Hazard goal leads Chelsea past Bournemouth: 3 things we learned

Chelsea beat Bournemouth 1-0 at Vitality Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 28. Here are three things we learned.

Chelsea beat Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday thanks to a second-half goal by Eden Hazard. Here are three things we learned.

Chelsea do what they do best

This wasn’t a dominant win for Chelsea, but there were reasons for encouragement in the way they secured the three points. The Blues under Antonio Conte have always been more effective than electric, and this was a classic example of their ability to do what it takes.

Alvaro Morata wasn’t at his best and Cesc Fabregas wasn’t as influential as usual, but this team know how to win matches whether they’re playing well or not. They restricted Bournemouth to half chances, defended well in their own box (Cesar Azpilicueta was superb) and took enough chances to win.

This is the second week in a row Chelsea have turned a somewhat lackluster performance into three points. They’re arguably the best team in the league when comes to grinding out wins, and while they’re nine points behind league leaders Manchester City already, these are the sorts of results that will keep them in the title race.

Bournemouth still struggling to create

Bournemouth pride themselves on playing attractive, passing soccer, but their lack of quality means they often fail to turn their possession into good chances. Saturday was no different. They had seven shots, but only managed to put one on target, and mostly had settle for speculative efforts from distance.

There’s no shame in struggling to break down Chelsea’s defense, which is among the best in the league, even without N’Golo Kante, but this is becoming a common theme for the Cherries. The problem is a lack of creativity in the final third, where their play is too predictable.

Jordon Ibe is inconsistent, but he takes the sort of risks that break a game open and Bournemouth looked more dangerous after his introduction at halftime. Eddie Howe may consider playing him from the start more regularly, especially after Junior Stanislas was forced off with an injury.

Howe shouldn’t be too disappointed with what was a decent performance against a very good side, but he should be seriously concerned with the fact his team have managed only six goals in 10 matches. If they’re going to avoid the drop, they need to offer more of a creative threat.

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Hazard leads the way

Chelsea enjoyed a good start to the season without Eden Hazard, who was recovering from an injury sustained over the summer, but they’re a different side when he’s fit, as we saw once more on Saturday. The Belgian got the only goal of the game, taking advantage of a Simon Francis error to score the winner, which capped off a customarily excellent performance.

It’s hard to overstate how important Hazard is to the Blues, who like to sit deep, keep things tight at the back and let the Belgian work his magic at the other end. Pedro and Willian are both very good players, and Alvaro Morata has hit the ground running in a Chelsea shirt, but Hazard is a level above, and the biggest single reason this team are able to win so many games in which they fail to hit top gear.

Hazard’s goal wasn’t a classic (though his near-post finish was better than it looked), but his holdup play and dribbling were a consistent outlet for his team, especially in the second half. With Kevin De Bruyne excelling in Manchester City shirt and Harry Kane in the form of his career, it’s been easy to overlook Hazard this season. This was a welcome reminder, then, of just how good a player the Belgian is. If Chelsea win anything this year, he’ll have a huge role to play.