Bournemouth vs Chelsea Report

Scorer: Nkunku 86’

Substitute Christopher Nkunku’s late strike earned Chelsea a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, extending their unbeaten head-to-head run to six games.

Bournemouth Dominate Early Stages

Chelsea arrived at the Vitality Stadium with a mixed start to the season and faced a Bournemouth side full of confidence after their comeback victory against Everton before the international break.

The Cherries started strongly, taking control in the first half and creating several opportunities. Within the first four minutes, Marcus Tavernier’s long-range strike crashed off the crossbar, nearly giving Bournemouth an early lead.

Evanilson and Antoine Semenyo also had chances but sent their efforts off target. Robert Sánchez was called into action to deny Justin Kluivert and Lewis Cook as Bournemouth continued to press for an opening goal.

Bournemouth’s Penalty Miss and Chelsea’s Struggles

The best chance of the first half came after a poor backpass from Wesley Fofana put Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez under pressure.

Evanilson beat him to the ball and earned a penalty after being brought down. Taking the spot-kick himself, Evanilson was denied by Sánchez, who parried the shot to safety.

Chelsea, on the other hand, had limited moments of quality in the first half, with Nicolas Jackson forcing a save from Mark Travers after good play by Levi Colwill. Enzo Maresca would have been disappointed with his team’s lacklustre performance before the break.

Chelsea’s Substitutions Change the Game

After the interval, Bournemouth continued to threaten, with Kluivert being thwarted by Sánchez once more. Semenyo fired narrowly over the bar, and Ryan Christie struck the woodwork from the edge of the area.

In response, Chelsea made tactical changes, bringing on João Félix and Jadon Sancho. These substitutions gave the Blues more control in the midfield, shifting the momentum of the match.

Bournemouth’s attempts to threaten on the counterattack proved ineffective, allowing Chelsea to gain the upper hand.

Nkunku’s Decisive Moment

The match was ultimately decided by a moment of brilliance from substitute Christopher Nkunku. Played in by fellow substitute Jadon Sancho, Nkunku skillfully turned past a couple of defenders and fired the ball into the corner of the net, sending Chelsea fans into raptures.

This late goal proved to be the difference in a game that set a Premier League record for the most yellow cards in a single match, with 14 cautions issued.

Conclusion

Chelsea’s 1-0 victory extends their unbeaten run to three league matches, showcasing their ability to grind out results even when not at their best. Bournemouth, meanwhile, will be disappointed after a strong start, having won just one match in all competitions this season.

Despite their dominance in large parts of the match, the Cherries were unable to capitalize on their chances, allowing Chelsea to snatch a narrow victory.

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Bournemouth v Chelsea, 2024/25 | Premier League