Boss Sarri is not blinded by Chelsea’s winning run
JOSE MOURINHO and Antonio Conte, the previous Chelsea managers, have both endured moments of gloom-laden reckoning at home against Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth. So Maurizio Sarri will have been glad to seal this hard-fought win.
Late goals from Pedro and Eden Hazard ensured this fixture was not to be filed alongside Mourinho’s 1-0 home defeat in the autumn of 2015 or Conte’s 3-0 reverse last January.
Sarri will also take deserved credit for the introduction of Pedro and Olivier Giroud, who combined beautifully to carve the opening goal.
Yet the statistics — Chelsea had 73 per cent of the ball and limited the visitors to one shot on target — are deceiving. This was not a perfect display and flaws underlined Sarri’s view that more time is required.
Bournemouth offered some almighty frights. Both Callum Wilson and Nathan Ake missed gilt-edged chances with the score level, while Ryan Fraser fired wide when clean through.
‘In the first half we needed to move the ball at a faster speed,’ Sarri said. ‘But in this kind of match, usually you can win in the last 20 to 25 minutes. So I was always confident.’
Chelsea (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic (LoftusCheek 79); Willian (Pedro 65), Morata (Giroud 61), Hazard; subs (not used): Caballero, Barkley, Zappacosta, Christensen scorers: Pedro 72; Hazard 85 Booked: Alonso, Kante Bournemouth (3-4-3): Begovic; Francis, S. Cook, Ake; A. Smith (Ibe 80), Gosling, Lerma (L. Cook 87), Rico; King (Mousset 80), Wilson, Fraser; subs (not used): Boruc, Surman, L. Cook, Brooks, Mings Booked: Gosling, Lerma referee: Lee Mason.