Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth: James scores stunning last-gasp freekick to rescue point for Blues against Cherries
Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, which included a stoppage-time equaliser, extends the Blues' winless streak to five matches in the Premier League (D3, L2). Meanwhile, the Cherries have now gone ten games without a loss across all competitions (W6, D4).
In search of a remedy for a mid-season slump that has seen Chelsea fall out of the title contention, the team began their Premier League return with a strong start, taking the lead in the 13th minute.
A clever reverse pass from Nicolas Jackson set up Cole Palmer, who exhibited his usual calmness in front of goal, deceiving Mark Travers with a feint before easily slotting the ball home.
While Jackson was instrumental in creating the opening goal, he has struggled with his finishing recently, a trend that continued in the first half when he sent a bobbling cross over the bar.
A thrilling sequence of play saw the woodwork struck twice within moments, as Justin Kluivert's low shot hit the post, shortly before Jackson raced down the other end and narrowly missed the target with a curling effort.
The hosts had a chance to double their lead just before half-time, but once again, Jackson squandered the opportunity, heading Palmer's inviting cross directly at Travers from close range before missing the follow-up.
Bournemouth quickly capitalised on Chelsea's missed chances, converting a penalty awarded for a poorly timed challenge by Moises Caicedo on Antoine Semenyo.
No team in the Premier League has scored more goals from substitutes, and Kluivert, who came on for the injured James Hill in the 23rd minute, confidently converted the penalty to equalise.
Despite conceding, Chelsea appeared to regain momentum when VAR intervened to review a hair pull by David Brooks on Marc Cucurella; however, it was surprising that Brooks received only a yellow card for the infraction.
An open contest unfolded, but with just over 20 minutes left on the clock, the visitors dramatically altered the course of the match as Semenyo engaged Josh Acheampong and then struck the ball high past Sanchez at his near post.
Chelsea sought to equalize and ultimately succeeded in stoppage time when returning captain Reece James converted a free-kick, securing a point for his team.
Despite remaining unbeaten in their last six encounters (W4, D2), Chelsea's aspirations for a top-four finish are not significantly enhanced, as fifth-placed Newcastle United could surpass Enzo Maresca’s team if they secure a victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow.
On the other hand, Bournemouth, despite the late setback, achieved another positive result, keeping Andoni Iraola’s team in seventh place, with the prospect of European football becoming increasingly attainable.
SportsLigue