Chelsea 2-1 AFC Bournemouth: Player ratings
Chelsea entered the semifinals of the Carabao Cup in dramatic fashion as an Alvaro Morata winner in stoppage time booked the Blues a place in the final four. Chelsea beat Bournemouth 2-1 at the end where Dan Gosling had equalized for the Cherries just at the start of the stoppage time.
But the next move after Bournemouth's equalizer saw Morata scoring for the Blues and subsequently fixing a semifinal date against Arsenal. For the Blues, Willian had scored the opening goal in the 13th minute. On that note, let's take a look at how each player fared in an enthralling knockout game at Stamford Bridge:
AFC Bournemouth
Artur Boruc: 5.5/10
The former Southampton man had no chance to save the first goal after he had rushed on to stop Cesc Fabregas. But he could have done better for the winner from Morata as the shot was taken straight at him.
Jack Simpson: 6.5/10
Simpson got his big break against the Blues and the fullback was more than ready to pounce on his chance. His positioning was brilliant as he made some crucial clearances.
Steve Cook: 6/10
Cook marshalled his defence well and kept Batshuayi silent for the majority of the game. The Belgian striker tried every trick in the book to have a clear shot at goal which was thwarted by Bournemouth's resolute centre-back duo.
Simon Francis: 6.5/10
Like Cook, Francis looked assured at the back with his last-ditch tackle on Batshuayi in the first half keeping Bournemouth in the game.
Adam Smith: 6/10
Smith had his hands full with Willian and Zappacosta running at him. But he fared decently in defence and also took some risks going forward. The left-back delivered a pinpoint cross to Mousset who could not guide the ball home. He also beat Gary Cahill on one occasion and was running on goal but was stopped by a crunching tackle from Ethan Ampadu.
Lys Mousset: 5/10
Mousset was a solid physical presence for the Cherries and kept Rudiger on his toes for the entire game. But he was wasteful with the ball and shot a clear header straight to Caballero in the first half.
Andrew Surman: 6/10
The midfielder helped out his defenders on a number of occasions. He had to be more focused on the defending part which rendered him ineffective in making quick transitions in attack.
Harry Arter: 6.5/10
Arter looked at home against Chelsea and was dominating the proceedings in midfield. He won many 50/50 challenges for Bournemouth and kept the possession well. Arter looked to have some issue with his fitness which meant that he was substituted towards the business end of the game.
Dan Gosling: 7/10
Gosling was not able to find the right rhythm going forward in the first half but came into his own in the second. He created a number of chances for the Cherries and in the 90th minute, scored a delightful curling shot from the edge of the box.
Ryan Fraser: 6/10
The diminutive yet effective winger put in a great shift for the visiting side. He was tracking back on every occasion and was also seen as an outlet on the left wing. He delivered a delightful cross into the box from a corner in the second half but sadly, no Bournemouth player could get at the end of it.
Jermaine Defoe: 5/10
The veteran started the game brightly but had to be taken off in what looked like a serious injury. Eddie Howe later admitted that he is fearing an ankle ligament injury for Defoe which may keep him out for months.
Substitutions
Jordan Ibe: 7/10
Ibe replaced Defoe and was Bournemouth's go-to guy when going forward. The winger had many opportunities to test Caballero but none of his shot could test the Chelsea goalkeeper; one was blocked whereas the other went agonizingly wide.
Callum Wilson: 6/10
Coming off the bench, Wilson created a positive impact for the Cherries. He flashed one shot across goal late in the game which had the Chelsea backline in real trouble.
Lewis Cook: 5.5/10
The midfielder replaced the hobbling Harry Arter. Cook lacked urgency when in possession and could have circulated the ball a bit faster than he did.