May 19, (THEWILL)- Chelsea booked continental football next season by defeating Bournemouth 2-1 on the final day of the English Premier League. Moises Caicedo’s astonishing strike from the halfway line and Raheem Sterling’s close-range finish earned the Blues a sixth-place finish.
The hosts raced into an early lead when Caicedo capitalised on Neto’s mistake, firing an unstoppable shot from the halfway line into the top corner. Sterling doubled Chelsea’s advantage after the restart, squeezing his effort past the goalkeeper at the near post. However, Enes Unal reduced the deficit almost immediately with a deflected strike.
Despite Bournemouth’s best efforts, Chelsea held firm in the closing stages, with Thiago Silva marshalling the defence superbly in his final Blues appearance. The three points see Mauricio Pochettino’s side tentatively qualify for the UEFA Europa League, pending Manchester City’s FA Cup final result.
For Bournemouth, a 12th-placed finish represents progress under Andoni Iraola, who penned a new contract this week after improving on last season’s 15th position. The Cherries can take heart from an encouraging campaign as they build for next season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
