Chelsea collapses to 2-2 EPL draw in front of new ownership

LONDON –

Chelsea’s potential new possession watched Romelu Lukaku rating his first English Premier League objectives in 2022 earlier than the crew collapsed to 2-2 towards Wolverhampton on Saturday, leaving work nonetheless to do to wrap up Champions League qualification.

Lukaku netted twice in a two-minute span early within the second half in a uncommon begin within the league for the Belgium striker. Lukaku has struggled within the first season of his second spell at Chelsea after being the membership’s headline summer season signing at a document charge of $135 million.

Amongst these inside Stamford Bridge to see his first league purpose since Dec. 29 was Todd Boehly, the part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers who’s fronting a consortium that has agreed on buyout phrases for the two.5 billion-pound ($3.1 billion) buy of Chelsea — essentially the most profitable ever for a sports activities crew worldwide. The deal was introduced hours earlier than kickoff, that means there was the texture of one thing of a brand new period inside the bottom.

Chelsea nonetheless has to complete off a season that ought to finish with the membership again within the Champions League, however that isn’t sure.

Objectives by Francisco Trincao, within the 79th, and Conor Coady, a header within the seventh minute of stoppage time from just about the final contact of the sport, left Thomas Tuchel’s third-placed crew 4 factors of fourth-placed Arsenal, which meets Leeds on Sunday.

Tottenham is 2 factors additional again in fifth.

Chelsea has three league video games left, together with the FA Cup remaining towards Liverpool.

The Premier League should nonetheless approve the consortium as the brand new possession and the British authorities has to log out below the phrases of the license that permits Chelsea to proceed working as a enterprise by means of Might 31 whereas being one of many frozen belongings of Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch who was compelled to dump the membership due to the struggle in Ukraine.

And the place it was as soon as Abramovich — the proprietor for 19 years — celebrating Chelsea’s objectives, now it was Boehly standing as much as applaud Lukaku.

He has 5 objectives since his final league purpose — all in varied cup competitions — however has largely needed to accept a spot on the bench in current weeks, behind Kai Havertz.

With Jorginho injured, Lukaku ended up on penalty duties and rolled his into the nook within the fifty fifth after he was tripped by Romain Saiss in a seemingly innocuous conflict close to the byline and simply inside the world.

His second purpose was extra spectacular after being fed by Christian Pulisic following a poor go out from the again by Conor Coady.

Lukaku picked his spot from simply outdoors the world and curled a right-footed shot contained in the publish.

Chelsea managed the match within the first half however was disallowed objectives by Timo Werner and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.