Bournemouth Home – View From My Front Screen
View from in front of my Screen
It’s been six hours since the Blues last found the net, and on the back of three defeats the Premier league returns to the Bridge, as we face Bournemouth. Potter has had time during the world cup to study the squad in depth and hopefully work out his best starting 11.
Zakaria is making his league debut and Reece James returns to the Blues line-up after his injury. Academy player Bashir Humphreys gets a seat on the subs bench.
Chelsea : Arrizabalaga, James, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, Cucurella, Jorginho, Zakaria, Pulisic, Mount, Sterling, Havertz.
Substitutes: Bettinelli, Chalobah, Azpilicueta, Humphreys, Gallagher, Hutchinson, Hall, Aubameyang.
Bournemouth : Travers, Stacey, Smith, Senesi, Kelly, Zemura, Cook, Lerma, Billing, Solanke, Moore.
Substitutes: Plain, Stephens, Christie, Marcondes, Rothwell, Pearson, Lowe, Anthony, Dembele.
First chance for Chelsea. Reece James’ cross isn’t dealt with and Marc Cucurella puts it back into the box, but Kai Havertz heads over.
Pulisic gets a good shot away, before going down after having his shirt pulled by Smith, he claims a penalty, it’s not given (surprise!).
Mount passes a great ball to Sterling and his superb diagonal ball finds Havertz running into the area at the back post, he slots the ball under the diving goalie. Our 1st goal since October. 1-0 to the Blues.
Solanke wins a corner after a tussle with Cucurella. It’s blocked at near post. It’s retaken and cleared, but the game stops as Zakaria goes down in the area with a head injury after running into Lerma. He gets some treatment and is okay.
Mount is then set up by Havertz on the edge of the area after a foraging run, and curves the ball past a diving Travers from 20 yards, 2-0. His 1st goal at Stamford bridge this season.
Smith is fouled by Pulisic and the free-kick is fired into the area by Cook, but it finds a blue head and is cleared.
Pulisic is then fouled by Cook as Chelsea break and they are both down in agony and needing treatment.
Sterling is then fouled by Zemura, but the free-kick come to nothing.
Thiago Silva plays a lovely ball over the top, but a Blue shirt is just off-side.
38 minutes and Pulisic seems to be still suffering from that earlier challenge by Cook.
40 minutes, Havertz is lucky not to get a card after landing a boot on the foot of Senesi
Pulisic puts the ball in the net, but it won’t count as Havertz was penalised for fouling Smith.
Bournemouth then have a shout for a penalty, but the ref deems it not to be a foul.
4 minutes of extra time to be played.
Reece James fires great ball that is blocked by Travers at the near post.
Sterling then has a good shot saved which goes out for Chelseas 2nd corner of the match, which comes to nothing.
We then win another corner, it comes off Kellys head for a throw-in, and the half time whistle goes.
Stacey is subbed by Anthony as the game restarts.
Reece James “he’s one of our own” rings out from the stands, as he goes down with what looks like a reoccurrence of his injury. He is replaced by Dave and heads down the tunnel for treatment.
Havertz finds Sterling with a good ball. Zakaria’s shot is then blocked for a corner.
Chelsea win a free-kick on the edge of the box, Pulisic’s shot hits Jorginho and is caught by Travers
Mount is fouled and Bournemouth get a shot away, the Chelsea players are not happy with that decision.
Havertz then gets a shot away from a good break but it goes wide, he should have got his 2nd there.
Cucurella then has his boot torn off his foot and needs a replacement, Chelsea are down to 10 men temporarily.
Sterling gets around the back, but the ball runs away from him.
Mount breaks with Havertz and draws a save from Travers, the resulting Corner is cleared at the near post.
65 Minutes, Christie comes on for Billing as Bournemouth switch 4 4 2, before they take a corner. It’s cleared by Thiago Silva.
Chelsea being pegged back in a more even 2nd half since the loss of James.
68 mins The Cherries win their 1st corner of the half. It hits Dave smack in the face and he goes down, but the ref allows play to go on before he blows up.
Sterling and Dave play a quick one-two on the break and Sterling’s ball in wins a corner.
Mount takes a short corner, it’s delivered into the area and Koulabaly’s header goes just wide.
75 minutes and Potter has subs warming up.
78 minutes and Kepa makes a good save from Christie Bournemouth turning up the heat.
Sterling loses the ball under pressure, Bournemouth break and the shot is blocked for a corner by Silva, it comes to nothing and Chelsea can make there changes finally, Gallagher replacing Zakaria ,and Aubameyang comes on for Pulisic.
Gallagher breaks from his own half after a pass from Havertz, but his shot is blocked by Kelly
Bournemouth make a change, Moore is off and Dembele comes on.
Chelsea are holding firm under increasing attacks by Bournemouth
85 minutes a corner to Bournemouth. Kepa clears it and the whistle is blown for a foul.
87 gone and Sterling is replaced by Chalobah as Potter goes to a back 5.
89 and Bournemouth win a corner after a Chelsea break is lost by Aubameyang. It comes to nada.
5 mins of added time to be played.
Chelsea happy to sit back and soak up the Bournemouth attacks.
92 and Zemura wins a free-kick a yard outside the box, Anthony gets the ball over the wall and Kepa punches it away for a corner, its cleared and we can breath again.
The whistle goes
So a vital 3 points and a rare clean sheet to boot.
We played some nice flowing football in the first half, but after losing the excellent Reece James to injury, we stuttered a bit. Let’s hope he isn’t out too long.
My man of the match, Reece James, with Havertz and an improved Mount in close contention.
Posted by Jack Russell
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