Noni Madueke believes his link-up with Cole Palmer is perfectly balanced after he set him up for a hat-trick in their 6-2 thrashing of Wolves.
Enzo Maresca earned his first Premier League win thanks to Madueke's 14-minute hat-trick, after Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen had cancelled out Nicolas Jackson and Palmer's goals in the first half. New signing Joao Felix then rounded off a superb display for the Blues with 10 minutes remaining.
It is the fifth time that a player has assisted each goal for a team-mate's hat-trick in the Premier League, and Madueke was pleased with how well they complimented each other on Sunday.
"It is unbelievable. He is cold, and I am fire, so it mixes well," Madueke told PLP.
"He has the ability to always play a pass at the right time. I like to get the ball in space, beat people and make things happen, so luckily today it worked.
"The first [goal] was a bit lucky. Second one was all Cole Palmer; two brilliant passes, with the weight of pass I just had to step onto the ball and score.
"I'm made up for the hat-trick, but more made up we won the game."
Madueke was the subject of ire from the home fans after posting a now-deleted Instagram post with a less-than-complimentary opinion about the city of Wolverhampton.
"I just want to apologise to everyone that I might have offended," he added. "It is just a human mistake, an accident.
"It wasn't meant to be out on my socials like that. I'm sure Wolverhampton is a nice town, and I'm sorry."
Maresca is the first manager in Premier League history to see his team score six goals in his first away game in the competition. Despite being pleased by the emphatic nature of the win, Maresca admitted there were still improvements to be made.
"The performance was good. I think the first half was not a complete performance, we started well in the first 10 to 15 minutes, we scored a goal and had two or three more chances," he told Sky Sports.
"Then we lost a few easy balls. When you want to build from behind you cannot allow yourself to lose easy balls, otherwise you concede set pieces and counter-attacks. You need to be more accurate. Overall, the performance was good."
Meanwhile, Wolves sit at the bottom of the early standings having failed to win their first two games, stretching their losing run to five matches in the Premier League.
After a bright first-half performance that twice saw Wolves come from behind to level the score, Gary O'Neil was left frustrated with the easy nature of Chelsea's goals in the second half.
"We gave Chelsea a lot of help, so there is an awful lot I need to fix," O'Neil told BBC Sport.
"They were unacceptable [mistakes] from us. I am all for positivity and when the lads do well, they know they have done well, but from all of us as a group, to concede those three goals as we do is unacceptable."
Eddie Howe was "very grateful" to see a late Bournemouth winner disallowed against Newcastle United, acknowledging he could not initially see any issue with Dango Ouattara's goal.
A controversial encounter on Sunday ended in a 1-1 draw after a stoppage-time effort from Ouattara was overturned following a VAR review.
The officials decided the ball had struck Ouattara's arm, rather than his head, from a right-wing corner, although referee David Coote did not visit the pitchside monitor to assess the incident.
The decision gave Newcastle a reprieve, having rescued a point through Anthony Gordon's equaliser after Marcus Tavernier netted the opening goal in the first half.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola felt it was "so obvious" the ball had come off Ouattara's shoulder, and Howe appreciated it was "a contentious decision", even if he welcomed it.
"I thought the game was lost because I initially hadn't seen anything wrong with the goal," the Newcastle coach told BBC's Match of the Day.
"We have had it both ways. We have had it for us and against us, and we are very grateful for that moment because we have battled hard.
"What we had at that stage of the game was a valuable point. But I understand that it is a contentious decision."
Iraola added: "It was so obvious. I think everyone who watches the game would agree.
"I think the shoulder; it never touches his skin. We have very short sleeves.
"They say it is factual; show me the facts. I have just seen the video, and the fact is it doesn't touch the arm, it is the shoulder, a clear goal and three points for us.
"It is something that is not even controversial. It is definitely not something for VAR to intervene.
"I have nothing against the referee; he gave the goal, they did not give him the chance to see it again. [It was] someone in the VAR, who supposedly is not going to intervene too much, they say, because they trust the referee.
"It doesn't matter that I complain now; it is two points less."
Thomas Muller is now the outright record-holder for Bundesliga appearances for Bayern Munich.
