individual and mental errors created a domino effect after the break. Willian and Alvaro Morata failed to find the all-important second goal, and a mistake from Willian and poor intervention from Arrizabalaga handed Wolves the equaliser on a platter.

Rather than rebound from the setback Chelsea promptly gave Wolves all the space in the world to score a second, with Marcos Alonso out of position at left-back.

And with the Blues in need of an equaliser, the mental errors continued. Both Cesc Fabregas and Olivier Giroud were booked for dissent, and their complaining removed any chance the Blues had of building momentum. Chelsea completely lost their focus and barely mustered real chances in the final 10 minutes.

True title contenders find a way to deal with setbacks like this. Liverpool did it on Wednesday after falling behind early―they were losing to Burnley after 60 minutes―just days after finding a last-minute winner against Everton.

Loftus-Cheek Is Perfect Fit for Sarri's Midfield

Loftus-Cheek finally got his first Premier League start since 2016 on Wednesday after impressing in the Europa League and as a bench option, and he put together yet another fine outing against Wolves.

There was a lot of luck involved in his goal but the 22-year-old deserves credit for putting himself in a position to shoot in the first place, per NBC Sport's Joe Prince-Wright:

Apart from the goal he did a great job getting involved in the attacking third, with several overlapping runs and smart movement around the box. He also did a fine job in the passing game and held his own defensively.

Football.london's Greg Johnson believes he has a good chance of forcing his way into Maurizio Sarri's regular midfield plans:

The Italian should give the youngster more chances in the Premier League. Loftus-Cheek's combination of technical ability, size and scoring potential makes him a great fit alongside the passing wizard Jorginho and defensive specialist N'Golo Kante, who won't contribute that much in the attacking third over the course of a season.

The Blues need someone who can weigh on a defence and make a real impact in front of goal. Ross Barkley is also suited for that role, but Loftus-Cheek has more upside and has form on his side―he's exactly what the team needs right now.

Sarri Must Embrace Rotation Policy

A frequent criticism of Sarri during his time at Napoli was his reliance on a small core of players and lack of rotations throughout the season. Two years in a row it cost the Partenopei in the Serie A title race, as his squad looked tired by the end of the campaign.

The Italian had mostly used the same approach so far in the Premier League, leaving pre-season standouts Callum Hudson-Odoi and defensive prospect Andreas Christensen on the bench or in the stands in the Premier League so far.

On Wednesday, he finally relented:

The lack of regular activity showed for a few of the starters―Fabregas was far from perfect and bullied in the lead-up to Wolves' equaliser―but several made a good impression. Christensen and the aforementioned Loftus-Cheek are deserving of more minutes, and more playing time will lead to better and more consistent form.

With the busy holiday season on the horizon the Blues have to keep their core players fresh, and the only way to accomplish that is by sticking to rotations―even if it may lead to dropping points here and there.

Like Juventus in Serie A, Manchester City have incredible depth, and Chelsea can't hope to compete with the Sky Blues all season long and be effective in Europe if the squad is burned out by March. Sarri has made this mistake too many times in the past, and he has to avoid it this time around.

What's Next?

The Blues host Manchester City on Saturday, while Wolves visit Newcastle United on Sunday.