Chelsea is now on a five-game winless run in the Premier League, dating back to the 0-0 draw against Everton on December 22 last year. During this run, the Blues have drawn three times and lost twice, with the last game nearly resulting in another loss.
Enzo Maresca has received some praise for guiding the Blues to 2nd place earlier this season, despite him stating that Chelsea had no business being there or being part of the "title race" discussions. With just three points from the last available 15, teams will soon begin to overtake the West London side, who currently occupy 4th place.
The game against Bournemouth started well, but not because the home side took the lead. Chelsea created five big chances in the first half, converting just one. The second half was a different story: not only did the Blues fail to create any big chances, but they also lost the lead and eventually went behind. It took a sweetly struck free kick in the 95th minute to rescue a point.
Cole Palmer contributed as usual to Chelsea's goal-scoring, and while some other players put in solid performances, it wasn’t a great outing for the team. Here are Pride of London's ratings for that disappointing clash.
Robert Sanchez, GK: 6/10
Sanchez was underwhelming, making just one save. This time, his long passing was not as bad. He conceded two goals from three shots faced, with only one of those being a big chance. Chelsea has remained open defensively, and even when Maresca’s men dominate possession and shots, opponents still find it relatively easy to break through the midfield.
Moises Caicedo, RB: 5/10
Caicedo was poor at right-back. His distribution was solid, but he was ineffective out of possession. He compounded matters by conceding the penalty that allowed Bournemouth to get back into the game. He committed three fouls while only attempting two tackles.
Josh Acheampong, CB: 6/10
Acheampong was much better in duels this time around, winning 4/5 aerial duels, as well as all the ground duels he contested. However, his passing was poor, completing just 77% of passes and attempting only three long balls.
Levi Colwill, CB: 7/10
Colwill was Chelsea's best defender on the night. His distribution was better than his centre-back partner’s, and he contested and won most of the duels he engaged in (7/11). He also made some key interceptions, showing excellent game awareness.
Marc Cucurella, LB: 4/10
Once again, Cucurella had a game to forget. He was uncharacteristically poor in ground duels, and his distribution left much to be desired.
Romeo Lavia, CM: 6/10
Lavia struggled in central midfield. He was strong in duels but poor in distribution, despite only attempting one long pass. His relative inactivity in midfield likely contributed to Bournemouth’s dominance in the second half.
Enzo Fernandez, CM: 7.5/10
Fernandez’s eagerness to roam forward as a central midfielder means that when his partner doesn’t fill in defensively, the whole team is exposed. The role of a central midfielder is to occupy central areas—not the final third. When he roams forward too often, it leaves his partner to cover too much space. That said, Fernandez was solid on the ball, with excellent long passing, creating seven chances on the day. He also won most of his ground duels and won more fouls than any other Blues player.
Noni Madueke, RW: 6/10
Madueke deserves credit for the big chance he created, but his dribbling was poor. His shooting was also ineffective, with all three of his shots blocked. He was barely involved in the attacking play.
Cole Palmer, CAM: 9/10
Palmer was unsurprisingly the most effective player in blue. Despite poor dribbling, he created two clear-cut chances. His goal was clinical, showcasing an impeccable finish that even Erling Haaland would be proud of. He should have had an assist or two, delivering the perfect cross for Nicolas Jackson, whose effort was saved.
Jadon Sancho, LW: 6/10
Sancho’s dribbling was solid, but he did nothing with the space he created. Like Madueke, his shooting was poor, and while he created two chances, their combined expected assists (xA) were only 0.05.
Nicolas Jackson, ST: 3/10
Jackson was excellent at getting into goal-scoring positions, but his finishing was abysmal. The Senegal international took seven shots, three of which were big chances. He missed all three. These are the performances that make fans long for another striker.
Reece James (56'): 7/10
It was fortunate James scored that 95th-minute goal because he was having a poor game before then. The Blues captain lost both tackles he attempted and won only 2/5. However, his quality was evident when he took that free kick, which salvaged the point.
Tosin Adarabioyo (71'): 7.5/10
For some reason, Tosin started this game on the bench, but he showed his quality when he came on. His passing was poor, but he won all but one of the duels he contested. He also immediately became a presence in set pieces—something Chelsea has lacked all season.
Pedro Neto (81'): N/A
Neto was ineffective once again, leaving fans wishing for another player whenever either he or Madueke plays. Madueke also did not impress.
Joao Felix (81'): N/A
Felix didn’t have much time to impact the game but didn’t do too badly considering the circumstances. He won some important fouls, took some shots, but had little chance to impose himself.
Enzo Maresca: 5/10
Maresca is responsible for playing Moises Caicedo at right-back when Malo Gusto and Reece James were on the bench. He is also responsible for the midfield pivot that did little to prevent Bournemouth from progressing when it mattered most. This result raises many questions that the former Leicester manager will need to answer.