Chelsea went five consecutive Premier League games without a win as they drew 2-2 against Bournemouth.
Cole Palmer opened the scoring in a truly dominant first half but, as has been the case recently, Chelsea fell apart after the break as Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo put the Cherries ahead.
Chelsea’s heads appeared to be down, only for the returning Reece James to head over Mark Travers’ free-kick in stoppage time to earn your side a share of points.
How the match unfolded
Enzo Fernandez couldn’t move quickly enough to convert within the first 60 seconds, but Chelsea didn’t have to wait long to celebrate when Cole Palmer headed shakily towards the corner flag 13 minutes later.
Nicolas Jackson’s excellent footwork was followed by a perfect pass to Palmer, who planted Mark Travers with an adorable fake before calmly slotting into the bottom corner.
Travers did well to deny Fernandez on the half-hour mark, and Jackson somehow blazed across goal soon after Noni Madueke’s run had given him an excellent chance just yards out.
Kluivert hit the post after a poor clearance from Roberto Sanchez almost put Bournemouth back in the game, before Jackson saw his own effort crash off the post just seconds later.
Jackson once again had his head in his hands on the stroke of half-time when a low header was brilliantly saved by Travers, whose heroics gave Chelsea a 1-0 lead at the interval.
Bournemouth were offered a way back into the game just three minutes into the restart when Moises Caicedo tackled Semenyo in the box. In stepped Kluivert, who crashed down the middle to tie the game.
The Cherries’ momentum was almost halted almost immediately after VAR advised a check on a foul on David Brooks, who caught Marco Cucurella across the face. The assistant recommended a red card for violent behavior, only for the on-field referee to opt for a yellow card instead.
Bournemouth was not ashamed and Semenyo put the visitors in the lead with 20 minutes to go. A thunderous strike from a tight angle was simply too much for Roberto Sanchez, who couldn’t pounce quickly enough to prevent his side falling behind.
The hosts looked most likely to score the next goal, but it was Chelsea who equalized in stoppage time. Reece James came off the bench to take a wonderful free kick to rescue a point for the Blues.
Axel Disasi’s absence from the matchday squad was notable as it comes amid considerable uncertainty surrounding his future. Maresca rarely includes any player who is in line to leave the club.
This is why the presence of Christopher Nkunku and Renato Veiga on the Chelsea bench is particularly interesting. Both have been tipped to head to the Bundesliga – Bayern Munich are chasing the former and Borussia Dortmund are eyeing the latter – but Maresca’s decision to include both, even if neither came off the bench, may suggest departures are far from certain.
How Jackson didn’t score in this game will forever remain a mystery.
In the early stages, the Chelsea striker fired over from close range, before hitting the post and seeing a close-range header deflected inside the first half, which could easily have sealed a hat-trick for Jackson on another day.
That profligacy was punished as Bournemouth scored twice in the second half, turning what could have been an easy victory for Chelsea into a desperate draw.
At the beginning of the second half, this game really came to life. Justin Kluivert equalized from the spot, before David Brooks found himself in the discipline.
As Chelsea tried to answer Roberto Sanchez, Brooks reached out to stop Marco Cucurella and clear to catch the Chelsea full-back high. A VAR review ensued and, despite the assistant’s suggestion of a red card, the on-field referee decided that a yellow card was the correct course of action.
Chelsea were visibly dismayed to see Brooks allowed to finish this game, and perhaps it left them reeling as their second-half woes reignited.
Josh Acheampong appears to be firmly entrenched in Maresca’s starting unit. The prolific Tosin Adarabioyo sat on the bench as the Cobham graduate started his second successive Premier League game.
It was a quieter outing for the 18-year-old compared to his previous performance against Crystal Palace, but Acheampong faced his first real test of Premier League quality when Antoine Semenyo bullied him for Bournemouth’s second goal.
He was withdrawn shortly afterwards but thankfully was still greeted with applause from those inside Stamford Bridge.
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