New Delhi: Chelsea travelled to Bournemouth for their first game back after the international break. The two teams went into the match after contrasting fortunes in the previous matchday. Bournemouth came from two-nil down to produce an exciting comeback win against Everton while Chelsea failed to build on their one goal lead and were made to pay for it as their game ended in a draw.
Bournemouth were without starting goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as he was ineligible to play against his parent club but seemed unfazed by it as their started the game on the front foot. Andoni Iraola’s men were the better team for almost the entirety of the first half and could’ve been a few goals ahead had it not been for some superb saves from Robert Sanchez.
Marcus Tavernier struck a fierce shot from a long way out that hit the crossbar in the opening few minutes to set the tone for the half. Bournemouth had a few more good chances their way while Chelsea struggled to get out of their own half for much of the half. Axel Disasi, playing out of position due to injuries to Malo Gusto and Reece James, was guilty of almost letting his side concede after he let Tavernier deliver a dangerous cross into the box.
Evanilson produced a delicate touch to send the ball towards Justin Kluivert whose close range volley was well-saved by Sanchez. He then went from villain to hero as he brought down Evanilson in box, giving away a penalty as the half drew to a close. However, the Spaniard was present on hand to deny the Bournemouth striker from getting his first goal for the club and giving his side the lead. The half remained goalless but not for a lack of trying from Bournemouth.
Robert Sánchez 😱
UNREAL SAVE. pic.twitter.com/nu9lsmJVJb
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 14, 2024
The second half saw Jadon Sancho come on for his Chelsea debut as he replaced fellow new signing Pedro Neto at half-time and looked lively throughout the half. He combined well with both Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella to try and get something out from the game. Despite having much more of the ball, Chelsea weren’t able to create a lot of chances for their attackers and in the limited chances that were being created, Marcos Senesi was always present to deny Nico Jackson.
Chelsea looked vulnerable down the right flank and Bournemouth were exploiting that. Both Kluivert and Tavernier threatening from that side but Sanchez was present to deny any efforts at goal. Enzo Maresca realized that and handed another summer signing their Premier League debut, bringing Tosin Adarabioyo on for Disasi. That change made the visitors’ defence a bit more solid and Chelsea seemed more in control after it.
There was late drama yet to come in the game as Enzo Maresca’s substitutions proved to be the right ones for his team. The manager decided to bring Christopher Nkunku in place of Jackson and that move worked well for the Blues. Five minutes from normal time, Jadon Sancho received the ball on the left flank from Levi Colwill and he played a perfectly weighted pass for Nkunku after beating his man, and the Frenchmen held off three defenders inside the box to slot the ball past Flekken.
An assist on debut for Sancho and a first Premier League goal of the season for Nkunku proved to be enough to see the Blues wrap up three points for the visitors. They seemed much the lesser side for large parts of the game but held on enough to grind out a win despite not being at their best. While the manager would’ve wanted more intent from the team throughout the game, he would definitely be happy with the mentality his team showed to get the win.
Player of the Match
Evanilson sees his penalty saved by Robert Sanchez during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Chelsea FC at Vitality Stadium on September 14, 2024. (Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
While both Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku were both worthy contenders for this title but there’s no denying that Robert Sanchez was the best player present on the field tonight. The Chelsea goalkeeper was on hand to deny anything that Bournemouth threw at him and produced quite possibly his best performance in a Chelsea shirt. Despite conceding a penalty and going in the referee’s book, he redeemed himself by saving Evanilson’s penalty. Apart from the penalty save, he produced seven more saves for his side, the most notable of them being Kluivert’s first half volley.
Apart from being a brick wall infront of goal, he was adept with his passing, playing numerous long balls forward and maintained a passing accuracy of almost 75%. This performance from Sanchez showed he has what it takes to be Chelsea’s number one after many had been doubting him since he made the move from Brighton. His clean sheet against Bournemouth was the first clean sheet that Chelsea have kept away from home since their 2-0 win over Fulham in October of last year
Chelsea’s substitutes combined to lift their side to victory after Jadon Sancho sets up Christopher Nkunku’s winner five minutes from normal time for a hard-fought win. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
