Chelsea thumped Bournemouth 5-1 at Stamford Bridge this Saturday in a glorious reaction to their 3-0 defeat by Brentford before the international break. The result propelled Xabi Alonso’s side to fifth in the Premier League table.
Jordan Henderson starred for a rampant Chelsea, scoring twice, whilst João Pedro also scored a brace. Rogers’ curler bent into the top corner to put them two up by the third minute. The hosts needed only ten shots to register five goals, an unrelenting rate that defied recent defensive troubles.
The Cherries won the expected-goals battle 1.46 to 1.08, but Chelsea were the better side, largely thanks to their clinical finishing and Đorđe Petrović’s wretched day. Defensive concerns, however, continued to surface since Evanilson’s equaliser means the hosts remain without a league clean sheet this season. Here are the Chelsea player ratings:
Emiliano Martínez: 7/10
Martínez wasn’t called upon to do anything particularly special, but his first-half reaction smothered Rayan, and Christie followed up after he fumbled the ball. On a personal note, the stopper prevented 0.44 goals and seized six high balls, and he showed quality delivery as the Argentine’s pinpoint goal kick found the feet of Neto. Ultimately, the visitors found an outlet through their strike force, and the clean-sheet drought for the Blues continues.
Josh Acheampong: 7/10
The right of the back three is where Josh Acheampong started in today’s game, and his pass down the channel sparked João Pedro’s third goal. Throughout the contest, he was positionally disciplined; the youngster never looked out of sorts, nor did he seem overawed by the occasion. The Cherries’ most dangerous outlet was the opposite flank, leaving his contribution unchallenged.
Maxence Lacroix: 7/10
The Frenchman repelled wave upon wave of delivery from the Cherries with his aerial prowess and contributed heavily to Chelsea’s 27 clearances. The only criticism of his afternoon was an overreach that let Rayan slip past and threaten before half-time.
Levi Colwill: 7/10
Captain Levi Colwill orchestrated the back three with understated flair, and his defending before the half-time interval denied Evanilson’s lunge at goal. He progressively shifted forward to help with possession, but their continued goal concession at an unacceptable rate reduces his overall score.
Pedro Neto: 7.5/10
Pedro Neto gave everything on the right flank, eventually setting up João Pedro’s third goal of the afternoon with an assist. Earlier, he fired a shot that forced Petrović’s parry before Rogers’ goal. He worked the right channel to devastating effect until Welbeck replaced him with minutes to spare, after an energetic, selfless performance.
Moisés Caicedo: 7.5/10
Moisés Caicedo looked delighted to return to the fray after his injury troubles, and he spent 72 minutes at the heart of midfield. Aside from winning seven duels, he made a hazardous clearance that rebounded off Evanilson for Cherries’ goal, which slightly lowered his rating. Other than this, he suffocated attempts at transition by visitors.
Jordan Henderson: 9.5/10
Jordan Henderson’s heroics at 36 made him the man of the match. He scored two goals and provided the assist for Rogers. His first Chelsea goal arrived after just 65 seconds, and the free-kick curled into the net was a special moment in his career. The midfielder completed 52 of 61 passes to earn a 9.5 rating, and fans voted him player of the match by a huge margin.
Pep Chavarría: 7.5/10
Scampering tirelessly down the left, Pep Chavarría completed a key pass and a sublime cross that found the feet of João Pedro for 4-1. Defensively, he looked frequently bamboozled by Rayan, who was rampant against them, and nearly half of Bournemouth’s attacks went down his side, something Alonso will need to address.
Cole Palmer: 8/10
Cole Palmer wasted no time in paying back his freshly announced contract, driving hard to create his side’s opener and earning Tavernier’s early booking with his elusiveness. A cunning dummy over the free-kick also allowed Henderson to deliver his master free-kick. While the Englishman wasn’t able to convert a chance, he orchestrated Chelsea’s attack until he was replaced in the 88th minute by Gusto.
Morgan Rogers: 8/10
Morgan Rogers curled in a looping effort into the far corner to claim his fourth league goal, assisted by Silva’s deflection. His press was ruthless, and in the first half he sent a sublime flick to Chavarría. He was replaced by Estêvão in the 84th minute after a productive afternoon.
João Pedro: 9/10
João Pedro scored both of his shots: first, a composed near-corner finish at 46, and second, a laid-back tap-in after Chavarría’s cross inside the box. His touch in and around the box was excellent overall. He has now bagged five league goals, matching top scorer Erling Haaland, before Palestra replaced him on 72 minutes.
Roméo Lavia: 6.5/10
Roméo Lavia replaced the tiring Caicedo on 72 minutes and showed composure, with good positioning and strong tackles as they saw out the game. Not much style, but it got the job done: keeping Bournemouth at arm’s length, but nothing too alarming as they hunted for a route back into the contest.
Marco Palestra: 6/10
Marco Palestra came on for João Pedro in the 72nd minute but had little impact and couldn’t impose himself. The replacement was uneventful. He needs some time to adjust to Alonso’s system and get his head down before he can expect to cement a place.
Danny Welbeck, Estevao, and Malo Gusto all came on late, leaving them without a score.