Chelsea put Wayne Rooney’s criticism of Enzo Maresca’s rotation policy to rest with a commanding 3-0 victory against Wolves on Saturday, highlighted by French defender Malo Gusto scoring his first career goal.
Rooney, the former Manchester United star, had questioned Chelsea’s senior players about Maresca’s selections after the Italian made seven changes in a 2-2 draw against Qarabag in the Champions League. In response, Maresca made eight changes against Wolves, his sixth consecutive match with seven or more alterations — a decision that paid off handsomely.
Gusto, who joined Chelsea from Lyon in 2023, broke the deadlock early in the second half with his maiden professional goal. Joao Pedro doubled the lead before Pedro Neto wrapped up the scoring, giving Chelsea their fourth win in five league games and moving them temporarily into second place in the Premier League.
Despite Wolves’ struggles — the club has now lost nine of their last 11 league games and sits eight points from safety — Chelsea didn’t start with their best rhythm. Jet-lagged from a long flight back from Baku, the Blues were lacklustre in the first half, with Wolves’ goalkeeper Sam Johnstone making several key saves to keep the score level.
The breakthrough came in the 51st minute when Alejandro Garnacho’s driving run and cross found Gusto, who headed home with composure. Maresca then brought on young Brazilian Estevao Willian, who wasted no time making an impact. Just 67 seconds after entering, he delivered a precise cross for Joao Pedro to score Chelsea’s second goal in the 65th minute.
Pedro Neto sealed the victory in the 73rd minute, tapping in Garnacho’s cross to cap a confident Chelsea performance. The win closed the gap on league leaders Arsenal to six points, giving Maresca and his squad momentum heading into the international break.
For Maresca, the victory was not just about three points — it was about showing that his rotation policy can work and silencing the doubters.
