Havertz and Mount push Chelsea past Bournemouth but James injured again
A home win in regulation this might have been. But victory over Bournemouth – and a com‐ fortable one at that – was as wel‐ come, as it was necessary for Graham Potter.
First‐half goals from World Cup returnees Kai Havertz and Mason Mount made what could have been an awkward evening, one of relief and, largely, satis‐ faction. The statistical gurus stroked their keyboards in antic‐ ipation, ready to pounce on any Chelsea mishap, which, given this fixture’s recent history, was a genuine concern.
But really Chelsea ought to have added more gloss. The real kicker of the evening came when Reece James suffered what ap‐ peared to be a recurrence of the knee injury that caused him to miss Qatar.
This was not a result for Potter to get carried away with. But there can be genuine excitement at Raheem Sterling’s showing. This was the player they bought. And while Chelsea will almost certainly seek at least temporary striking reinforcements in Janu‐ ary, Havertz will take confidence from both his strike and per‐ formance.
Gary O’Neill’s Bournemouth side were outclassed. To call them plucky is a tad harsh; these are not nights on which their season will turn. But they barely landed a punch until the closing stages.
Given the length of their World Cup hiatus – 45 days have passed since Chelsea’s last competitive fixture – it feels misleading to use that starting line‐up as a frame of reference.
But, that Graham Potter felt able to name just three of the 11 who began their defeat at New‐ castle, demonstrated the World Cup’s impact on his selection. Reece James, ruled out of Eng‐ land duty by injury, returned for the first time since mid‐October, while Denis Zakaria, on loan from Juventus, made his league debut.
Bournemouth had it easy by comparison, with just Kieffer Moore and Chris Mepham in Qatar. The blow of the latter missing out with illness was soft‐ ened with Lloyd Kelly returning from a near four‐month absence.
But while the Premier League has slept, the Cherries have been active. Gary O’Neill’s interim managerial success earned him an 18‐month contract, while he now ultimately reports to Billy Foley after the American’s con‐ sortium completed its much‐an‐ ticipated takeover.
O’Neill was never supposed to be anything more than a stop‐ gap, but has been quietly im‐ pressive in his first role. Much like he was as a player, really.
If Chelsea were weakened by absent faces – among them Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic – it did not show. They settled confidently into their work, neat triangles of passing everywhere, with James’s every touch cheered.
An early penalty appeal was waved away when Christian Pulisic burst into the area with Adam Smith clinging, albeit lightly, to his shirt. Pulisic stayed up to get his shot away, and was joined on his feet by Cheslea’s entire bench. VAR said no. One of those “anywhere else it’s a foul” moments, and given Smith was not attempting to play the ball, it might have had serious conse‐ quences.
Fortunately, it soon became a moot point; Mason Mount slid in Raheem Sterling, whose inch‐ perfect first‐time cross had Kai Havertz sliding to poke past Mark Travers. Potter’s hands shot from his pockets to pummel the air with gusto. Relief.
Eight minutes later Chelsea doubled their lead. This time Havertz turned provider, recy‐ cling a loose ball to tee up Mount. On his 150th Chelsea start, his 20‐yard, superb, low curler nes‐ tled in the corner.The entirety of Stamford Bridge believed Chelsea had a third but Potter’s celebration of Pulisic’s finish quickly turned to remonstration when the referee Simon Hooper penalised the American.
The fruits of Bournemouth’s sorry opening half were a Philip Billing free‐kick that Kepa Arriz‐ abalaga dealt with comfortably despite the slippery surface. Full marks for effort but they could barely get a touch.
James’s combination with Ra‐ heem Sterling, who hugged the right touchline, was simply too much for them. Many present ought to have uttered the words “if only” as both tested Travers in first‐half stoppage time.