Muller came off the bench on Sunday to help Bayern come from behind to beat Wolfsburg in Vincent Kompany's first league game in charge.
It marked Muller's 474th Bundesliga match for the club, seeing him overtake Sepp Maier as Bayern's record appearance-maker in the competition.
The 34-year-old made an immediate impact after his introduction, helping to force Jakub Kaminski to turn into his own goal to restore parity.
Muller, who also played a role in the winner on Sunday when he put in Harry Kane, who in turn teed up Serge Gnabry, has now won 340 Bundesliga matches, which is more than any other player in the competition since he made his Bayern debut.
In that same period, Muller has scored 149 league goals, which ranks third in Germany's top tier, while providing a competition-leading 169 assists and creating 927 goalscoring opportunities.
Caribbean athletes delivered standout performances at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland on Sunday, with victories and record-breaking feats highlighting a successful day for the region.
Jamaican hurdler Ackera Nugent bounced back from the disappointment of not finishing in the final of the 100m hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, capturing victory in the event with a meet record time of 12.29 seconds. Nugent, who came close to matching her personal best and national record of 12.28, showcased her return to top form, having already signaled her intent in the preliminary heats with an impressive 12.30. The USA’s Grace Stark finished second in 12.37, narrowly edging out another Jamaican, Danielle Williams, who clocked 12.38 for third place. Olympic champion Masai Russell of the USA was fourth in 12.40.
Tia Clayton added to Jamaica’s success with a wind-aided 10.83 to win the 100m in a thrilling blanket finish. She finished just ahead of Ivory Coast’s Marie Jose Ta Lou-Smith, who was credited with the same time, while the USA’s Tamari Davis was a close third in 10.84.
Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic continued her winning ways, dominating the 400m with a meet record time of 48.66 seconds. Paulino’s masterclass performance saw her comfortably ahead of Olympic silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser, who finished second in 49.23. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek claimed third in 49.95. Barbados' Sada Williams, who has had a strong season, finished eighth in 50.82.
Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts claimed victory in the triple jump, leaping out to 14.50m. Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez was second with 14.42m, while Italy’s Dariya Derkach took third with 14.02m. Ricketts' win added to the Caribbean’s tally on a day that saw multiple triumphs for the region.
Romaine Beckford of Jamaica set a lifetime best in the high jump with a clearance of 2.29m, securing second place behind Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, who won the event with a jump of 2.31m.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Jamaican Rasheed Broadbell narrowly missed out on victory, finishing second to American Olympic champion Grant Holloway. Holloway clocked 13.04 to Broadbell’s season-best 13.05. Broadbell, however, expressed concern after the race, revealing he might have suffered a groin injury during the event. “I got close but I started to feel my groin,” Broadbell said. “No, it’s not good.” The USA’s Daniel Roberts was third in 13.24, with Jamaica’s Orlando Bennett finishing fifth in 13.35.
Jamaica’s Shian Salmon, Janieve Russell, and Andrennette Knight delivered strong performances in the women’s 400m hurdles, finishing fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively. The event was won by Dutch star Femke Bol, who set a meet record of 52.13.
In the men’s 100m, Olympic bronze medalist Fred Kerley of the USA won in a meet record 9.87, just ahead of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala (9.88) and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake, who equaled his lifetime best of 9.89 for third place.
Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson was a notable absentee in the 200m, where Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana set a meet record of 19.82. Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic finished second in a national record and personal best of 19.86.
In a meet filled with exceptional performances, Norway’s Jakob Ingerbrigsten set the only world record of the day, running an astonishing 7:17.55 to win the 3000m.
Mondo Duplantis continued his world-record streak by establishing yet another mark in the pole vault. The remarkable Swede cleared 6.26m to win an other competitive event.
The Silesia Diamond League meeting was a memorable event for Caribbean athletes, who not only claimed victories but also set records, proving once again the region’s strength and talent on the global athletics stage.
Lando Norris ended Max Verstappen's run of victories at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, winning from pole despite being immediately passed by the Formula One champion.
Verstappen had won his home race in each of the past three seasons since it returned to the calendar, but he qualified behind Norris on Saturday.
