Chelsea 6 Wolves 0

JOHN TERRY found some welcome relief from his troubles as he provided the biggest shock of the night.

Just hours after another tortuous grilling from the FA’s disciplinary commission, the former England skipper was a surprise selection to lead Chelsea out against Wolves. 

Terry had only left the Wembley hearing into his alleged racist abuse of Anton Ferdinand in the early afternoon following five hours of questioning and legal wrangling. 

And no one had expected the 31-year-old defender to be on duty after such a draining battle to save his reputation.
But the football pitch is Terry’s only safe haven right now and with a potential lengthy ban looming he clearly wants to take full advantage of every opportunity to play. 

He will be back at Wembley today as his lawyers continue to plead his innocence but the Stamford Bridge supporters have already delivered their verdict on the man they call captain, leader, legend. 

“One England captain,” they chanted as soon as their hero appeared and Terry acknowledged their support with an appreciative gesture. 

As a contest, this one was as easy as Terry could ever have dared to hope for as Chelsea put the tie to bed while barely breaking sweat. 

They were ahead after just four minutes and never took their foot off the gas as poor Wolves were simply crushed in this Capital One Cup tie. 

It all started with Ronald Zubar’s foul on Victor Moses which allowed Juan Mata to send over a free-kick for an emphatic back post header by Gary Cahill. 

And with the visitors still trying to sort themselves out at the back, Chelsea doubled their lead inside eight minutes when keeper Dorus de Vries failed to hold Oriol Romeu’s low shot and Ryan Bertrand pounced on Lucas Piazon’s pull-back. 

It was shaping up to be a long night for Wolves boss Stale Solbakken, who had made 10 changes to the team which had won at 2-0 Peterborough at the weekend. 

The last time he had faced Chelsea was two years ago in the Champions League when he was boss of FC Copenhagen. 

BLUE IS THE COLOUR ... John Terry - who quit England on Sunday - warms up ahead of kick-off

 

Now he was trying to halt the European champions with his reserve team... and failing miserably.
Chelsea looked capable of scoring every time they crossed the halfway line and it came as no surprise when the impeccable Mata fired them even further ahead on 17 minutes. 

Swapping passes with first Ramires and then Fernando Torres, the little Spanish maestro waltzed through the mesmerised Wolves defence before lashing home his first goal of the season. 

It was like shooting fish in a barrel for Chelsea and they almost paid for taking things a bit too easily midway through the first-half. 

HEADS WE WIN ... Fernando Torres nods in No 5

 

David Davis’ ball allowed Slawomir Peszko to run right between Terry and Cahill and around keeper Ross Turnbull, but with the goal beckoning the Polish winger shot wide. 

It was as close as Wolves were going to get to a consolation all night and they were soon back deep in their own half desperately trying to keep the score respectable. 

Mata, all 5ft 7in of him, shaved the post with a free-kick and Torres fired across the face of goal after a poor first touch had forced him wide. 

Georg Margreitter almost sliced into his own net and Mata fizzed another free-kick perilously close on a night when Piazon, Moses and Cesar Azpilicueta all started their first game for the Blues. 

MINE ... John Terry gets stuck in to clear his lines

 

But any Wolves hopes that Chelsea might take things easy after the break were quickly dashed when Moses was brought down by De Vries and Romeu scored from the spot with 53 minutes gone.
Even Torres got in on the act with his first goal in five games, the striker heading in unchallenged from Mata’s 58th-minute corner. 

And Moses completed the rout from substitute Oscar’s cross. 

Chelsea started the season going for seven trophies and have already waved goodbye to the Community Shield and Super Cup. 

SIX AND OUT ... Victor Moses makes it 6-0

 

But at least their Capital One Cup hopes are still alive.