GUTTED CHERRIES PIPPED BY BLUES
Defender’s double saves Blues as Lamps’ strikers have off day
BOURNEMOUTH 2-2 CHELSEA:
FRANK LAMPARD was pleased Marcos Alonso found the net twice to rescue a point for him at the Vitality Stadium.
However, he was less so with the rest of the striking talent at his disposal.
This was another dose of the good, bad and the ugly for Chelsea’s boss who took a lead into half-time but needed a late intervention from the Spaniard to emerge with a share.
“I’m very happy for Marcos,” said Lampard, “but when I think my left-back is the man scoring the two goals – he also scored our last one in the Premier League – and that we have created so many opportunities, I have to question why we are not finishing them. We’ve had 23 chances... balls flashing across the face of goal... and enjoyed 73 per cent of possession – we have to stick these chances away.
“It’s been a clear part of our season. I’ve sat here and said it a lot. We play really well, create good stuff but need to find the net.
“It’s costing us in games. Everyone wants to point at the defence, and we work all week on it. But it’s hard to create actual situations like someone out-jumping your man or a centrehalf diving in when they shouldn’t do. We go in at half-time one up, then we should finish it off. We need to be more clinical at both ends.” There is no immediate remedy in sight. Leading scorer Tammy Abraham, whose absence is being keenly felt, has travelled abroad for a second opinion on the ankle injury which continues to confound the club’s medics. Lampard added: “Tammy’s gone to Barcelona for some other eyes on it. “I’ve got no other update at the moment. I’m hoping it’s not a
long-term injury but at the same time I can’t tell you he will be ready for Tuesday or Sunday.”
Chelsea started slowly and could easily have fallen behind inside the opening 10 minutes. After finding their feet, Alonso found the net with that trusted left foot just after the half-hour.
Olivier Giroud’s near-post header crashed into the crossbar and the defender produced another lovely strike to hand the visitors an advantage.
Within 30 seconds of the second-half getting under way, Giroud should have added a second but sidefooted the ball against his own ankle. It was costly. A second then would surely
been too much for the hosts to drag back.
However, Bournemouth slowly got to grips with the job at hand, Jefferson Lerma towered above the visitors’ defence, powering home Ryan Fraser’s right-wing corner.
And then the left side of Chelsea’s defence went AWOL, Jack Stacey moving forward with menace, taking a pass from Philip Billing in his stride and producing a low centre missed by Callum Wilson. Josh King was on hand to roll into an empty net.
Chelsea then pressed relentlessly, camping in the Cherries’ half of the field. Subhave stitute Michy Batshuayi saw a strike wiped out for offside and Pedro put a chance wide.
Five minutes from time, the goal Chelsea had threatened, duly arrived. Cesar Azpilicueta’s ball into the box allowed Pedro to control and fire forwards only for Alonso to pick off the rebound, heading home his third in two games.
Cherries’ chief Eddie Howe ( far left) said: “I’ve got mixed emotions. I’m happy with the point because we have to make sure that if we are not going to win games that we at least draw them.
“So, in that respect, I’m pleased – but you are craving three points. We’re desperate for them.
“But we’re in a better place now than we were a few weeks ago. Our last five performances have been stronger.
“We’ve started to create chances and score goals from open play which we weren’t doing a few weeks ago.
“We’ve had players return from injury and that’s made a huge difference, not just on the pitch but also to the psychology of the players.
“We’re not where we want to be.
“It’s very tight. But certainly I’m seeing signs that the team is in a much better place for the battle ahead.”