Cherries picked off by Chelsea as Lampard finally bags a win
Widely tipped for relegation at the start of April, a remarkable transformation on the South Coast has seen Bournemouth all but secure their top-flight status for another season after six wins from their last nine matches.
The visit of Lampard’s struggling Chelsea side seemed like an ideal opportunity for the Cherries to continue their upturn in form, however, it was the Blues who made the perfect start inside 10 minutes, with Conor Gallagher heading a brilliant delivery from N’Golo Kanté into the bottom corner.
Despite the early setback, Bournemouth went in pursuit of a swift response and duly found an equaliser in the 21st minute, when a brilliant team move involving Dominic Solanke and Ryan Christie culminated in Matías Viña curling a sumptuous effort into the top corner.
After a closely-fought opening half-hour, the visitors looked to regain control of proceedings before HT, however, the lively Noni Madueke saw a low strike comfortably saved by Neto, as the scores remained level going into the break.
Similar to the first half, it was Chelsea who emerged after the restart eager to gain an upper hand in the contest, although despite seeing plenty of the ball, clear-cut chances came at a premium for the Blues.
This continued into the final 20 minutes, with neither side able to find any kind of cutting edge in the final third, as Viña saw the hosts’ best opportunity thwarted by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
With the scoreline tantalisingly poised, the visitors went in search of a late winner, and after Kai Havertz spurned a glorious chance from close range, Benoît Badiashile poked home a clever finish from Hakim Ziyech’s delivery to put the Blues ahead with eight minutes remaining.
This sent Chelsea on the way to first victory in 10 matches and João Félix added further gloss to the scoreline in the closing moments to cap off a crucial triumph for Lampard and his under-fire side.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Noni Madueke (Chelsea)
