Two first-half goals courtesy of Kai Havertz and Mason Mount helped Chelsea end their three-match winless run in the Premier League in their first game on the return of the Premier League from the World Cup break.
The Blues lost to Arsenal, Manchester City, and Newcastle United in November before the world cup break, and the victory on Tuesday is refreshing to an already underfire Graham Potter.
Germany striker Kai Havertz scored the first goal in the first ten minutes after sweeping home from a Raheem Sterling low cross.
Mason Mount scored Chelsea’s second goal halfway into the first half, and although Christian Pulisic scored a third just before halftime, it was canceled by VAR.
The win put an end to the two-game winning streak that the Cherries have in the Premier League, and manager Gary O’Neill has faulted the team’s start to the game as one of the reasons they failed to get the victory.
“I think at the start of the game; we struggled a bit to get to grips. I thought once we got it right, the boys showed what they can do. To respond from 2-0 down at a tough place like this and put Chelsea under pressure was a good effort from everybody. [It’s] Just a shame the start got away from us. I think we have a clear way we want to play. We lost Chris Mepham to illness, so we had to change the starting eleven late. It wasn’t ideal and probably one of the reasons we struggled to get going. But pleased with how we finished the game.” O’Neil said.
It is also a second consecutive loss for Bournemouth, who lost by a single goal to nil to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup last week
Bournemouth returns to the Vitality Stadium and Saturday to face Crystal Palace.