Marvellous Mount and gritty Giroud score the goals that defeats Wolves 2-0 at Stamford Bridge and pr

Chelsea 2 v Wolves 0

Mason Mount’s stonking free-kick and Olivier Giroud’s tenacity - smashing home from close range secured Champions League football for the Blues next season after a 2-0 win over disappointing Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

The west Londoners’ victory was enough to secure fourth place as Manchester United’s 2-0 win at Leicester kept them in third position.

Frank Lampard’s side needed just a point and he made a bold decision to axe world-record signing Kepa - replacing him with Willy Caballero.

The stopper had little to do, but this was as much to do with the Blues’ improved defensive attitude.

The first chance in a cagey opening 12minutes fell to the Blues, Reece James saw a glancing header zip past Patricio’s left upright from Christian Pulisic’s left-sided free-kick.

Despite having the greater possession, the home side increasingly found it difficult to get close to the Wolves final third.

On a rare free-flowing foray forwards, Olivier Giroud managed to get to a mason Mount cross, but the striker couldn’t direct the ball goal-bound on 40 minutes.

Willy Caballero, in for the dropped Kepa, was called into action for the first time, when, on 43 minutes , a ball whipped in from the left, carried towards goal, and the Argentine scooped the ball from out under his crossbar.

Seconds before the break, after Marcos Alonso won a fortunate foul just outside the Wolves penalty area, Mount produced a wonderful free-kick that moved up and over the wall, curling and dipping at the same time, and the ball arrowed past Patricio to put the west Londoners 1-0.

The Blues powered into a 2-0 lead seconds later when Mount slipped the ball to Giroud. He clipped the ball past Patricio - outmuscled Coady and slide the ball into the empty net from six-yards out.

Chelsea remained unchanged for the start of the second half, while Traore entered the fray for Neto.

The Blues were far more fluid in their passing with a higher temp, but it was Wolves’ Neto who attempted the first effort on goal. Caballero was equal to the task, easily smothering te low drive on 55 minutes.

Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi replaced Giroud and Pulisic on 78 minutes.

Mateo Kovacic and Mount were replaced by Pedro and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. While Ross Barkley crossed the white line to replace Jorginho.

Chelsea’s next match is the FA Cup Final against a resurgent Arsenal, at Wembley next Saturday.

Teams: Chelsea team to face Wolves: Caballero, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rudiger, James, Kovacic, Jorginho, Alonso, Mount, Pulisic, Giroud

Kepa, Christensen, Barkley, Abraham, Pedro, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Tomori, Emerson

Wolves: Patricio, Boly, Coady, Saiss, Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves, Castro Otto, Neto, Jimenez, Jota

Subs: Cavaco Jordan, Podence, Gibbs-White, Ruddy, Mourinho, Vinagre, Traore, Kidman, Burr

Referee: Stuart Attwell.