Premier League champion Chelsea welcomed Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Saturday prior to the all important mid-week clash against Porto in the last game of the group stages of the Champions League. Manager Jose Mourinho would have hoped that his side would secure all three points from the game, though things did not exactly as per what he would have wanted.
The Blues started off the match quite well as there were a number of chances to score, yet neither side could draw first blood in the opening 45 minutes. Overall, in the game Nemanaja Matic got the best chance, though he failed to convert it. The Portuguese boss was once again angry that his side could not deliver and things became worse, when Murray scored just 99 seconds after coming on as a sub. The only goal, scored in the 82nd minute proved to be the winning goal of the match.
Player Ratings:
Thibaut Courtois: 7/10
Came back into the first team after a long-term injury to his knee and the Belgian made two great saves in the first 45 minutes to keep the game in the balance.
Branislav Ivanovic: 5/10
Did not really look comfortable in possession and was guilty of careless play, though his contribution upfront was much more influential.
Kurt Zouma: 6/10
Helped his side defend against the opposition attacks, making good use of his quickness and speed.
Gary Cahill: 7/10
Stopped a couple of shots in the first period and was the solid presence in the defensive line. Did his job well and was unlucky to end up on the losing side.
Abdul Baba Rahman: 6/10
Looked good in defence, though failed to impress when he pushed forward to join the attack.
Nemanja Matic: 5/10
Failed to take control of the midfield game and gave too much space as the opponents went past him easily on numerous occasions.
Oscar: 4/10
Could not make any sort of impact in the match once again and was replaced at the break by striker Diego Costa.
Willian: 6/10
The Brazilian seems to be the only player worthy of wearing the Blues jersey this season. A constant threat to the opponents, yet lack of co-ordination did not help his cause.
Pedro: 5/10
Did not make any sort of major impact on the game and barely tested Boruc with a shot here and there.
Cesc Fabregas: 5/10
Played some good looking passes in the game, yet did not track back enough to help his side cope up with the quick counter attacking play.
Eden Hazard: 5/10
Once again played as a false nine and could not leave his impression on the match, though he looked much better in the second period.
Substitutes:
Bertrand Traore: 5/10
Brought on with barely seven minutes of normal time left in the game and could not really make an impact on the match.
Diego Costa: 5/10
Looked much more comfortable in a striker’s role than his team-mate Hazard, yet there were no goals scored by the Blues.
Loic Remy: 5/10
Some quick counter attacks which resulted in nothing were his only contributions.