Chelsea player ratings: Ethan Ampadu outplayed both sides in narrow win

21. Italy. DAVIDE ZAPPACOSTA. 6. Davide Zappacosta was active on Chelsea’s flank, but never seemed to have much impact on the match. Statistically, he was very solid defensively and attempted four crosses. That none of them came off is as much due to his targets as him. On balance of the last few games, Victor Moses has the lead.<br />

5. Chelsea’s second half let-down stemmed from their unusual midfield pairing not maintaining their level of play nor responding to Bournemouth’s rejuvenation. Drinkwater would drop deep in the first half to allow Fabregas to move up into his preferred passing position. When Chelsea were on the front foot, this worked. But once Bournemouth came into the game, Drinkwater was too deep to press but not defensively strong enough to disrupt Bournemouth’s attack. Tiemoue Bakayoko’s entrance had more to do with Drinkwater and Fabregas than the men he replaced (Willian and Pedro), but particularly Drinkwater since Chelsea do not and cannot rely on Cesc Fabregas for defensive detail.. 6. England. DANNY DRINKWATER

CESC FABREGAS. 5. Fabregas had a well-rounded first half, tackling Bournemouth’s players effectively and physically. In the 39′, though, he received a booking for a late tackle and that proved to be the turning point in his game. He was largely ineffective in the second half, always searching for the pass but never finding it. Chelsea’s starting front line held none of his preferred targets, but he cannot be dependent on Alvaro Morata or Eden Hazard to make him effective.<br />. 4. Spain

6.5. Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Kenedy has all the raw materials to become a great left wing-back, if only he received more playing time to develop those skills in game situations. But given where he is right now, Antonio Conte cannot afford to bring him into the XI other than in domestic cup games. Of course that sounds familiar. It is the Eternal Paradox of Kenedy. Kenedy did so many things well against Bournemouth, but he did most of them in isolation. He did not plug his abilities and execution into that of the team’s, leaving him with an excellent individual highlight reel but an overall mediocre performance in service to the game. It’s becoming difficult to see any satisfying or productive outcome for him. If Chelsea sell him, he could become the next Kevin de Bruyne or Mohamed Salah in terms of “the big one who got away.” But if they keep him, they need a plan for his development that includes more than sporadic minutes in low-key games. A loan is the obvious choice, but where would he find the appropriate development? Argh.. 16. Brazil. KENEDY