Henderson: I've practised free kicks for two weeks; thanks to Cole and Morgan for letting me take it

Chelsea secured a dominant 5-1 home victory over Bournemouth in the Premier League, with Henderson scoring twice on his Stamford Bridge debut. After the match, Henderson spoke to the club's official media.

It was a memorable home debut for Henderson. He scored the opening goal in under two minutes, then assisted Rodgers for the team's second shortly after, and finally sealed Chelsea's 5-1 win with a precise free kick.

João Pedro also scored twice in the match. Following the international break, Chelsea returned to winning ways with a huge victory. The team once again leveraged an excellent start to quickly establish an advantage, setting a club record for the fastest two-goal lead in the Premier League era.

After the final whistle, Henderson, with a smile, said, "It was a good day today. It was my home debut, so it was an important day for me."

"I'm very happy to be able to play here. It's been a while since my injury in the summer, so it felt really good to come to Stamford Bridge for the first time as a Chelsea player. We played a great game and got a good result, which is the most important thing."

"We had a very good start. We always emphasise getting off to a good start, especially at home, and we did it again this time. We had excellent starts to both halves, which is important, and we scored some fantastic goals."

"With the support of our home fans, a good start is very important. But then, you also need to maintain consistency throughout the entire match, and that's what's most important to me. I felt we were consistently more solid defensively today, which laid the foundation for us to continue attacking and scoring goals."

"This also sets us up well for our upcoming matches. I think our focus and concentration were excellent for the majority of today's game. When you can do that, it eventually pays off."

Chelsea continued their excellent offensive performance from the start of the season, with the attacking trio of Rodgers, Palmer, and João Pedro once again delivering impressive displays.

Henderson praised them, but what he valued most was their effort without the ball.

Henderson continued, "There's no doubt they are all excellent players with immense talent. But what pleased me most today was our effort off the ball and our defensive attitude."

"This is very helpful for the team and allows us to build a strong foundation. When we defend as a unit, it creates opportunities for our subsequent attacks. Once we win the ball back, their performance in transitions is excellent."

"With their technique, speed, and strength, they have the ability to beat any team, and their finishing in front of goal is also very sharp."

"I know everyone will talk about the goals, and of course, that's what everyone wants to see. But for me, I think their incredibly excellent effort for the team today is what impressed me the most."

Henderson also explained how he convinced his young teammates to let him take the free kick against Bournemouth.

During the international break, Henderson had been practising set pieces at the Cobham training ground with coach Austin MacPhee.

These training sessions ultimately paid off, as Henderson struck a beautiful curling free kick, a goal that Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca described as "magnificent."

Henderson said, "There are a few lads in the team, and Austin, who have some faith in me. So when I have confidence myself, I can step up and take it."

"To be honest, we've been practising free kicks in training for the past week or two, and I've been pretty consistent."

"Austin said, 'Don't think about it anymore, just do it.'"

"Morgan (Rodgers) wasn't particularly happy at the time, but when we actually got to that spot, he still said, 'Go on then.'"

"Cole (Palmer) asked me, 'After you score, which corner are we going to celebrate in?!'"

"So I said, they wanted me to kick it to the right. Thank goodness, I actually put the ball in in the end."

"It felt good because it's something we've been practising in training, and in the game, we executed the planned arrangement perfectly."

"So, I'm very grateful to Cole and Morgan for letting me take that shot."

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