Chelsea was held to a scoreless draw by Bournemouth, marking another frustrating away performance.
The team struggled in the first half, appearing lethargic and lacking attacking threat. Despite a more energetic second half, they could not break down Bournemouth’s defense.
Cole Palmer, returning to the starting lineup, appeared rusty. Liam Delap was forced off injured early. The match ended 0-0, with Chelsea unable to capitalize on dropped points by rivals.
Chelsea player ratings vs Bournemouth
Robert Sánchez – 8
The keeper was very busy — and very good. Two superb saves late in the first half prevented what could have been a very different scoreline going into the break. Without that, Chelsea may have been behind.
Malo Gusto – 7
Gusto had a tough job dealing with Antoine Semenyo, but he managed to keep him in check reasonably well. Although Bournemouth’s left-side was also active, he held firm when needed.
Wesley Fofana – 7
On his return, Fofana brought welcome calm to the back. Even though Chelsea didn’t have their best game, a clean sheet shows that defensively the centre–back partnership did its job.
Trevoh Chalobah – 6
Chalobah also helped keep a clean sheet, though he was a bit more tentative on the ball compared with his defensive partner. Not a disaster, but not a standout either.
Marc Cucurella – 6
Cucurella had one early headed chance, but beyond that he didn’t make much of an impact going forward. Defensively he was solid enough — but his attacking contribution was minimal.
Reece James – 6
The captain was asked to fill in defensively — perhaps as a replacement for a usual full-back role. He covered well and was dependable, though he didn’t shine like he sometimes does when freed up offensively.
Enzo Fernández – 5
Strangely quiet in this one. The midfield was dominated by Bournemouth at times, and Fernández failed to impose himself as the driving force in central midfield.
Pedro Neto – 6
Coming into this game with momentum, Neto couldn’t quite find good decisions on the ball today. His final output was okay, but he didn’t really influence the game as hoped.
Cole Palmer – 4
His return to the starting XI was much anticipated — but the performance was far from the usual spark. Over 58 minutes, his numbers (passes, touches, dribbles) were modest; one shot, minimal end product. It looked like rust rather than sharpness.
Alejandro Garnacho – 6
Garnacho showed energy throughout, arguably more than most in a flat Chelsea display. He struck the post early in the second half but could not convert anything else. Still, he looked frustrated by the team’s lack of quality and did show willingness.
Liam Delap – 6
Delap started with good aggression and looked ready to engage physically, especially against Bournemouth’s defence. Sadly, an injury forced him off after about 30 minutes — cutting short any chance he had to influence the game.
When substituted / bench players
Marc Guiu – 5: Replaced Delap, but apart from showing a bit of presence, did little else of note.
Joao Pedro – 6: Came on around the hour mark (for Palmer), had a steady enough showing — but didn’t shift the game.
Estevao Willian – 5: Late run onto the pitch without doing much to influence proceedings.