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Bournemouth hosted Chelsea this Saturday in a fixture that had ramifications on both ends of the table. After defeating Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, Chelsea looked to win another three points in the race for finishing in the top four, whereas, Bournemouth looked to get something out of this game in their race for survival in the top flight.
The hosts started the game as the better side. They had two great chances in the first 10 minutes of the game, however, Willy Caballero did well to keep the Cherries out. Chelsea settled into the game slowly, and, took the lead through Marcos Alonso. The visitors controlled the game for the rest of the half and went into the break with the lead.
The second half started similarly to the first half. The hosts came out strongly, and, took their chances this time. Jefferson Lerma scored the equalizer for the hosts from a corner. They continued to dominate the game as Chelsea struggled to regain their composure. Bournemouth took the lead three minutes later through Joshua King. They went close to scoring the third goal, however, the Chelsea goalkeeper denied them again to keep Chelsea in the game.
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Chelsea came to life after conceding the second goal. Frank Lampard brought on Willian and Ross Barkley to help his side score another goal. They went close on a couple of occasions, however, Marcos Alonso would prove to be their hero for the second game running. The Spaniard scored his second goal of the game with five minutes of normal time remaining.
It was another disappointing evening for Frank Lampard's side as their inconsistent run continued. Bournemouth would be the happier side as this could prove to be an important point in their quest for survival.
While several players impressed, others failed to live up to the expectations. Here are five hits and flops from the game:
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#5 Hit: Willy Caballero
Willy Caballero continued to start in goal for Chelsea ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Blues conceded two goals but Caballero was still one of their best performers of the game.
Chelsea started the game poorly, but, Caballero saved them from falling behind in the first half. The goalkeeper made two great saves in the first 10 minutes to maintain parity.
The former Manchester City goalkeeper came up with the most crucial save of the match in the second half. Bournemouth were in the lead and came extremely close to scoring the third goal, but, Caballero saved Callum Wilson's shot on goal from close range.
A lot of questions have been raised about his selection ahead of Arrizabalaga, however, this performance validated Frank Lampard's decision to start him ahead of Arrizabalaga.
#4 Flop: Fikayo Tomori
Fikayo Tomori started in defense for Chelsea ahead of Antonio Rüdiger alongside César Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen.
The youngster looked nervous throughout the game. He was careless with the possession at times, and, Bournemouth tried to target him. Tomori was at fault for the second goal scored by Bournemouth. He was easily pulled out of position in the build-up to the second goal which gave the hosts plenty of space to exploit. After that mistake, his confidence level took a hit. He was replaced by Frank Lampard as the Blues tried to get back into the game.
Tomori was making his comeback into the side after struggling to find a place in the team recently. Frank Lampard has shown this season that he trusts the young players in his squad, however, this performance won't do any good to Tomori's chances of getting more playing time.
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#3 Hit: Jefferson Lerma
Eddie Howe had stated in the build-up to this game that his team performs better with Jefferson Lerma in it. The Columbian had missed the last two games for the Cherries due to suspension and injury. Bournemouth lost both those games.
Lerma repaid Howe's belief in him by producing a good performance on his comeback. The combative midfielder played a huge role in disrupting Chelsea's midfield. He was full of energy throughout the game and was one of the stand out performers for the hosts.
He scored the equalizer in the second half when he headed in to score the first goal for his side. He showed why he is considered so important for the team by his manager, and, Bournemouth fans will hope that the midfielder does not miss any more games as the club tries to maintain its top-flight status.
#2 Flop: Pedro
Pedro has received more playing time in recent weeks due to the injuries to Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic. The Spaniard is probably the most decorated player in the Chelsea squad, however, this game showed why the club has been reluctant to extend his contract.
The winger was industrious and enjoyed some nice link-up play with Mason Mount, however, he failed to provide any end product. The injuries to other wingers and Tammy Abraham meant that there was pressure on the Spaniard to come up with the goal in this game. Although his volley led to the equalizer he struggled to get make an impact throughout the game.
The Spaniard is not the player he was in his prime. Chelsea fans will hope that Hudson-Odoi and Pulisic return from their injuries soon as the race to finish in the top four gets heated.
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#1 Hit: Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso has had an eventful week. After putting in a match-winning performance last week against Tottenham Hotspur, the left-back was shown a red card against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Frank Lampard started him again in the first eleven and the left-back did not let his manager down. The Spaniard produced another vital performance and was Chelsea's best player in the game. He continued his goal-scoring run from last week when his fierce volley opened the scoring as he capitalized on a loose ball.
The defender was then in the right place to bravely nod home the equalizer after Pedro’s shot was parried. Chelsea are struggling with injuries to their attacking players and Frank Lampard will hope that Alonso continues his goal-scoring run in the coming weeks.
