Bournemouth added to Chelsea woes winning by a goal scored by substitute Glen Murray, eight minutes from time. The result lifted the Cherries out of the relegation zone but notched up a fourth home defeat for the Blues at Stamford Bridge which was such a fortress last season. After the match Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho conceded that a top four finish was out of reach but still hoped to end the season in the top six. He felt the goal was offside (true) and that his side deserved a penalty (possibly) although his remarks were generally muted, no doubt mindful of the one match suspended stadium ban hanging over him.
Chelsea improved after a lacklustre first half performance where they looked toothless up front. Mourinho reiterated that he was not going to ask the board for more money and appears content to rely on Costa and Remy to score the goals, but both have been inconsistent in too many games. Surprisingly Costa started the game on the bench again as Hazard was chosen up front, (perhaps with Wednesdays game against Porto in mind) however he was brought on as substitute for Oscar at half time and for a while the Blues did up their game but not for long and nowhere good enough.
Chelsea Will Face Porto This Wednesday in a Must Win Match
Chelsea can save this season in Champions League. What are their current chances?
It could be argued that Bournemouth were happy to defend, especially in the second half, but Chelsea are the reigning champions and were playing at home. Surely the onus was on them to attack and take control. The boos that rang out from the Blues fans on the final whistle reflected the frustration felt by many and were in stark contrast to the almost sycophantic respect usually reserved for Mourinho.
On this performance the best chance Chelsea have of playing in Europe next year depends on their progress in Champions League this season – and they still need a point against Porto to qualify for the knock out stages.
Current Prediction by Betegy
As for Bournemouth, the win lifted them out of the relegation zone and delighted manager Eddie Howe declared it was “The biggest result in the clubs’ history”.