Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth: Blues wait for City's FA cup triumph to secure UEL spot

Moises Caicedo left it late but on the final day of Chelsea's confusing campaign the midfielder produced arguably the season’s best goal.

Match Report

It was certainly the longest-range effort as he struck from more than 50 yards to help secure sixth for Mauricio Pochettino's team. The Ecuadorian does not find the net often - his previous club effort was in September 2022 - but this beauty was worth waiting for.

Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto had rushed off his line to thwart a Raheem Sterling counterattack only to send his clearance straight to Caicedo, just inside the Chelsea half. He took a touch and, with Neto retreating, sent a sublime right-footed attempt over the heads of everyone and into the net.

And that set Chelsea on their way to a fifth consecutive win as Sterling doubled the advantage two minutes into the second half following a weaving dribble down the left.

Bournemouth pulled a goal back when Enes Unal’s shot was deflected in off Benoit Badiashile but there was no panic from the hosts as they signed off on a positive note. Pochettino will sit down with the sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart in the coming days for a debrief and was invited to have dinner with chairman Todd Boehly on Friday night. But his future is not 100% certain.

In a 780-word pre-match letter to supporters, Chelsea’s demanding owners outlined a six-point plan to bring the good times back to Stamford Bridge. To summarise, they want consistent silverware and Champions League participation with a squad made up of the world ’s most talented young players.

Pochettino has fallen short of those lofty demands in his first season, described by his bosses as “brimmed with challenge and change.”

But while no one is guaranteeing he will remain in place come August, it is obvious that he is gradually improving an inexperienced squad. Since the midway point of the campaign they have had the division’s fourth-best record and in the past month began to play with freedom and verve.

Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer reflected that collective confidence with good chances inside the opening two and a half minutes here. Then came Caicedo’s moment of magic, the league’s furthest goal scored since Wayne Rooney for Everton against West Ham in 2017

Bournemouth, with top scorer Dominic Solanke starting as a substitute, only began to threaten approaching the interval as Ryan Christie and James Tavernier tried their luck from range against a Chelsea defence featuring Thiago Silva for the final time.

And when Sterling made it 2-0, it looked like a comfortable second period was in store for the veteran Brazilian. But Andoni Iraola’s team hit back immediately thanks to Unal’s shot taking a heavy deflection off Badiashile on route to goal and for a brief period the mid-table visitors appeared dominant.

A couple of months back Chelsea would have shrunk at the first sign of such pressure but they soon returned to the ascendancy. Star man Palmer displayed a rare piece of indecision when in a promising position to score a third and Christopher Nkunku twice went close.

Bournemouth did not give up, however, and Solanke struck wide from a tight angle before Dango Ouattara brought a good save from Djordje Petrovic late on. And four minutes into added time Ouattara was denied again by the keeper before Christie’s follow up was blocked and Solanke inexplicably sent the rebound over.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

0' Match Event for Chelsea vs Bournemouth

2' Sterling's shot saved by goalkeeper

3' Highlight from Chelsea vs Bournemouth

8' Petrovic makes a great save

11' Match Event for Chelsea vs Bournemouth

14' Highlight from Chelsea vs Bournemouth

18' Moises Caicedo has scored from the centre circle to put Chelsea 1-0 up!

22' Jackson's shot stopped by defender

28' Yellow Card! Marc Cucurella booked

39' Match Event for Chelsea vs Bournemouth

46' Highlight from Chelsea vs Bournemouth

49' Two to the lead! Chelsea 2-0 Bournemouth (Raheem Sterling)

62' Ünal's header over the bar

65' Match Event for Chelsea vs Bournemouth

68' Gallagher goes down in the box but ref says no penalty!

79' Match Event for Chelsea vs Bournemouth

84' Highlight from Chelsea vs Bournemouth

88' Match Event for Chelsea vs Bournemouth

93' Match Event for Chelsea vs Bournemouth

95' Highlight from Chelsea vs Bournemouth

Line-ups

Chelsea XI: Thiago Silva, Sterling, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Conor Gallagher, Djordje Petrovic, Benoît Badiashile, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Moisés Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson

Subs: Marcus Bettinelli, Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, L. Ugochukwu, Cesare Casadei, Alfie Gilchrist

Bournemouth XI: Neto, Ryan Christie, E.Ünal, Lewis Cook, Marcus Tavernier, Kluivert, Marcos Senesi, Aarons, Antoine Semenyo, Ilya Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez

Subs: Smith, Solanke, Billing, Travers, Lloyd Kelly, Romain Faivre, James Hill, Alex Scott, Dango Ouattara