The wait to see the Blues back in action after the first International break came to an end when Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea were welcomed by the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium for Gameday 4 on Saturday night. The Blues beat Bournemouth 1-0 with four minutes to play to earn a second win this season, in what may not be remembered but marked as the “uglies” game in the Premier League.
On-loan winger – Jadon Sancho and Christopher Nkunku came off the bench to inspire the Blues to a late win away from home. The home side will be disappointed to have lost the game to the Blues who were not the best side in the fixture. The Blues had a disappointing performance from the very start of the match gifting away possession to their opponent who failed to register a goal throughout the game. They still managed a much-needed 1-0 win to keep them in the top flight.
The Cherries came closest to scoring in the first 45 minutes. Marcus Tavernier smashed his effort from 25 yards out on the crossbar before missing from the penalty spot in the 38th minute. Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez turned up huge for the Blues, saving Evanilson’s penalty and denying Justin Kluivert and their teammates on multiple occasions to keep the scores levelled.
The introduction of Jadon Sancho into the match in the second half was a game-changer for the Blues. The England International has not featured in a Premier League game in 12 months, since his fallout with Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag. With Cole Palmar tightly marked in the game, Sancho immediately got involved creating chances for Nikolas Jackson and Noni Madueke in the attack. The Senegalese striker wasn’t clinical enough for the Blues, but Sancho’s efforts were rewarded with the introduction of Christopher in the 76th minute. The French forward received Sancho’s pass in the box and got in between defenders Marcos Sensei and Illia Zabarnyi to slot the ball past Mark Travers into the back of the net in the 86th minute.
Speaking on the contributions of Jordan Sancho and Christopher Nkunku from the bench at the post-match interview, Enzo Maresca said:
“I think we start the second half much better and Jadon helped us a lot but what he did tonight is exactly what we expected from him. As I said, I know Jadon very well because I watched him many, many times in the past and I know what he can give us. Then also Christoph [Nkunku] was very good not just because he scored but because he fought without the ball and Jadon was the same. Tosin [Adarabioyo] was very good. The performance second half changed completely but we need to learn this kind of thing if we want to build something important and want to win games first of all we need the desire to win games, win duels, and to fight together.”
Chelsea sits on seven points from two wins and a draw in four matches. They have proved to be more lethal in the EPL this season when playing away from the Bridge. They earned their first three points in a 6-2 victory away to Wolves a few weeks ago.
The Game was officiated by the famous English referee Anthony Taylor, who issued fourteen yellow cards to players of both teams, setting a new Premier League record for the game with the most bookings. Here is the full list of bookings by the way, in order:
Ryan Christie (18 minutes), Wesley Fofana (31 minutes), Lewis Cook (35 minutes), Marc Cucurella (36 minutes), Robert Sanchez (37 minutes), Adam Smith (38 minutes), Nicolas Jackson (52 minutes), Levi Colwill (57 minutes), Jadon Sancho (57 minutes), Justin Kluivert (60), Marco Senesi (80 minutes), Renato Veiga (87 minutes), Joao Felix (91 minutes), Antoine Semenyo (95 minutes).
The transfer saga around Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and Chelsea is far from over. The Blues are reportedly eyeing a potential move for him in January, thanks to a break clause in his current loan deal with Galatasaray.
The versatile striker’s value is expected to drop in January, as he will have only 18 months left on his Napoli contract. The Italian club is eager to sell the talented striker rather than bear the risk of losing him for free as his contract winds down. The break clause in his Galatasaray loan allows Napoli to recall Osimhen and potentially transfer him to another club in January. After being excluded from Antonio Conte’s plans for the season and left out of Napoli’s squad, Osimhen secured a loan move to Galatasaray in the most controversial way, he allegedly changed his representatives for not securing a permanent deal with his English admirers and in the Saudi Pro League. Napoli signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea on a permanent deal to replace the center forward.
Victor Osimhen was Chelsea’s primary target in the summer transfer window as head coach Enzo Maesca’s team looked for a new striker to help them compete at the highest levels in Europe. However, Napoli’s high asking price delayed negotiations and the Blues couldn’t finalize a deal. Chelsea missed out on signing Osimhen in the summer and are closely monitoring the situation to pursue him in the upcoming transfer window if they still see a new striker as a priority. They are likely to face competition from top clubs across Europe and the Middle East like they did this summer, especially with Osimhen’s price tag set to decrease. The Blues remain optimistic about landing the talented Nigerian striker to create competition for Nikolas Jackson and Marc Guiu up front.
Oshimhen flew to Turkey to join and train with his new teammates after the International break with the Super Eagles at the AFCON 2025 qualifiers. He featured and made an assist at his new team in a dominant 5-0 victory over Rizespor on Saturday at the Türk Telekom Stadium. He scored 17 goals in 32 appearances for Napoli last season although the 2022/23 Seria A Champions finished in a disappointing 10th position last season. His performance in the 2022/23 season (31 goals in 39 appearances) remains a point of interest from teams across the World. Chelsea has a huge squad with many players either sidelined or loaned out. They may need to sell and offload more players to avoid breaking regulations when signing the Nigerian striker. The club’s ownership situation must also be clarified before any significant moves can be made in the transfer market in January.
West Ham United vs Chelsea (Premier League)
Saturday, 21st September Kick-off: 12:30
Chelsea vs Barrow (Carabao Cup)
Tuesday, 24th September Kick-off: 19:45
Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion (Premier League)
Saturday, 28th September Kick-off: 15:00
Chelsea vs AA Gent (UEFA Conference League)
Thursday, 3rd October Kick-off: 20:00
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
Sunday, 6th October Kick-off: 14:00
Liverpool vs Chelsea (Premier League)
Sunday, 20th October Kick-off: 16:30
Panathinaikos vs Chelsea (UEFA Conference League)
Thursday, 24th October* Kick-off: 17:45
Chelsea vs Newcastle United (Premier League)
Sunday, 27th October Kick-off: 14:00
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The Blues keep struggling with inconsistency in front of Goal. A narrow win at the dept against Bournemouth is a relief to Blue fans. The 2024/25 season is already challenging for Enzo Maresca and the team. With much spent through the Summer transfer window, a better and title-racing performance is expected from the Blues this season. Ensure you don’t miss any drama, reserve your tickets, and rally behind Blues on their journey through the season.
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