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Chelsea came into the game desperate for a win following a promising display at White Hart Lane the previous week while Bournemouth were coming off a thrilling 3-3 draw with Everton and looking to improve on that when they visited the home of the reigning champions.
The Blues controlled most of the game and looked certain to score, but an unsuccessful penalty appeal was soon followed by the Cherries capitalizing on Chelsea’s shabby defending for Glenn Murray to put them into lead, albeit from an offside position, which left Chelsea feeling very hard done by as they now find themselves just two points above the drop zone.
Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois – 7/10
Coming back from a long spell on the sidelines as a result of injury, the Belgian shot-stopper showed no signs of being out of touch when called on early in the first half with a string of good saves at the back.
Branislav Ivanovic – 6/10
Following an injury that kept him on the sidelines for about a month, Ivanovic is looking back to his best with his characteristic forward runs causing Bournemouth problems throughout the game along with doing a good job of defending against Stanislas. He was wasteful with his crosses, however.
Kurt Zouma – 6/10
The young French centre-back looks to be improving with each game and was masterful in marshalling the backline along with Cahill, sniffing out any potential threats with relative ease for the majority of the game. He is certainly being bred to succeed Terry at the heart of the Blues’ defence.
Gary Cahill – 6/10
John Terry’s injury allowed Cahill a place in the starting XI for a second successive game and the English centre-back repaid his selection with a controlled and composed display. He linked up well with Zouma to keep Bournemouth’s attacking threats to a minimum until they scored in the last 10 minutes of the game.
Baba Rahman – 5/10
While most of his starts have come in the Champions League, Rahman did a decent job against Spurs in the previous game and was thus awarded a place ahead of Cesar Azpilicueta. However, he put in an underwhelming performance and was clearly Chelsea’s weakest link at the back.
Nemanja Matic – 6/10
The Serbian holding midfielder has shown signs of improvement after a poor start to the season and this game was no different. He performed his role with ease, breaking up play in the middle of the pitch along with providing cover for Cesc Fabregas in the heart of Chelsea’s lineup.
Cesc Fabregas – 6/10
The Spanish midfielder hasn’t looked his best this season and, while his attacking performance today did leave a little to be desired, it was a definite move in the right direction with some characteristic defence-splitting balls threaded through throughout the game. His defensive display, however, was a massive improvement on the performances shown prior to the game.
Willian – 7/10
Arguably Chelsea’s only performer this season, Willian again showcased how vital he is to Chelsea with another masterful display of attack and tireless tracking back. Probably the only “undroppable” in Mourinho’s lineup as of now.
Pedro – 7/10
After an underwhelming performance against Tottenham, the former Barcelona man had a point to make and rose to the challenge with a much-improved display against the visitors – constantly posing a threat on the flank.
Oscar – 5/10
The Brazilian spent quite a lengthy spell on the sidelines as a result of injury and was finally called up to the first XI and impressed in his role behind Hazard. He characteristically worked hard in tracking back when Chelsea lost the ball. However, he was slightly wasteful with his chances.
Eden Hazard – 7/10
The reigning PFA Player of the Year has endured a trying campaign so far with criticism coming in from all quarters. However, over the last few games, the Belgian has shown glimpses of his attacking best with flashes of brilliance against Stoke and Spurs. He displayed that same guile and trickery against Bournemouth and was a constant threat up front. He definitely looks like he is on his way to being back to his best in this position.
Substitutes
Diego Costa – 6/10
The Spanish forward had a point to prove after being left on the bench against Spurs and not starting this game and he showed a marked improvement in his movement and desire for the ball. But he still has a long way to go before getting back to his best.
Bertrand Traore – N/A
Loic Remy – N/A
Bournemouth
Artur Boruc – 7/10
The former Southampton man was impressive in the first half where he pulled off a string of fine saves.
Charlie Daniels – 6/10
A lacklustre evening for the Bournemouth player which saw him beaten for pace by Willian on many an occasions along with being caught out of position frequently.
Steve Cook – 7/10
Cook was largely untroubled in the first half and he did well to defend corners alongside Francis when Chelsea piled on the pressure as the game went on.
Simon Francis – 6/10
He did well in neutralizing Chelsea’s corners. However, he was very lucky not to concede a penalty in the second half.
Adam Smith – 7/10
It was another good performance from the Bournemouth wingback which saw him provide Matt Ritchie with some vital support while pushing ahead. He also did a decent job tracking back.
Harry Arter – 6/10
A good outing for the Bournemouth midfielder which saw him cause problems for Ivanovic while pushing ahead along with helping Daniels deal with Willian and Hazard when Chelsea had the ball.
Dan Gosling – 6/10
Largely absent during the first half of the game, Gosling got more of the ball as the game went on. However, he did little with it.
Andrew Surman – 6/10
The Bournemouth holding midfielder had a decent evening where he snuffed out some Chelsea attacks in the middle of the pitch. But he faded as the game went on and let the Chelsea midfield have more time on the ball.
Matt Ritchie – 7/10
While keeping Baba Rahman on his toes for most of the game, it was Ritchie’s defensive contributions which were impressive where he tracked back diligently to help Steve Cook on the flank.
Junior Stanislas – 6/10
A frustrating evening for the Bournemouth man where he would have liked to have done more with the opportunities presented to him.
Joshua King – 6/10
King looked like a constant threat going ahead and caused Cahill problems throughout the game. He looked more likely to score, especially during the first half. However, he was wasteful with many of his chances.
Substitutes
Glenn Murray – 6.5/10
He scored virtually right after coming on from a corner, albeit in a controversial manner. It took him only 99 seconds to make a difference.
