Jadon Sancho stepped off the bench to inspire Chelsea to a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth as he set up Christopher Nkunku’s 86th-minute winner on the south coast.
Sancho had not featured in the Premier League for 12 months after a spat with Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag last season and despite settling the rift this summer, he joined the Blues on loan on transfer deadline day.
Enzo Maresca had watched Chelsea initially struggle at Vitality Stadium with only a Robert Sanchez penalty save from Evanilson after 38 minutes able to keep it scoreless at the break.
Maresca turned to Sancho during the interval before he sent on Nkunku and the pair linked up late on when the French forward slotted home to earn the new Blues manager a narrow second Premier League win.
Big players shine on the big stage. ⭐️#CFC | #BOUCHE pic.twitter.com/TWZdQ4e97K
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 14, 2024
Cole Palmer was fit enough to start after he missed international duty with England, but Enzo Fernandez was ill which meant Moises Caicedo was made captain.
Bournemouth were without Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga – one of 25 players to leave the west London club this summer – due to the terms of his loan, but he was present and witnessed an action-packed start.
Marcus Tavernier smashed a dipping effort from 25 yards against the crossbar after four minutes before Noni Madueke had a shot deflected wide down the other end.
Cherries’ record-signing Evanilson headed off-target soon after as the hosts got plenty of joy down Chelsea’s right-side with Axel Disasi used as a makeshift full-back.
After Tavernier squandered a decent opening, the Bournemouth left winger got in again midway through the half and found Evanilson, who teed up Justin Kluivert but his half-volley was impressively saved by Sanchez.
Chelsea had struggled to fashion chances with Palmer tightly marked and yet Jackson should have scored in the 34th minute when Levi Colwill played him in, but he fired straight at Mark Travers.
Unfortunately, Eva sees his spot-kick saved.
Keep going lads 👊 https://t.co/Wj6dn0gnbr
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) September 14, 2024
It looked costly 60 seconds later when Bournemouth were awarded a penalty after Evanilson raced on to Wesley Fofana’s poor back pass and was brought down by Sanchez.
However, the blushes of Fofana were spared when Evanilson saw his low shot pushed wide by Sanchez to continue his goal drought since a £40million move from Porto.
Lewis Cook and Milos Kerkez had pot shots for Bournemouth before half-time and Maresca had seen enough with Sancho sent on for his Chelsea debut in place of the anonymous Pedro Neto.
Sancho was immediately involved as he found Marc Cucurella inside the area, but his cutback evaded Madueke.
Another chance was created by the Manchester United exile soon after when he teed up Jackson, who curled wide before Sancho became the latest player to be booked by referee Anthony Taylor for dissent.
Kluivert had forced Sanchez into another good save by this point but Chelsea were in the ascendancy and Maresca introduced Joao Felix in place of the frustrated Madueke with 28 minutes left.
Cool as you like. 😎#CFC | #BOUCHE pic.twitter.com/nOPTwweTci
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 14, 2024
Jackson went close again after another marauding run by Cucurella but fresh from a new nine-year contract, the Chelsea forward watched his low effort get deflected wide.
The final roll of the dice by Maresca was to bring on Nkunku, who produced the goods with four minutes left.
Sancho made space on the left and brilliantly threaded a pass through to Nkunku, who got in between Marcos Senesi and Illia Zabarnyi too easily and fired into the corner to put Chelsea ahead.
There was still time for referee Taylor to book Felix and Antoine Semenyo in stoppage time, which set a new Premier League record after 14 players in total were shown yellow cards at Vitality Stadium.
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