‘Believe in better’ is the slogan for a well-known TV station.

But that could soon be Wolves’ mantra.

Mick McCarthy’s side once again fell short, as they became the 10th successive Premier League victims at the home of the champions. Yet the nature of their performance suggested better. Much better.

McCarthy is tiring of saying how well his team have played when the outcome is entirely different. But he, and the 1,500 travelling fans, will know if Wolves continue the same levels of performance, results will surely turn soon.

It can’t go on like this indefinitely, of course. Already, the natives are getting restless, and with reason. After an £18m spend in the summer, they didn’t expect to be in the relegation zone.

His critics will wonder how long he can go on playing his £7m record signing at wide right, or, as on Saturday, not at all when Wolves look comfortable with Kevin Doyle as a lone front man.

And then there is the Jelle van Damme problem.

Thankfully, Stephen Hunt looks like he will be a breath of fresh air after finally making his debut here.

But, along with the performances, the biggest thing Wolves have to cling to at the moment is their belief.

That flowed in abundance on Saturday and McCarthy is holding that dear as he recalled the 4-0 reverse at Stamford Bridge 11 months ago.

There are similarities — that was Wolves’ seventh league game without a win. This was their eighth, their equal worst in the Premier League.

McCarthy was typically blunt after that humiliation and declared Wolves were in a relegation fight. He recalled those words on Saturday, but he is convinced they won’t be in one this time.

The current fixture schedule suggests it’s going to get worse before it can get better though.

Few will give them much hope against Manchester City and Arsenal even with home advantage, and, in between, Manchester United could be galvanised by a rejuvenated Wayne Rooney by the time of Wolves’ second visit to Old Trafford in 11 days after tomorrow’s Carling Cup tie.

And, while it would be unfair to suggest Hunt can have the same impact as Rooney, the Ireland winger gave Wolves impetus and fresh hope.

The shaggy-haired ball of energy ignored the predictable but still disappointing abuse raining down from the stands to produce a stirring 45-minute display that suggests he will become a key player.

Hunt went as close as any Wolves player to a goal, his diving header stopped on the line by Michael Essien with Petr Cech beaten just two minutes after coming on.

While Hunt looks as if he could become a crowd favourite, the man he replaced, van Damme, looks further away from achieving the honour.

A little off the pace, the former Anderlecht man struggled to keep up with Jose Bosingwa on a day when the £16m right-back played his first game for a year.

Chelsea’s full-backs play like wingers and it was Bosingwa’s two main surges at either end of the first half that had Marcus Hahnemann scrambling to save, first tipping the Portuguese’s shot around the post then blocking his toe-poke.

By the time of the latter, Wolves were 1-0 down after Florent Malouda finished off a classy move that the visitors could do little about.

Credit to Wolves, they stuck rigidly to their game-plan and it took until the 75th minute for Hahnemann to kick the ball, roll-outs being the order of the day to try to keep possession for as long as possible.

Their heads never dropped and, both before and after the first goal, McCarthy’s men should have fashioned an equaliser.

Early goal-bound headers from captain for the day Christophe Berra and Dave Edwards found the foot of John Terry and hands of Cech respectively, while seconds before the goal, Bosingwa did just enough to put off van Damme from point-blank range as they wrestled for Matt Jarvis’ cross.

The best chance of the first half fell to Kevin Doyle, who couldn’t get over David Jones’ cross sufficiently to apply enough power on his header.

Doyle also tested Cech with a skidding left-foot effort as Wolves enjoyed a Hunt-inspired decent start to the second period.

But Chelsea remained the more potent threat, Hahnemann standing up superbly to deny Didier Drogba from well outside his area.

The game long hung in the balance but a second Chelsea goal was always going to kill it off. It came with nine minutes left when substitute Solomon Kalou beat Hahnemann at his near post after another high quality move split Wolves’ defence.

That was game over, but in terms of the season, there is cause for optimism.

They will have Karl Henry, Michael Mancienne and maybe Jody Craddock back for Saturday’s visit of Manchester City.

Wolves just need to keep believing in better.

Match analysis by TIM NASH