At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca urged Noni Madueke to improve swiftly, despite the winger's goal contribution in a 3-1 victory over Wolves.
The win marked the end of a five-game winless run, but Maresca expressed dissatisfaction with what he saw as a decline from the English player after he scored the team's third goal in the 65th minute.
This criticism marked the second occasion this season where Madueke faced public scrutiny over his performance.
Madueke was omitted from the squad for the December win against Aston Villa due to concerns about his commitment in training.
“He can improve in the final third, but perhaps after scoring the goal, his performance dropped. This is an area that needs immediate attention,” remarked Maresca, as Chelsea climbed back into the Premier League top four with their first win since December 15.
“Scoring one or two goals should not lead to satisfaction. There should always be a hunger for more. After scoring, he seemed to lose focus a bit, and this is an aspect we must work on improving immediately.
“Our aim is to always assist the players in enhancing their performance. Maybe he was a bit fatigued after scoring, but this is when we must push for more.”
Chelsea showed dominance in the first half but, in line with recent matches, struggled to seal the victory over Wolves.
Tosin Adarabioyo opened the scoring with his third goal of the season, a lengthy VAR review confirming his onside position when Reece James unleashed a shot towards goal.
Wolves then equalized through a dreadful mistake by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who fumbled the ball at a corner allowing Matt Doherty to capitalize.
At that point, the game could have swung in either team's favor, with Chelsea recalling their recent setbacks from winning positions against Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth.
Marc Cucurella restored Chelsea's lead by delicately converting Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's pass on the hour mark, and shortly after, Madueke headed in from close range, easing any remaining tension.
“Following a win after five winless games is a challenge,” stated Maresca. “However, our performances were consistently strong in those five matches. The issue lied in our finishing inside the box where we could have been more clinical.
“In the initial 40 minutes, the team was outstanding, scoring goals and creating opportunities. However, the pattern of conceding and losing confidence arose, similar to the previous matches. In the second half, we controlled the game, scored twice, and could have added more.”
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira analyzed a game where his team failed to capitalize on positive spells.
“The team that I envision, playing the way I desire, was evident in the final 15 minutes of the first half: displaying quality, confidence, posing threats, pressing forward.
“It's natural for a team to experience doubts. We witnessed moments of confidence, followed by setbacks when conceding goals and losing belief. As a coach, it's my responsibility to address this.”