LAMPS SEES Frank finally tastes victory as
REPORTING FROM THE VITALITY
FRANK LAMPARD will always be Chelsea royalty – as the travelling fans underlined during this trip to Dorset. They were singing ‘Super, super Frank’ long before a late double blast from Benoit Badiashile and Joao Felix (below) ensured their interim boss finally has a win in his second spell at the helm.
But while his first victory after six straight defeats lifted the spirits of Chelsea’s all time-record goalscorer, the mood in the away end was mixed to say the least.
Just ask Raheem Sterling and Hakim Ziyech, who were roundly booed when introduced as secondhalf subs.
Former Manchester City ace Sterling was especially targeted – no doubt for accusing his new club of being run badly by comparison to the English champions.
Whether true or not, that was not a good idea – as he discovered here.the fact that Ziyech and Sterling provided assists for Chelsea’s decisive strikes scarcely seemed to matter.
And the restless mob, who also stuck it to American owner Todd Boehly while hailing predecessor Roman Abramovich, obviously have a case.
Let’s face it, one triumph against a Bournemouth side who were already safe does nothing to suggest this bunch of expensive Blues, worth £600million, are anything other than pretenders to the throne once owned by Lamps.
When you think about it, Gary O’neil’s Cherries are everything Chelsea are not.
Minnows mixing it among the elite, punching way above their weight, and staying loyal to their talented young coach even in dire times.
And that is before we consider the smoothest of takeovers last December, investing superbly in the January window and, above all, playing with an identity. Indeed, the only thing between these teams that bore any similarity beforehand was their points total of 39 – enough to keep both up.
That didn’t stop the mocking chants of, “We are staying up” from the Chelsea fans after their second attack here produced only the third goal of Lampard’s current spell.
It was recalled Conor Gallagher who found the space to angle a header home from N’golo Kante’s ninth-minute cross.
The shock lead lasted just 12 minutes as Bournemouth responded with a stunning equaliser.
A couple of one-touch exchanges involving Matiasvina – and Ryan Christie and Dominic Solanke – allowed the Cherries left-back to take aim and curl a right-foot peach into the far corner.
The second period began slowly before becoming virtual one-way traffic – in the direction of Chelsea stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
He made a great save on 70 minutes fromvina before the Cherries were denied in a mad goalmouth scramble. And Dango Ouattara missed a sitter from five yards to wrap up what would have been a fifth win in six games.
The most significant moments for Chelsea until then surrounded the treatment of Sterling and Ziyech.
But both responded in the best fashion. Ziyech’s free-kick set up defender Badiashile to bundle in on 82 minutes before Sterling put Felix in for a third four minutes later.
BOURNEMOUTH 1 CHELSEA 3
CHERRIES ARE