It was one of those performances that the Blues desperately needed. CFC fans may be holding their breath as they await the status of Reece James, but a dominant display at Stamford Bridge right out of the break should bode well as the group heads into a tough road of fixtures. Behind plenty of quick and precise passing through each level of the pitch, the Blues ran riot on the Cherries’ defense for the majority of the contest.
Two quality team goals from Chelsea within eight minutes of each other were enough to lift Graham Potter and his men to a win that prevented the losing streak in the Premier League from going to an unheard-of four matches. Heading into the match, Bournemouth had been a thorn in CFC’s side, defeating the Blues in three out of their previous five matchups together in all competitions, including a 1-0 victory at the Bridge in December 2019.
Five straight losses in the previous six contests in all competitions left a dark cloud over CFC during the weeks of the World Cup. Fans had been waiting for their club’s return on the day after Boxing Day, and in a relatively straightforward fashion, Potter’s men did not disappoint. Just a few times during the second half, CFC caught itself in the wrong position, but the Blues were able to secure their first clean sheet since October 19 away at Brentford in a scoreless draw.
Despite CFC being six points back of a Champions League spot, Potter and the Blues must be able to take this season game by game. Perhaps a matchup against a side like Bournemouth with the support of their home fans was the best way to kick off a run of fixtures following a unique interruption to the season. Seeing the ball ripple the back of the net was a sight that CFC fans have missed for nearly two months.
Whether it was the break or the team selection, this club looked ready to erase what transpired during the beginning months of the campaign. Getting knocked out of the EFL Cup earlier than the Blues did last season may benefit Potter in focusing on only three competitions heading into the new year. In nine matches at Stamford Bridge this season, Chelsea has lost just once, continuing to make its home turf a difficult place to play for any opposition. In reality, it could have been three or four, and while that has been the story for quite some time, the result was what mattered at the end of the day. From a match that finished with mixed emotions for all Blues fans, here are the takeaways from a much-needed triumph over a stubborn Bournemouth side:
A clinical, quick, and precise Chelsea passing display
More than anything, it was evident during the entire match, the connection, and link-up play between everyone, especially the forward players have gotten much better. Both of the goals were perfect examples of the connection the midfield had with the attacking players on Tuesday evening. Even when the ball didn’t find the back of the net, the build-up play to rip through the Cherries’ defense was exquisite to watch.
The goal to kick things off was one that Potter is going to use as an example for the rest of the season. Jorginho opened up the play with a pass to Mason Mount who turned and found Raheem Sterling on the wing who crossed it into the mouth of the goal where Kai Havertz was waiting to slot it home past Mark Travers. During the last two league fixtures, the Blues have accumulated a 0.6 expected goals combined, and with the way CFC was finding each other with ease throughout the whole park right out of the break, there is evident progress.
The Blues completed 86 percent of their passes, using the quick decision-making of the players up front to find a way through the Cherries’ backline. It was the highest pass accuracy percentage in an English top-flight match since October 8 at home in a 3-0 victory over Wolves. Sterling’s seven progressive passes received led the team while the two others, Mount and Havertz were right behind him with five apiece. Denis Zakaria played a key role in incepting play in the final third for Bournemouth, and from there, the Blues did not look back. Hardly was there any sort of indecision of what to do with the ball next. It was one or two touches, and CFC was off to the races. If the Blues can mimic this against top sides like Manchester City coming up, there is no doubt they will be able to turn this campaign on its head.
Kai Havertz is still the key to consistent success
Heading into the season, there was no player that had more pressure on themselves than German international, Havertz. Having signed for the Blues from the German top-flight for more than £70 million, there were plenty of high expectations for the potential of this young attacking player. Other than his Champions League-winning goal, there were not many standout displays from Havertz during his CFC tenure.
Playing as a false nine, and dropping into the midfield at times, Havertz used both his vision and creativity to put on a confidence-building outing right out of a disappointing World Cup with Germany. The German has scored two of the last three goals for the Blues in the Premier League and picked off right where he left off with his national team after netting two goals in their final group-stage game in just 24 minutes of play.
Christopher Nkunku is still not in west London, and while the Blues await his arrival, they are going to have to rely a whole lot more on performances in the false nine from Havertz like this consistently. With the way he checks to the ball, and also finds a way to get in and behind backlines, the defense has a seemingly insurmountable job to mark him for 90 minutes consistently when he is at the top of his game.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is currently not in the goal-scoring form he would like to be in, having not scored a goal since October 11 against AC Milan, so CFC is going to have to rely on Havertz in both the finishing department and in setting the players around him up for success inside the box. He may not be the most perfect player, but Havertz is without question the player that is going to define this season for the Blues as a success or a failure.
Keep an eye on Christian Pulisic going forward
The American international, Christian Pulisic is coming off of an eventful World Cup in which his national team fought its way to the knockout stages of the competition. Transfer rumors have been floating around for what now seems forever when it comes to Pulisic, and while he still says he is focused on CFC, there is no doubt he has been frustrated with his inconsistent amount of playing time.
Right out of the gate, Potter put his trust in Pulisic in the starting XI, and the American delivered. He was active, and forward-thinking with the ball at his feet, and while he did not find the back of the net, Pulisic missed out on a penalty that should have been given, and scored on a play where Havertz was called for a push-off to deny the Blues their third goal of the evening. He could be defined as a mystery man for CFC, but when he has confidence in his abilities, he is one of the most dangerous players out on the wing the Blues possess.
He always kept his head on a swivel, seeking to find the next move to break down the defense. It may be a lower quality of opposition, but after a positive outing like this, Potter should feel the need to give the American the start again against Nottingham Forest next time out in the Premier League. He may have not had the most perfect of games, but going forward, CFC fans should keep an eye out for Pulisic, who when gets hot, has a hard time cooling off.
Many people could argue that he should take people on more, or the energy of his play fell off during the second half, but there is something about his electricity that makes him unique and valuable to this side. There could be even more competition on the left-hand side following the end of the transfer window, but for now, the American without question has confidence in his boots coming out of the World Cup, and that is something to keep an eye on.