Image source: football.london
Chelsea endured a frustrating afternoon at the Vitality Stadium as they were held to a goalless draw by Bournemouth on Saturday, managing just 11 shots while rarely threatening goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic in what proved to be another disappointing away performance for Enzo Maresca’s side.
Chelsea’s Title Hopes Dented as Bournemouth Frustration Continues Poor Away Form
The Blues struggled to break down a well-organized Bournemouth side who pressed high up the pitch and got players back into defensive positions extremely quickly under manager Andoni Iraola. Chelsea were fortunate not to concede in the opening 10 minutes as Antoine Semenyo spearheaded the Cherries’ bright start, with the hosts arguably creating the better opportunities throughout the encounter.
Maresca’s frustration was evident on the touchline as his team failed to cope with Bournemouth’s pressing game, with the Italian manager forced to abandon his usual short passing approach from goal kicks. Just before half-time, Maresca shouted instructions at goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to go long instead of making a short pass to Trevoh Chalobah, highlighting how effectively the hosts were disrupting Chelsea’s build-up play.
The afternoon took a further turn for the worse when striker Liam Delap suffered a shoulder injury after just 31 minutes, forcing him to leave the pitch with his arm placed in his shirt as a makeshift sling. Maresca confirmed the severity of the problem post-match, stating that Delap “has to be out again” and describing the shoulder injury as looking “quite bad” following medical assessment.
Delap’s injury compounds Chelsea’s striker problems, with the 22-year-old having already missed two months earlier this season with a hamstring problem. The former Ipswich forward has managed just 11 appearances this campaign, with only six starts, despite his £30 million summer transfer and impressive displays in Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph where he scored once and provided one assist across six appearances.
Marc Guiu replaced the injured Delap and provided one of the few positives from Chelsea’s perspective, with the 19-year-old Spanish striker excelling at holding up play and bringing other attackers into the game. The result leaves Chelsea on 25 points from their opening 15 Premier League matches, with Maresca’s side now facing a crucial Champions League fixture against Atalanta in Bergamo on Tuesday evening.
