Chelsea FC manager Enzo Maresca has heaped praise on Trevor Chalobah, who returned from a loan spell at Crystal Palace to deliver a man-of-the-match performance as the Blues defeated Wolves 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea now sits fourth in the table with 40 points, ten behind log leaders Liverpool.

With only 24 minutes played, Tosin Adarabioyo controlled and finished a Reece James shot that was deflected into his path, giving the Blues a well-deserved lead.

However, Wolves equalized after Noni Madueke’s cross and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s flick-on, thanks to Matt Doherty’s close-range finish just before halftime in the five additional minutes.

In the second stanza, Marc Cucurella’s excellent finish on the hour put Chelsea back ahead in the 60th minute.

On his return to the Chelsea squad, Chalobah showed his defensive prowess as he also contributed an assist to Madueke’s goal to take the tally to 3-1 in the 65th minute.

Maresca reacts after 3-1 win over Wolves

In a post-match interview, Maresca said that Chalobah was recalled from his loan because he could help Chelsea’s defence, adding that the club’s academy graduate has the right attributes that will contribute positively to Chelsea’s ambitions to win games.

“Absolutely [it is good to have him back]. He was very good, and I have said already that the reason he is back is because we are sure he is going to help us, and tonight he showed exactly what he is capable of doing,” Maresca said.

“Firstly, he is a strong defender. He is quick; he can defend in behind; he can defend forward; he is aggressive, but we already knew that, which is the reason we called him back.”

The Blues’ next match will be against fifth-placed Manchester City on Saturday.

Chelsea lost to Manchester City 2-0 in the opening match of the season but now sit two points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side.

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