Chelsea survive Bournemouth test thanks to Sánchez and super subs

Bournemouth (0) 0 v Chelsea (0) 1

Nkunku 86

By Kaz Mochlinski at the Vitality Stadium

Premier League

Matchweek 4

An 86th minute goal from Christopher Nkunku and a first clean sheet in 21 away games gave Chelsea a dramatic 1-0 victory at Bournemouth which seemed highly unlikely for much of the match but could prove hugely significant.

The greatly-rebuilt Chelsea squad showed impressive character and resilience in withstanding long periods of Bournemouth dominance, with the home side missing a penalty and twice hitting the woodwork.

Importantly, head coach Enzo Maresca’s changes from the bench played a large part in Chelsea coming away with a win, as two substitutes in Jadon Sancho and Nkunku combined for the only goal of the game.

So encouraging was Sancho’s debut display that he was made man-of-the-match despite only being brought on at half-time. However, Robert Sánchez may have been unlucky to miss out on the award, after a string of fine saves, including from the penalty.

Sánchez also contributed to a remarkable but unwanted statistic as one of 14 players shown yellow cards by the referee, Anthony Taylor - eight for Chelsea and six for Bournemouth - setting a new record for a Premier League game.

It was memorable and unusual, with a rare Saturday evening kick-off at 8pm, which Chelsea seem to like, having been involved in the last such Premier League match, at Aston Villa in April, when a 2-2 draw began their late run for European qualification.

The Blues were without Enzo Fernández and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who were both reported to be ill. Enzo’s absence meant a first Premier League start for Renato Veiga in midfield, with Moisés Caicedo again captaining the side.

Bournemouth were missing Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is on loan from Chelsea and so is ineligible to face his parent club, resulting in the hosts playing a third different goalkeeper in four league games this season.

Nevertheless, Mark Travers had far less to do than Sánchez, as Chelsea’s awkward attempts to play out from the back broke down repeatedly, gifting Bournemouth a series of chances to score from transition.

Although Chelsea dominated possession, with 67% to Bournemouth’s 33%, it was the Cherries who had overwhelmingly more efforts on goal, with 19 attempts saved or blocked or just missing the target.

There was a very early warning for Chelsea, as, after only three minutes, Marcus Tavernier sweetly struck a long-range left-foot drive but saw it rebound off the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.

Still it was largely thanks to Sánchez that the Blues continued to hold out, until in the 36th minute the goalkeeper was left stranded by an underhit backpass from a panicking Wesley Fofana, letting in Evanilson to win Bournemouth a penalty.

The visitors were agrieved that the Brazilian forward sought to make contact with the stationary Sánchez, but VAR inevitably backed the referee. And there was some Chelsea relief at the keeper perplexingly only being booked rather than red-carded.

It allowed Sánchez to make amends for his foul giving away the spot kick, saving Evanilson’s penalty with a fantastic full-length dive to prevent Bournemouth’s recent club-record £40 million signing from scoring his first goal in English football.

And Sánchez was equally brilliant in the second half, when he denied Ryan Christie with a finger-tip save in the 59th minute, managing to turn a well-hit, first-time, left-footed shot onto the post and away to safety.

That was yet another needless situation which was self-inflicted, occurring on account of a poor clearance, but there were some promising signs of improvement from Chelsea as a result of Maresca’s second-half substitutions.

Having only had their first shot on target in the 34th minute - a terrific Levi Colwill run forward creating a perfect opening for Nicolas Jackson, who disappointingly squandered it - they began to keep the ball better and look more dangerous in the later stages of the match.

“We were creating chances but we lacked quality inside the box” admitted Maresca afterwards, referring directly to Jackson, as the Senegalese striker had another ineffectual evening before finally being replaced by Nkunku.

And it was Nkunku who secured the three points for the Blues with less than five minutes remaining, taking full advantage of a slick pass from Sancho, who deservedly got an assist on his Chelsea debut.

Nkunku beautifully danced in-between Bournemouth’s dazzled defenders before slotting the ball into the net with all the poise and calmness which Jackson had yet again repeatedly failed to demonstrate.

The goal came after he had been on the pitch for just seven minutes, and it extended a quirky sequence, as all four of Nkunku’s Premier League goals for Chelsea so far have come in away matches in which he has been sent on as a substitute.

Both the pass and the finish were very Palmeresque, on a night when Cole Palmer started and played the whole 90 minutes despite not looking completely fit after missing the two England games during the international break.

Palmer’s unusually subdued performance was exacerbated by being the target of recurrent rough treatment from several Bournemouth players, which Chelsea were very disappointed to have not been more strongly punished by Taylor, who once more was infuriatingly inconsistent.

It did not matter in the end, as the Blues won their fourth consecutive Premier League away match, maintaining their 100% winning record on the road in the league this season.

They will have to try and repeat the feat at Stamford Bridge, as they have yet to claim a 2024-25 league victory at home - a statistic which they ensured would also continue for now for Bournemouth.

Bournemouth: (4-2-3-1) Travers - Smith (Araujo 75), Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez - Christie (Scott 68), Cook - Semenyo, Kluivert (Billing 75), Tavernier (Enes Ünal 83) - Evanilson (Sinisterra 68)

Chelsea: (4-2-3-1) Sánchez - Disasi (Tosin Adarabioyo 61), Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella - Caicedo, Veiga - Madueke (João Félix 61), Palmer, Neto (Sancho 46) - Jackson (Nkunku 79)

Attendance: 11,235