Goals from Kai Havertz and Mason Mount gave Chelsea a first Premier League win since October 16 as they beat Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Mason Mount and Kai Havertz struck as Chelsea relaunched their Premier League season with a much-needed 2-0 victory against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter’s side headed into last month’s mid-season World Cup break having failed to win in their previous five games in the top flight, with three defeats.
An impressive performance from the hosts saw them break their barren run, albeit at the cost of Reece James being forced off injured in his first game since October.
The result means Bournemouth have lost two of their two competitive games under head coach Gary O’Neil since taking charge of the Cherries on a permanent basis, having been Scott Parker’s interim successor for most of the season.
Chelsea’s early dominance yielded a quick breakthrough when Havertz drove Raheem Sterling’s low cross wide after just 16 minutes.
Eight minutes later, Germany international Havertz turned provider for England midfielder Mount, who slotted first time through Bournemouth’s tangled defense to double the lead.
The Blues made it 3-0 just before the break when goalkeeper Mark Travers deflected Sterling’s close-range shot into his top corner.
A third goal proved elusive after the break for Chelsea and they were dealt a blow when James was forced off down the tunnel after lengthy treatment on an apparent leg problem.
His absence threw off their rhythm to a point, with Bournemouth gaining confidence in their pursuit of a response, albeit without a distinct edge.
Former Chelsea youth team graduate Dominic Solanke headed just wide of Bournemouth’s best chance in stoppage time as the visitors could not find a way back into the game.
Chelsea player ratings
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6/10 – Didn’t have a lot to do.
RB: Reece James – 7/10 – Worryingly brought off with injury early in the second half. Formed a great partnership with Sterling down the right in Chelsea’s first-half romp.
CB: Kalidou Koulibaly – 7/10 – His range of passing helped the Blues build from the back but he was also guilty of over-playing at times.
CB: Thiago Silva – 7/10 – Shook off an early knock and ate up Moore with ease.
LB: Marc Cucurella – 6/10 – Looked like a competent player, which is a step-up from his pre-World Cup performances.
CM: Jorginho – 6/10 – Swept up well and distributed the ball quickly to maintain Chelsea’s vertical threat.
CM: Denis Zakaria – 7/10 – Probably his best performance in a Chelsea shirt. Covered every blade of grass and ultimately proved useful in both boxes.
RM: Raheem Sterling – 8/10 – Enjoyed playing as both a touchline winger and inverted threat, working well in tandem with James.
AM: Mason Mount – 9/10 – Whether dropping deep, running in behind or into the channels, Mount showcased why he’s been a favourite of every manager he’s had at Chelsea
LM: Christian Pulisic – 7/10 – Unlucky not to have won a penalty in the first half. Bournemouth kept losing the run of the American but he wasn’t able to directly make them pay.
CF: Kai Havertz – 9/10 – A near-complete performance and one fitting of a natural number nine, dropping deep to link play but leading the line between the width of the goalposts all the same.
Substitutes
Cesar Azpilicueta (53′ for James) – 6/10
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (82′ for Pulisic) – N/A
Conor Gallagher (82′ for Zakaria) – N/A
Trevoh Chalobah (88′ for Sterling) – N/A
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6/10 – Didn’t have a lot to do.
RB: Reece James – 7/10 – Worryingly brought off with injury early in the second half. Formed a great partnership with Sterling down the right in Chelsea’s first-half romp.
CB: Kalidou Koulibaly – 7/10 – His range of passing helped the Blues build from the back but he was also guilty of over-playing at times.
CB: Thiago Silva – 7/10 – Shook off an early knock and ate up Moore with ease.
LB: Marc Cucurella – 6/10 – Looked like a competent player, which is a step-up from his pre-World Cup performances.
CM: Jorginho – 6/10 – Swept up well and distributed the ball quickly to maintain Chelsea’s vertical threat.
CM: Denis Zakaria – 7/10 – Probably his best performance in a Chelsea shirt. Covered every blade of grass and ultimately proved useful in both boxes.
RM: Raheem Sterling – 8/10 – Enjoyed playing as both a touchline winger and inverted threat, working well in tandem with James.
AM: Mason Mount – 9/10 – Whether dropping deep, running in behind or into the channels, Mount showcased why he’s been a favourite of every manager he’s had at Chelsea
LM: Christian Pulisic – 7/10 – Unlucky not to have won a penalty in the first half. Bournemouth kept losing the run of the American but he wasn’t able to directly make them pay.
CF: Kai Havertz – 9/10 – A near-complete performance and one fitting of a natural number nine, dropping deep to link play but leading the line between the width of the goalposts all the same.
Substitutes
Cesar Azpilicueta (53′ for James) – 6/10
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (82′ for Pulisic) – N/A
Conor Gallagher (82′ for Zakaria) – N/A
Trevoh Chalobah (88′ for Sterling) – N/A
Manager
Graham Potter – 8/10 – This was one of Chelsea’s best performances all year, and it will give fans confidence that they can achieve something this season.
Bournemouth player ratings
GK: Mark Travers – 6/10 – Kept the score down with some decent saves.
RB: Jack Stacey – 3/10 – Provided little support to Smith and was continually overrun. Hooked at the break.
CB: Adam Smith – 3/10 – Continually targeted and looked every bit of his 31 years of age.
CB: Marcos Senesi – 4/10 – Played with aggression but often to Bournemouth’s detriment.
CB: Lloyd Kelly – 4/10 – Similarly up for the fight but it wasn’t much use.
LB: Jordan Zemura – 4/10 – Roasted time and time again by James and Sterling. Showed some signs of life when going forward.
CM: Lewis Cook – 5/10 – Wriggled his way out of tight spaces on occasion but couldn’t control the midfield battle.
CM: Jefferson Lerma – 5/10 – Tried to match Zakaria’s box-to-box dominance but failed to win such a duel.
CM: Philip Billing – 4/10 – Didn’t provide enough of a threat anywhere on the pitch. Inexplicably on corners. He’s 6ft6.
CF: Dominic Solanke – 5/10 – Showed great energy and determination, but little in way of goal scoring threat.
CF: Kieffer Moore – 3/10 – Hard to believe he was the striker who had such a big impact in a game at the World Cup. Completely anonymous.
Substitutes
Jaidon Anthony (46′ for Stacey) – 5/10
Ryan Christie (66′ for Billing) – 5/10
Siriki Dembele (85′ for Moore) – N/A
Manager
Gary O’Neil – 4/10 – Bournemouth were completely outmatched, but considering the limited quality of their squad, it’s hard to put all the blame at the manager’s door.