The Dutchman, racing for the 200th time in F1, still could have claimed another triumph, tearing away from Norris almost immediately as the pole-sitter endured another tricky start.
However, Verstappen was soon complaining about a lack of grip and could do little to stop Norris responding.
The Briton stuck with his rival throughout the opening laps and then eased past into the lead at the first corner.
Once back in front, Norris assumed full control, disappearing off into the distance to win by 22.8 seconds as Verstappen was forced to settle for the second step on the podium.
The Red Bull superstar is now five races without a win, allowing Norris to close the gap in the drivers' championship to 70 points.
McLaren are also applying pressure in the constructors' championship, 30 points behind Red Bull now despite Oscar Piastri being beaten to third by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc following a lengthy battle.
Data Debrief: Dutch pole trend continues
Verstappen may have got in front early on, but he clearly was not confident he had the fastest car this weekend, having qualified behind Norris.
With the McLaren man instead winning, it means five of the past six Dutch Grands Prix have been won by the driver starting on pole, including Verstappen in each of his three prior triumphs.
Attention for Verstappen now turns to Italy and ending his five-race winless run, his longest such sequence since 11 in a row in the 2020 season.
Top 10
1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 295
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 225
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 192
Constructors
1. Red Bull - 434
2. McLaren - 404
3. Ferrari - 370
A late goal by Serge Gnabry secured Bayern Munich a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Wolfsburg on Sunday, giving Vincent Kompany a winning start in the Bundesliga.
Wolfsburg started brightly, but the visitors made the better chances in the first half, taking the lead after fine work by Sacha Boey down the right to set up Jamal Musiala for an easy tap-in.
However, Bayern were punished for a slow start after the break, as Boey brought down Tiago Tomas in the box, and Lovro Majer made no mistake from the spot.
Wolfsburg created all kinds of trouble for the visitors' defence and Majer gave them the lead in the 55th minute, having also struck the post shortly before.
Thomas Muller became Bayern's all-time record appearance-maker in the Bundesliga seconds before Jakub Kaminski's own goal levelled the scores in the 65th minute.
But Gnabry struck with eight minutes left on the clock to secure all three points for the Bavarians.
Data Debrief: History maker
While the plaudits from the game will go to the goalscorers, Muller cemented himself in the Bayern history books with the most appearances - Sunday was his 474th Bundesliga match for the club, overtaking Sepp Maier.
Bayern have now scored in each of their last 32 Bundesliga games against Wolfsburg (93 goals in total). It's the longest-scoring run against any particular side in their history.
The visitors are now unbeaten in their season-opener in each of the last 13 seasons (won 11, drawn two), a new record for a team in Bundesliga history.
Noni Madueke plundered a second-half hat-trick as Enzo Maresca claimed his first Premier League win as Chelsea boss in emphatic fashion, with the Blues dispatching Wolves 6-2.
It was all square at the break, with Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen cancelling out Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer's goals in a thrilling first half at Molineux.
Madueke put the game beyond Wolves' reach, though, netting a 14-minute hat-trick from a trio of Palmer assists before new signing Joao Felix added further gloss for the visitors.
Cunha and Mario Lemina had a goal each ruled out for the hosts, but Gary O'Neil's team were cut open at the back and ultimately soundly beaten.
Chelsea's victory takes them into the top half as one of seven teams on three points, while Wolves are 19th after two defeats.
Data Debrief: Blues find their groove
Maresca got his first Premier League win in style, and he is the first manager in the competition's history to see his team score six goals in his first away game.
Madueke, who helped to seal Maresca's first win on Thursday, has now scored more goals in Wolverhampton (three) than he has at Stamford Bridge (two in 18 games).
It is also just the fifth time that a player has assisted a team-mate's hat-trick in the Premier League, with Palmer finishing the day with three assists and one goal.
As for Wolves, they accumulated a higher expected goals tally (1.92) than Chelsea (1.56), but could not prevent themselves from being on the wrong end of a thrashing.
Bournemouth were denied a dramatic winner against Newcastle United as Dango Ouattara's stoppage-time goal was overturned following a VAR review in Sunday's 1-1 draw.
