A home win in regulation this might have been. But this comfortable victory over Bournemouth was as welcome as it was necessary for Graham Potter. First-half goals from World Cup returnees Kai Havertz and Mason Mount made what could have been an awkward evening one of relief and, largely, satisfaction.
The statistical gurus stroked their keyboards in anticipation, ready to pounce on any Chelsea mishap, which, given this fixture’s recent history, was a genuine concern. Chelsea will feel they ought to have added more gloss and the one blemish of the evening was a real kicker – early in the second half Reece James suffered what appeared to be a recurrence of the right-knee injury that caused him to miss Qatar.
Up to that point, James’s every touch was cheered. And there were plenty of them, his combination with Raheem Sterling, who hugged the right touchline, was electric. Many present ought to have uttered the words “if only”.
But with eyes elsewhere, James played a routine pass and then signalled immediately to the bench. A hush descended as James sat down, covering his face with his hands. Everyone knew what it meant. “Reece James, he’s one of our own,” echoed down the Kings Road. The full-back at least headed down the tunnel unaided, but his expression was desolate.
“To see him go off affects the stadium, affects the team, it affects everything,” said Potter by way of mitigation for a performance that dipped slightly after James’s departure. “It’s not an excuse. But we are human beings as well, he is someone we care about.”
This is not a result for Potter to get carried away with. He is not likely to anyway, but it does at least end a five-match winless streak in the league. And there can be genuine cause for excitement at Raheem Sterling’s showing, while Havertz will take confidence from both his strike and performance.
If Chelsea were weakened by absent faces – among them Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic – it did not show. They settled confidently into their work, neat triangles of passing on display everywhere. Denis Zakaria, on his league debut, added central energy lacking previously, and Christian Pulisic showed plenty of spark.
It was the American who believed he had earned an early penalty when bursting into the area with Adam Smith clinging, albeit lightly, to his shirt. Pulisic stayed up to get his shot away, and was joined on his feet by Chelsea’s entire bench. VAR said no. One of those “anywhere else it’s a foul” moments, and given Smith was not attempting to play the ball, it might have had serious consequences.
It soon became a moot point. Mount found Sterling, whose inch-perfect first-time cross had Havertz sliding to poke past Mark Travers. Potter’s hands shot from his pockets and pummelled the air with gusto.
Eight minutes later, Chelsea doubled their lead. Havertz turned provider, recycling a loose ball to tee up Mount, who marked his 150th Chelsea start with a superb low curler that nestled in the net. The entirety of Stamford Bridge believed Chelsea had a third but Potter’s celebration of Pulisic’s finish quickly turned to remonstration; referee Simon Hooper penalised Havertz for a foul in the buildup.
That all came before the break, and while, initially at least, Chelsea’s performance level barely dropped after the match restarted, sadly their hearts did with James’s departure. Even without his right-flank partner though, Sterling continued to dazzle. Direct, poised and sassy, a mazy run of his deserved better than the finish an open-bodied Havertz offered.
Bournemouth had their moments in the second half. To call them plucky is a tad harsh; they improved as the game grew, and these are not the nights on which their season will turn. But they started way too sluggishly, barely landing a punch until the closing stages.
“We struggled to get to grips with how they started,” Gary O’Neil admitted. “The start killed us. It’s really difficult from that point to wrestle your way back into it.”
The fruits of Bournemouth’s sorry opening half were a Philip Billing free-kick that Kepa Arrizabalaga dealt with comfortably. Had Arrizabalaga not blocked the substitute Ryan Christie’s shot much later, there may have been a grandstand finish.
Instead, O’Neil’s first match as permanent manager ended in defeat. While the Premier League slept, Bournemouth were active, O’Neil earning an 18-month contract on the back of his success as interim manager. He was never supposed to be anything more than a stop-gap, but has been quietly impressive. Much like he was as a player, really.
And he now ultimately reports to Bill Foley after the American’s consortium completed its takeover. Funds will be made available in January and O’Neil must spend them wisely. For Potter, it was simply job done and on to the next one.
