Morata the last-gasp hero as Blues nick it
RAFA SEALS KENEDY DEAL
NEWCASTLE boss Rafa Benitez has secured a loan deal for Chelsea winger Kenedy, who will move when the transfer window reopens next month.
Sportsmail understands the Magpies will pay a loan fee for the Brazilian Under 20 international, who they had tried to sign in the summer only for Antonio Conte to decide he was needed at Stamford Bridge. Kenedy, 21, returned to the Chelsea team last night for their 2-1 win against Bournemouth but has had limited chances. Benitez feels he can get the best out of him and will give him a platform to dazzle.
As AlvAro Morata’s winner trickled into the Bournemouth net, Antonio Conte let out one of his visceral roars. A minute earlier, the picture could hardly have been more different. Despite leading through an early Willian goal, Chelsea had switched off after the restart. They were rattled and Bournemouth’s Dan Gosling eventually scored a deserved equaliser as the game edged into stoppage time.
Conte had seen it coming. Heaven knows he had tried everything from the Chelsea technical area. He had tried cajoling his players. Then he introduced his big hitters. Yet the more frantic Conte became, the more his side retreated into their shell.
Bournemouth performed with greater urgency, forcing a succession of corners. only a tenacious block from the outstanding 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu denied Guy Mousset an equaliser.
The prospect of extra time began to haunt Conte.
so, out came three of his aces in Tiemoue Bakayoko, Eden Hazard and Morata. Yet Chelsea continued to stumble. Gary Cahill did so literally, falling flat on his face to concede a corner.
And the visitors kept coming. Gosling fired over; substitute Jordon Ibe flashed a low shot inches wide of goal.
When Gosling’s sweet, curling strike nestled into the bottom right corner, shortly before the fourth official raised his board to show four minutes added on, it was just what Eddie Howe’s side merited.
Yet in Hazard and Morata, Conte possesses two of the world’s most gifted footballers and, straight from the kick- off, the pair took matters into their own hands.
They dovetailed beautifully and Hazard’s back- flick freed the spaniard to seal a dramatic late victory.
Morata was booked for his enthusiastic celebrations, ruling him out of saturday’s visit to Everton.
‘It was heartbreaking,’ Howe said. Yet for Conte, victory was significant. Certainly, his side’s progress in this competition means more than he probably envisaged earlier in the season.
He might have regarded winning the Carabao Cup as a token aim, but amid Manchester City’s relentless excellence and a Champions league duel against Barcelona, the semi-final against Arsenal takes on real significance. And Conte’s sense of purpose last night was clear from his team-sheet.
The Italian may have made eight changes from the side who won at southampton, but his starting XI still had a combined value of £218.7m, including Cesc Fabregas, Willian and Pedro.
Hazard and Morata waited on the bench.
so, this was not a scratch Chelsea side. And Conte was true to his pre-match word, offering another high-level starting opportunity to Ampadu.
The teenager started in the previous round against Everton in central midfield and here the Wales international played at the heart of the Chelsea defence.
sporting frizzy dreadlocks and a lean build, he is a David luiz doppelganger.
Ampadu’s former Exeter boss, Paul Tisdale, says that he plays with the brain of a 35-year- old, yet just like luiz there are signs of over-exuberance.
The ferocity of Ampadu’s slash at Jermain Defoe’s ankles inside 80 seconds spoke of a young talent’s anxiety to impress. referee lee Mason took his name, yet Ampadu responded positively to the early setback, carrying the ball with confidence and defending with urgency and composure.
‘It is not simple to play 90 minutes with a yellow card,’ Conte said. ‘ Ampadu showed great maturity and personality. He is very humble and he could have a great future.’
Defoe was forced off with suspected ankle ligament damage and that loss represents the latest blow to Howe in a season that refuses to take off.
After suffering defeats by Manchester United and liverpool in the past eight days, and with the trauma of a visit to Manchester City this weekend, the injury to Defoe, in addition to one for Harry Arter who exited with a calf issue, provides a further headache.
still, Bournemouth made a vibrant start to the game and Gosling should have been more composed when a shooting opportunity presented itself early on. Chelsea’s attacking qualities soon surfaced, though.
Their opening goal was quite magnificent. An impudent backheel from the Brazilian Kenedy released Fabregas, breaking from midfield, and as the crowd rose in expectation, Fabregas was the coolest man in the stadium, teeing up Willian to score.
For a while, Chelsea looked capable of inflicting serious damage to Bournemouth’s fragile confidence, as Michy Batshuayi spurned a good chance and Davide Zappacosta fired across goal.
Yet the second half was a very different story and, ultimately, Chelsea were grateful to come away with any sort of win at all. CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Caballero 6; Rudiger 6, Ampadu 7, Cahill 6.5; Zappacosta 6, Drinkwater 6, Fabregas 7, Kenedy 7; Pedro 6 (Bakayoko 61min, 6), WILLIAN 7.5 (Hazard 61, 6.5); Batshuayi 5 (Morata 73, 6.5).
Subs not used: Eduardo, Clarke-Salter, Sterling, Hudson-Odoi. Scorers: Willian 13, Morata 90+1. Booked: Ampadu, Fabregas, Zappacosta, Morata. Manager: Antonio Conte 6.5. BOURNEMOUTH (5-3-2): Boruc 6; A Smith 6, S Cook 6, Francis 6, Simpson 6.5, Fraser 6.5; Gosling 7, Artur 6.5 (L Cook 73, 6), Surman 6; Mousset 5.5 (Wilson 71, 6), Defoe 5.5 (Ibe 17, 6). Subs not used: Ramsdale, Ake, Pugh, Hyndman. Booked: Surman, Francis,
A Smith, Gosling. Scorer: Gosling 90. Manager: Eddie Howe 6. Referee: Lee Mason 6.5. Attendance: 41,168.