The Cherries would have been deserving victors at the Vitality Stadium having controlled their first Premier League home game of the season both before and after Marcus Tavernier's first-half opener.
But Anthony Gordon equalised with 14 minutes to play, setting the stage for a chaotic finale in which both sides came close to claiming all three points.
It looked as though substitute Ouattara would have the decisive say, only for his effort to be ruled out for striking his arm.
Former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is still yet to beat his old side in the Premier League but would have been relieved to come away with a point that keeps Newcastle within touch of the teams at the top, while the Cherries remain winless.
Data Debrief: Solanke missed as Evanilson debuts
Bournemouth were enraged by the decision that denied Ouattara, yet they surely should have secured victory long before that stoppage-time drama.
Newcastle actually forged three 'big chances' to Bournemouth's two, as quantified by Opta, but they had offered precious little prior to a glaring miss from Cherries debutant Evanilson that could have put the game to bed on 64 minutes.
The Brazil international prodded wide following a centre from Antoine Semenyo, who also created Tavernier's goal, failing to net from chances worth 0.75 expected goals as Bournemouth perhaps missed the departed Dominic Solanke – twice a scorer in this fixture last season.
Bukayo Saka became the third-youngest player in Premier League history to reach 100 wins in the competition when he helped Arsenal beat Aston Villa on Saturday.
Saka set up Thomas Partey to make it 2-0 to the Gunners at Villa Park, ensuring a second win of the season for Mikel Arteta's team.
The England international scored and assisted in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Wolves in their opening game of the season.
And in the process of helping Arsenal make it two wins from two to start 2024-25, he joined an elite club of youngsters to have hit the milestone of 100 Premier League victories.
Only Wayne Rooney (22 years, 87 days) and Cesc Fabregas (22 years, 180 days) hit the landmark at a younger age than Saka (22 years, 354 days).
When it comes to Arsenal, just Fabregas and Cliff Bastin (22 years, 171 days) have reached 100 league wins sooner.
Reflecting on his achievement, Saka, who has netted 48 top-flight goals, posted to social media: "Proud to make it to 100 Premier League wins for my club."
Saka's 100th win came in his 172nd Premier League appearance. The record for a player hitting 100 wins in the fewest matches belongs to Phil Foden (127).
Caitlin Clark has again written her name into the record books following her latest performance for the Indiana Fever.
Clark, the first overall pick in this year's draft, has already set a number of benchmarks in her rookie WNBA season.
And that continued on Saturday even as the Fever lost 90-80 to the Minnesota Lynx.
Clark finished with 23 points and eight assists, and in doing so improved her seasonal tally to 520 points and 240 assists.
She is now the youngest player in WNBA history to pass 500 points and 200 assists.
Clark had already set a new record for assists in a rookie WNBA season, with her performances keeping the Fever on course for the playoffs.
Emma Raducanu says she is always ready to "do things a little bit differently" as she prepares for the US Open.
The 21-year-old is set to play just her second match at Flushing Meadows since winning the grand slam as a teenage qualifier in 2021.
She will face American Sofia Kenin in the first round, with Jessica Pegula a potential second-round opponent if she gets through.
Raducanu has only played one tournament since being knocked out in the fourth round at Wimbledon, opting to miss the Olympics, as she continues to ease herself back into regular action after her long injury lay-off.
She reached the quarter-finals in Washington, going out to eventual champion Paula Badosa, but chose not to play in Toronto before deciding against qualifying for Cincinnati.
"I really wanted to play in Toronto, especially because I was born there, but the turnaround was too tight for qualifying," she told BBC Sport.
"I would have had to play on Sunday, and I finished [in Washington] late Friday night, so flying there and adjusting, I just felt was too tight.
"Otherwise, I just always do things a little bit differently.
"[In Cincinnati] I would have pretty much had to wait around just for one tournament in qualies and then another week off before the US Open - so I think it was a better decision we all made to just go back and work on things there."
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka is hoping familiar surroundings will help to boost her confidence after a tough run in 2024.
