September 17, (THEWILL) – Chelsea were left ruing missed chances as they were held to a 0-0 draw away at Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and chances at the Vitality Stadium but were unable to find a breakthrough, hitting the woodwork twice over the course of the match. They started the match slowly but grew into the game, with Conor Gallagher forcing a good save from Cherries goalkeeper Neto in the first half. Nicolas Jackson also struck the base of the post for the hosts during a rare foray forward.
Both keepers were called into action numerous times to keep the game goalless at the interval. Chelsea appeared most likely to make the breakthrough after the restart, with Raheem Sterling striking the underside of the crossbar with a beautifully struck free-kick. Levi Colwill poked home the rebound but saw his effort ruled out for offside.
Bournemouth remained resolute, soaking up the Chelsea pressure while posing a threat on the break. In the end, neither side could find the clinical touch in front of goal needed to claim all three points. The result leaves Chelsea still searching for their first EPL win since beating newcomers Luton at the end of August. Meanwhile, Bournemouth earned a creditable point in their second straight EPL draw.
Chelsea remain in 14th position ahead of next weekend’s home match against Aston Villa, while Bournemouth move up to 15th before travelling to Brighton and Hove Albion. Mauricio Pochettino will be demanding more ruthlessness from his expensively assembled attack, while Andoni Iraola will take heart from his side’s determined defensive display
About the Author
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.
