Chelsea 0-0 Wolves: Thomas Tuchel’s first match in charge ends in a stalemate

It was not the most auspicious start for Thomas Tuchel, who this week accepted the job of the next Chelsea manager to be harshly sacked, at some point in the future, as yet unspecified.

No goals, and a single point to show for his first game in charge. To be fair he had precisely 24 hours to prepare for it, but he made some bold choices, left out some of Chelsea’s best players this season, and promoted others who had been in the cold. Had it worked, he would have been hailed as a visionary, and a wise man, compared to the callow Frank Lampard.

It didn’t, not really. Those left on the bench – particularly Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic – looked better when they came on than those in their place, and the best chance fell to Wolves.

A frustrated Thomas Tuchel looks away after his newly-inherited Chelsea side squander a chance in the 0-0 draw with Wolves

Callum Hudson-Odoi (right), Chelsea’s most dangerous player on the night, rues a missed chance at goal at Stamford Bridge

Mateo Kovacic (right) has his head in his hands after his shot goes inches wide of the Wolves’ upright in the second half

Had it gone in Tuchel would have been the only Chelsea manager this century to lose his first home league game – Gianluca Vialli was the last, in 1998 – so he’ll be thankful for that, at least.

And, perhaps, that this is a season without fans, too. Looking at Tuchel’s starting XI it would be possible to surmise the new man is a proper wind-up merchant – if there were any supporters inside Stamford Bridge to actually wind up.

Out went the homegrown young players that are most popular with the locals – Mount, the outstanding player of this season, Reece James, a continued revelation at right back and Tammy Abraham, whose last contribution was a hat-trick. 

In came Jorginho, Antonio Rudiger, Kai Havertz and Cesar Azpilicueta, at least two of whom had been fingered since Lampard’s departure as having been disruptive behind the scenes. Whatever Tuchel was going for, it wasn’t a popularity contest.

In the absent of dissenting supporters – their banner about trusting Lampard ‘then, now and forever’ remained, in what once was The Shed but might now be renamed irony corner – it was left to an anonymous selector of the pre-match music to provide satirical commentary. ‘Chelsea Dagger’ got several airings, as did ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ and, of course, the song that always introduces the teams: the aptly-named ska classic, ‘Liquidator’.

So when the action began, were the events of the last 72 hours swiftly forgotten? Not really, no. There is a reason several of those chosen by Tuchel couldn’t get in Lampard’s best team. 

Havertz was engaged and saw plenty of the ball, but that meant Wolves did too, because he gives it away a lot. Olivier Giroud barely got a kick and was replaced by Tammy Abraham. Jorginho is tidy but often no more. Thiago Silva defended more efficiently than Rudiger. 

Pedro Neto (centre) had Wolves’ best chance of the game but the Portuguese forward could only send his effort on to the bar

Neto superbly scooped the ball over the head of Edouard Mendy in the Chelsea net but the ball didn’t drop quick enough

Adama Traore made little impact for Wolves when they had a rare opportunity to attack during the 90 minutes

The success story was Callum Hudson-Odoi, deployed on both flanks and creator of just about every Chelsea move worth a carat, until Mount and Pulisic were introduced late in the second-half. It was his centre that flew across the face of goal after seven minutes, his cross that was headed clear after 20 minutes and returned by Hakim Ziyech, requiring Rui Patricio’s first stop.

In the 31st minute, Hudson-Odoi found Ben Chilwell at the far post, but his volley was poor. And it was Hudson-Odoi who ultimately forced Patricio’s best save of the night, with a deflected second-half attempt, tipped round.

Chelsea had all the possession, and the most passes of any Premier League team this season in the first-half, but it didn’t feel like a siege. Nervous at the end, obviously, when Chelsea’s fresh legs and an understandable desire to see the game out from Wolves invited pressure, but none of Patricio’s saves will make an end of year highlights reel. 

More commonly, Chelsea were off target – Chilwell in the 62nd minute, Mateo Kovacic after 78 – or simply capitalising on set pieces. Rudiger had a header kept out from a Ziyech free-kick before half-time, Havertz a header deflected over with the last touch of the game. 

Olivier Giroud (left) has his head in his hands after seeing a chance go over the top of Rui Patricio’s bar during the second half

The Frenchman came close to breaking the deadlock in the opening stages but couldn’t make contact with a cross

Tuchel cut a very animated figure on the sidelines and often called his players over to give them as much advice as possible

Tammy Abraham (right) watches his new manager in action before he was sent on in the final 15 minutes

Hudson-Odoi is blocked from getting to the byline from Max Kilman as Chelsea struggled to penetrate Wolves’ defence

Yet do not be fooled. Had this result, and performance, been recorded under Lampard it would have been advanced as further evidence that Chelsea were blunt and in decline. 

Tuchel has been tasked with challenging for honours – including, no doubt, the dubious ‘trophy’ of a minimum fourth-placed finish – this season, and a home game with Wolves is not the challenge of season’s past. 

The good teams beat Wolves on their travels this year – Liverpool and West Ham put four past them, Manchester United and Leicester both won – yet from early it looked as if the visitors could hold. They defended in numbers and were lively on the counter-attack.

Not that there were a great many of those yet one, in the second-half, could have decided the game. In trying to start a Chelsea attack, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy ended up triggering one for the opposition. Collecting a long clearance, he tried to keep the pressure on but played a poor pass out to the wing. 

A superb interception by Nelson Semedo was flicked on by Daniel Podence, and Pedro Neto’s chip hit the bar as Mendy struggled to recover.

Look, it’s the earliest of early days and with one training session and a team-sheet to his name, we are a long way from seeing Tuchel’s team. His explanation for last night’s selection was that with so little time to prepare, he had little choice but to go with experience. 

Tuchel paces up and down the touchline while a banner reading ‘Super Frankie Lampard’ can be seen in the background

Tuchel (right) applauded his team’s effort and praised his players as they left the field at full-time on Wednesday evening

The German boss acknowledges Hudson-Odoi’s effort and performance against Wolves after the full-time whistle

Yet isn’t that the obvious end product of this appointment? Another hired hand, another member of Europe’s coaching elite, will respond to Chelsea’s short-termism and go tried and trusted. It was amusing to see Tuchel at one stage instructing Azpilicueta to stay wider when Chelsea were in possession. 

Chelsea have a right full-back who does that naturally, but he’s a kid, not the long-serving club captain. So Reece James sat on the bench, unused, and Azpilicueta played. He did well, too. Put in some very good crosses. But no more than James has this season. Like Mount, he really wasn’t the problem to here.

Chelsea’s supporters say the banner backing Lampard will be removed after this final salute. Fans are a pragmatic lot and it is now time to get behind the new man. 

But there have been a lot of new men at Stamford Bridge and few last long enough to make a lasting impression. Tuchel will have better days than this, and worse. But, either way, he’s one game nearer the sack.

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The start of a new era begins at Stamford Bridge tonight as Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first Chelsea game following Frank Lampard’s swift dismissal earlier this week as the Blues host Wolves. 

The German will be aiming to turn Chelsea’s form around, and quick, after the club dropped down the league ladder following a run of disappointing results which ultimately led to Lampard’s sacking.

Wolves haven’t been in the best of form themselves and will be desperate to spoil any welcoming party for the former PSG and Borussia Dortmund boss. 

Elsewhere, Burnley welcome Aston Villa to Turf Moor for the other early evening Premier League kick-off.

Follow Sportsmail’s SAM McEVOY for live coverage of Tuchel’s first game in charge of Chelsea including all the updates in the game at Turf Moor.