Since returning from a 15-month maternity break in January, Osaka has struggled to recapture her top form, and in her most recent outing in Cincinnati, she was knocked out in the second round of qualifying.
Having won the US Open in 2018 and 2020, the 26-year-old believes being back in the city she grew up in will help her find her footing.
"I feel like, throughout the year, I have had really hard matches, and it kind of dipped my confidence a little," Osaka told reporters on Saturday.
"I do think coming to this specific tournament helps me out. But also, whenever I step foot here, I don't really think about the two tournaments I won.
"I just think about how I felt when I was a kid, because I did grow up coming here, and I have such vivid memories of watching my favourite players. It's more of a childhood nostalgia that I really enjoy."
Celtic maintained their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season with an emphatic 3-0 victory over St Mirren on Sunday.
Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate struck in the first half to put the Bhoys in control, with Alistair Johnston scoring in the second to ensure they would leave with all three points.
Celtic got off to a superb start, with captain McGregor latching onto James Forrest's lay-off to pick out the bottom-right corner inside the opening three minutes.
The visitors' dominance was rewarded with a second goal just after the half-hour mark, with Hatate coolly slotting in via the inside of the far post.
St Mirren started the second half on the front foot, though only Jaden Brown tested Kasper Schmeichel, who got down well to hold onto his low shot.
Celtic soon took control once more, with Johnston darting into the box to meet Nicolas Kuhn's low cross and rifle in a third goal in the 71st minute to settle the game.
Data Debrief: Leading from the front
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers could not have asked for a better start to their title defence, with nine points on the board after three games, having scored nine and conceded none.
McGregor has proven invaluable already, and he netted his second goal in as many games, already matching his tally from last season.
Celtic have now won each of their last nine Scottish Premiership games, a good run of form with Old Firm rivals Rangers next up.
Keegan Bradley is proud of his fighting spirit as he regained a one-shot lead over Adam Scott in the BMW Championship heading into the final day.
Bradley, who was named the United States' Ryder Cup captain for 2025, had led after the first round but slipped down the leaderboard after Scott's impressive 63 on Friday.
However, after a rollercoaster day that saw him card eight birdies and six bogeys at Castle Pines, he ensured he was back on top of the pile by sinking a birdie on the final hole to card a two-under 70.
Scott, who was the unlikely leader at the halfway stage, remains within touching distance after two late birdies helped him to 74.
Ludvig Aberg and Alex Noren also remain in contention, tied for third on 10-under after carding 71 and 70 respectively on Saturday.
Xander Schauffele is three shots further back on seven under in joint fifth, after hitting a five-under 67 in the third round.
"It was tough out there today," Bradley admitted. "It was really windy, a lot of elevated tees that were into the wind, which makes it really tough.
"Proud of the way I fought today. I played some brilliant golf, but I hit also some terrible shots, too. I guess that's the way of the world. But I'm proud of the way I fought there in the end."
An outstanding performance in the field by Bangladesh, led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, secured a 10-wicket victory over Pakistan in their first Test.
The tourists have an unassailable lead in the series after getting their first win against Pakistan, whose only hope now is to get a tie after their early collapse on Sunday.
After a strong fourth day for Bangladesh, which saw Mushfiqur Rahim score 191 to give them control, Pakistan went into the final day trailing by 94 runs with Saim Ayub already dismissed.
Bangladesh's bowlers picked up where they left off, and Babar Azam’s stand ended on 22 before Shakib Al Hasan (3-44) and Mehidy (4-21) swiftly took care of the final seven wickets.
Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha were both dismissed for ducks, while only Mohammad Rizwan hit double figures (51) as Pakistan limped to 146.
That left Bangladesh with the simple target of 30 to hit, which they did inside seven overs, as Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam got them over the line.
Data Debrief: Tourists find away joy
While the first Test finally came to life on the final day, Bangladesh had put themselves in a commanding position to earn a rare away Test victory.
It is just the third time in seven years that they have managed to win on the road, while they ensured Pakistan's winless run at home stretched on, with the hosts failing to win a Test at home since February 2021.
Bangladesh are the first team to beat Pakistan in Pakistan by 10 wickets, and they will be hoping they can produce a similar display to win the series.
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