The new American owner was at Stamford Bridge watching. Christian Pulisic played the full 90 for the first time since March and had a lovely assist. Romelu Lukaku scored a brace for just the second time all season and first since September.
And Chelsea still couldn’t get the win it needed to stop its recent slide that could put its place in next season’s Champions League at risk.
Wolverhampton scored two late goals — including an equalizer in the 97th minute — to hold Chelsea to a 2-2 draw on Saturday at Stamford Bridge, the fourth match Thomas Tuchel’s side has dropped points in the last five games.
The Blues are still favorites to reach the Champions League with 67 points, four ahead of Arsenal and six above Tottenham, who each have a game in hand. But the job isn’t done yet after recent defeats to Everton and Arsenal and draws with Wolves and Manchester United all coming since Real Madrid bounced the Blues from the Champions League.
Yet Saturday started so brightly.
Late Friday, the Telegraph reported LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and his consortium had won the bid to buy Chelsea for up to $5.2 billion. Though the agreement is still subject to approvals, Boehly was on hand for Saturday’s match, quickly taking over the role of former owner Roman Abramovich, who was forced to sell the club for his links to Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has been accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Boehly occasionally looked a little clueless in his suite, like an overweight Kevin Costner still learning his latest movie role/what the offside rule is. But he knew to celebrate when Lukaku scored, as he did twice in quick succession in the second half.
First, the Belgian converted a penalty for his first goal in the Premier League since December.
Lukaku is back in the starting XI and back on the scoresheet for Chelsea!
He buries the penalty to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead.: @USA_Network #CHEWOL | #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/bwk1YJywzZ
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 7, 2022
Moments later, Pulisic took advantage of some poor play in the back from Wolves to set up Lukaku’s second on a platter.
He's back!
Lukaku has a brace to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead.: @USA_Network #CHEWOL | #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/dywZZtF4lu
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 7, 2022
It all seemed to be going perfectly for Boehly and bros, but then Francisco Trincão came on in the 77th minute and shortly thereafter halved the lead with a blast from 20 yards.
What a finish by Trincao!
Wolves are back in this match as the score is 2-1.: @USA_Network #CHEWOL | #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/qp6ZFKwQ0d
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 7, 2022
Chelsea’s collapse was completed when Conor Coady capped the comeback in the 97th minute, leaving Boehly to shake his head in disappointment.
COMEBACK COMPLETE!
Conor Coady scores an equalizer in the last moments of the match and celebrates with the traveling fans!#CHEWOL | #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/PXzppWZRJw— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 7, 2022
Get used to it, Todd. No matter how good your team is, you’ll always have days like this in the Premier League. Then again, coming from a baseball background, Boehly is used to watching his teams lose at least 70-90 times per season, so maybe owning a team in the Premier League is a good thing for him.
And at least Boehly got to see his American 23-year-old perform reasonably well. The Chelsea No. 10 went the full 90 for just the ninth time this season and led all players with four chances created. Pulisic may be on the outs and looking for a new club, but Boehly may want to see the USMNT captain stick around.
