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Chelsea fails to reduce gap at the top Premier League Because they were held to a goalless draw bournemouth At Vitality Stadium.
Defeat to leaders Arsenal early on Saturday had given Enzo Maresca’s side the chance to move within six points of a Bournemouth team in free-fall after four defeats in five, but despite a brilliant second half they were left lacking the decisive final ball to defeat the hosts.
They were lucky not to be left behind in any attack Cherry At the end of the first half, Robert Sanchez frustrated Andoni Ireola’s team with an inspired performance.
Long gone are the days when Chelsea’s goalkeeper was their weak link and the visitors finally got credit for a man of the match performance from the Spaniard, who made some brilliant saves.
Antoine Semenyo had the ball in the Chelsea net after three minutes, but was ruled out for offside long after. Our check. Bournemouth were encouraged though and Marcus Tavernier soon warmed Sanchez’s palms with a powerful drive.
The next serious threat for any goals took 20 minutes, with Mark Cucurella heading in Pedro Neto’s high cross.
Chelsea looked nervous. Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah re-united in central defense after the defeat at Leeds, but the change contributed little in the way of calmness, and with every clumsy touch or wayward pass, Bournemouth’s confidence grew. Semenyo also clearly defeated Malo Gusto on the right.
Liam Delap He left the field in the 30th minute after battling Marcos Senesi at a corner and using his shirt as a makeshift sling after sustaining a heavy injury to his shoulder. Marc Guieu was surprisingly given preference over Joao Pedro as his replacement.
It was a fairly balanced half but Bournemouth came out stronger in the closing stages. Semenyo beat Gusto and shot for a corner, Sanchez turned it to the face and slipped it to Ivanilsson at the far post, getting all he was worth but was unable to get the ball on target.
Sanchez made brilliant saves from Alex Scott and then Semenyo as Chelsea were left nervous to see out the half.
Neto finally saved Djordje Petrovic with a low drive at the near post early in the second half, then Alejandro Garnacho headed Neto’s deep cross against the post.
Guieu lashed home a loose ball from six yards, sending it off the roof of the stand behind Petrovic’s goal, before Cole Palmer, with only an hour left on his first start since September, fired straight at the keeper.
Chelsea had improved significantly and now looked to be the team most likely to advance. Garnacho, anonymous in the first half but now suddenly visible everywhere, cut in from the left and fired sharply just wide of the far post.
Maresca played his ace card with 15 minutes remaining and sent Estevao finding the final pass that was missing from his team’s second-half performance.
But it was Bournemouth’s own talisman Semenyo who almost won it, drawing the best save ever from Sanchez with a powerful near-post hit.