Bournemouth hung on for a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, extending Chelsea’s dismal Premier League record to one victory in seven games. All four goals were scored during a thrilling first half in which Cole Palmer’s penalty tied the score after David Brooks gave the visitors an early lead. Enzo Fernandez scored to make it 2-1, but Chelsea was unable to hang on, as Justin Kluivert equalised before halftime.
Chelsea needed a win to give the impression that things are improving under Enzo Maresca. Rather, their performance demonstrated their weaknesses, from a lack of self-assured leadership to guide them in midfield and defence to a failure to seize the several opportunities that presented themselves.
After returning from injury, Estevao was outstanding, but as the ball entered the penalty area, none of the blue players were confident. This team’s main flaw has not been fixed by the summer transfer transaction that moved offensive players in and out.
Maresca is under-fire after his team dropped several points recently
Maresca has a demanding schedule to manage for the second consecutive month, but in order to turn Chelsea’s season around and ease the mounting pressure on his position, he will need to do a far better job of it.
Tuesday’s 2-2 home stalemate with Bournemouth was a fitting way for Chelsea’s miserable December to end. They have won two, drawn three, and lost three of their eight games in three different tournaments (the Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup).
They will play nine games in January across all four competitions, beginning on Sunday when they travel to Manchester City. After receiving his fifth yellow card of the season against Bournemouth—a team they haven’t defeated since winning the 2021 Champions League final—Caicedo was punished for it.
At the conclusion of Maresca’s second season in command, Chelsea always intended to carry out a thorough evaluation of club operations, including the head coach’s performance. The way things are perceived in late May may be significantly influenced by how January turns out.
