Bournemouth Hold Chelsea as City Keep Pressure On
AFC Bournemouth frustrated Chelsea in a scoreless draw on the south coast as the Blues attacking struggles continued, while Manchester City stayed firmly in the title hunt with a convincing win at the Etihad.
Chelsea’s recent wobble continued on Saturday evening after they were held to a dull 0-0 draw by AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. In a match short on quality and clear chances, neither side found the decisive touch, leaving Enzo Maresca’s men without a win in three Premier League outings.
Bournemouth started brightly and thought they had taken the lead inside five minutes when Antoine Semenyo rifled home from close range. The celebrations were cut short by VAR, however, which ruled Evanilson offside in the build-up. It was a warning shot Chelsea failed to fully heed.
Despite enjoying over 60 percent possession, Chelsea struggled to turn control into threat. Their build-up play was patient but predictable, with the final ball repeatedly letting them down. The closest they came arrived shortly after the break when Alejandro Garnacho nodded Pedro Neto’s inviting cross onto the near post.
Bournemouth, by contrast, looked sharper whenever they broke forward. Semenyo remained a constant menace and twice drew strong saves from Robert Sanchez, who was one of Chelseas brighter performers on the day. The hosts finished with a higher expected goals tally, underlining their attacking intent.
By the final whistle, it was Bournemouth who appeared the happier side. Andoni Iraola’s men showed renewed energy after recent struggles, while Chelsea were left reflecting on another night where dominance in possession meant little without penetration in front of goal.
Elsewhere, Manchester City took advantage of slips at the top with a routine 3-0 victory over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium. After a cagey opening, two late first-half goals from Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol broke the visitors resistance.
Sunderland had chances to get back into the contest early in the second half but failed to take them, a mistake City punished when Phil Foden added a third, continuing his rich vein of form. A late red card for Luke O’Nien compounded a difficult afternoon for the visitors.
The win leaves City firmly in the title race, just two points behind leaders Arsenal, while Chelsea head into a demanding Champions League trip to Atalanta searching for answers.
