Bournemouth 1-3 Chelsea: 5 Talking Points as the Blues secure their first win in seven games | Premier League 2022-23
Chelsea rallied to secure a crucial 3-1 win over AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, May 6.
The Cherries entered this game on the back of a positive run of form, having won four of their last five games across competitions. They smashed Leeds United 4-1 in their last outing - a result that lifted them well above the drop zone in the table. Gary O'Neil's men were eager for another positive result as they looked to secure their place in the Premier League for next season.
The Blues, on the other hand, lost six games on the bounce, scoring just twice along the way. Their last game was a 3-1 humbling at the hands of Arsenal. However, Frank Lampard was eager to secure his first win and fielded a strong lineup for this game.
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Chelsea made a positive start and looked likely to score right from the first kick of the game - something they were unable to show in their last few games. They opened the scoring with a sharp and well-worked early goal in the ninth minute. N'Golo Kante provided an assist for Conor Gallagher after a good move to make it 1-0.
Bournemouth were no pushovers despite limited possession of the ball, keeping just 34% of it in the first half. They attempted four shots and hit the target twice. It took them just 12 minutes to find an equalizer, with Ryan Christie providing an assist for Matias Vina to score from in the 21st minute to make it 1-1.
However, neither side was able to further trouble the scorekeeper, but three bookings were shown in the first half. Chelsea and Bournemouth were deadlocked at 1-1 at the break.
Level at the break.
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The possession stats remained nearly the same for the second period, and so did the shooting stats. However, Bournemouth were unable to find a way past Kepa Arrizabalaga in the second period after he made a couple of sharp saves to deny them. Chelsea, on the other hand, dug deep and had to wait until late before they could grab the lead once again.
Frank Lampard made timely changes and it was three of his substitutes that turned the game around for the Blues late on. Hakim Ziyech provided an assist for Benoit Badiashile to score to make it 2-1 in the 82nd minute. Substitutes Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix then combined as the former assisted the latter to make it 3-1 to the Blues in the 86th minute.
Chelsea held on to secure a crucial win over Bournemouth. With that said, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5. Chelsea made a bright start to get over their blues
Having lost six games on the bounce, Chelsea were eager to come out of the blocks with the right attitude and the right game plan to take control of proceedings early on. Lampard's decision to start Gallagher, Kante, and Fernandez in midfield together paid off as the trio gave the visitors added energy to cover greater distances in midfield.
Gallagher and Kante even combined to open the scoring for their team after just nine minutes as they made runs from deep in midfield. The trio helped their side gain control of the game and nearly played Bournemouth off the pitch with their relentless approach.
#4. Bournemouth lacked bite in attack
After scoring four goals in their emphatic win over Leeds United last time around, many expected the Cherries to go toe-to-toe with Chelsea in terms of attacking intent at least. However, they were unable to get into the game in a proper manner and lacked any incisiveness in the final third.
Bournemouth had the ball for just 34% of the game and attempted 11 shots. They hit the target just four times, managing to score in the first period. However, it was not enough to match the Blues' firepower as they were far more clinical in front of goal.
#3. Frank Lampard secures first win in second stint as manager
Prior to this game, Chelsea lost six consecutive games - a run that saw them crash out of the Champions League after a 4-0 aggregate humbling at the hands of Real Madrid. They also fell to disappointing defeats against Wolves and Brentford, which were games they were expected to do much better.
Losing seven games in a row would have been a very unpleasant outcome and Lampard did everything in his power to prevent that. His gameplan was executed to perfection by his players and the Blues walked away with a comfortable 3-1 win.
#2. Chelsea are still in the bottom half of the Premier League
Despite their much-needed win, the Blues still find themselves in 11th spot with 42 points from their 34 games. With just four games left to play, the highest they can realistically finish is ninth place, assuming the teams around them drop points as well.
Despite hefty investments totaling in excess of £600 million over two transfer windows this season, things have simply failed to click for the West Londoners.
#1. Todd Boehly and the board have planned ahead, with Pochettino arriving in the summer
Blues owner Todd Boehly has come under criticism from several personalities in football for his handling of the managerial merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge. The club is already on their fourth manager of the campaign, having started the season under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel.
The German failed to impress the board and was replaced by Graham Potter, who had a few tumultuous months at the helm. He was then sacked after he failed to propel the Blues back to the top, with Bruno Saltor then taking over the reins. The club then decided to re-appoint former player and manager Frank Lampard, who secured his first win in his seventh game in charge.
However, players and staff at the club have something to look forward to as Mauricio Pochettino is likely to arrive and take over in the summer.