Chelsea’s quality eventually sees off stubborn Bournemouth

Bournemouth dug deep and frustrated Chelsea for large spells, but Chelsea’s quality came through in the end and led them to victory. Here are three key takeaways.

Chelsea were looking to keep their winning streak alive and keep up with leaders Liverpool. They faced a tough and together Bournemouth side. Here’s what we learned from the game.

Chelsea’s quality pulls them through

Despite finishing out of the Champions League spots last season, this Chelsea side is still riddled with top quality players. While names like Eden Hazard and Willian are constantly being shouted by fans, it’s Marcos Alonso who’s been Chelsea’s main threat this season.

The long-legged left-back gallops gracefully up and down the touchline relentlessly. Even more impressive though, Alonso finds himself inside the box consistently, and if he isn’t scoring, he’s creating as he did for Hazard on Saturday.

Hazard, who’s looking sharper after each game, was beautiful to watch. The way he effortlessly glided past players was a wonder. He also created some of Chelsea’s best moments, and killed the game of right at the end with a strong powerful finish his game deserved.

Bournemouth have a lot to look forward to

Bournemouth have been handed a much easier start to the season this year than they have had the years before. Having already picked up 7 points from their opening 9, Bournemouth faced a tough game at Stamford Bridge.

Eddie Howe and his men were very impressive, however. They looked and played like a unit, sitting deep at times, but also pouncing on the counter whenever they could.

Callum Wilson, held the ball up well and drove his team forward whenever he could, while Ryan Fraser was a livewire throughout the match.

Bournemouth are a settled side that play good football and like to entertain. Howe is a smart manager, who knows his squad well and knows the games he has to target. His side did well for the first 70 odd minutes, but began to tire towards the end.

Had Nathan Ake taken his chance in the first half, however, maybe the game would have panned out very differently.

Chelsea will be a great side to watch

When Mauricio Sarri replaced Antonio Conte, it was an indicator that Chelsea were looking to change things drastically. Conte liked a tight, rigid formation that pounced on mistakes, whereas Sarri prefers an open and free-flowing style of play.

4 games in, this Chelsea side are still nowhere close to their best, but each of their games has been quality entertainment. Despite Sarri continuing to say that his side can improve, his team has looked sharp. The players seemed have seamlessly understood Sarri’s demands and have slotted in well.

They were dominant in position (as expected) against Bournemouth, butalso looked tough defensively. Bournemouth were only able to create a couple of half chances and one real big chance.

Meanwhile, up front, the Chelsea players looked well drilled and free flowing, players trading positions, playing neat one-twos and constantly being on the move.

Sarri says that Chelsea can and will improve, and should that be the case, the fans at Stamford Bridge are in for a treat.