Chelsea maintained its slump

With five days played by ‘Premier League’, With only one victory, there is no doubt that Chelsea is still not working, even with the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino or the change of the team or the investment of 462 million euros; again in evidence with a 0-0 draw against Bournemouth to remain ten points behind Manchester City’s lead with 15 in play.

That is the best summary of the difference between the expectations and the current Chelsea, who have so far only won the league competition against Luton, but whose crisis is not new, it is coming from behind, from a familiar -terrible time the end of which is now indiscernible. . There is some embarrassing data for him: he has won just two of his last 17 Premier games or lost five of his last seven outings in that tournament.

Not only that, but if it wasn’t for Robert Sánchez’s two saves, the diagnosis and the result of his visit to Bournemouth (15th, Chelsea 14th) would have been worse. Also, if it wasn’t for Neto, the goalkeeper in the other goal, they could have won, especially with a Cole Palmer volley inside the area.

Because he always plays on the edge of the cliff. Of victory and defeat. As he arranges his pieces, within the still uncertain puzzle built early this season (he left the Vitality stadium after two defeats in four ‘Premier’ matches), at the time needed of any project, the margin is shortened. A tie does not fuel patience. Just win. And Chelsea barely won.

Its performance is promising. A shot from Gallagher, captain; Nico Jackson’s shot at the post at the start or Sterling’s mobility invited ‘Blue’ optimism, still in the process of achieving everything he wanted. That’s a long way from being the team Mauricio Pochettino wants, from rediscovering itself after last year’s tumult.

Outtara’s shot, after the quarter-hour mark, was a warning for the London team; quite the opposite of what happened before: a relief for Chelsea, supported by the amazing save of Robert Sánchez, peerless for the Bournemouth winger, to move the match to full equality on the field, changed by another shot from Gallagher, to which Neto reacted well by reflexes, with his right hand, to frustrate the goal.

An unparalleled opportunity, where, under normal conditions, a team like Chelsea and a midfielder like him, called to play an important role in Pochettino’s method, should change to more than to the worthy stretch of the opposing goalkeeper. His position, inside the area, centered, maybe a little strained for the shot, is also not a reason for such a focused shot. Wherever he goes, it’s impossible.

Hardly any news from Enzo Fernández, in that most advanced position, or from Mudryk. Chelsea’s problem. You need them. The demonstration was the only strong appearance of the Ukrainian in the entire match, with a pace in which he was only caught by a foul on the edge of the area. Sterling’s subsequent shot, accurate, unstoppable, falls into the top corner, bounces off the line… And Colwill finishes it, offside.

That was the 50th minute. Still very little with all the resources that Chelsea has, still not enough to overcome Bournemouth, as well as answers even though they have not won a game in the ‘Premier’ during the season that started this summer by Andoni Iraola , in their third draw in five days, are still out of the relegation positions, with the nuance that their calendar has pitted them against Liverpool, Tottenham and a lower Chelsea.

The midfield strength of Lesley Ugochukwu, the 19-year-old footballer and French Under-21 international who signed from Rennes for 27 million euros, was Chelsea’s best argument at the time. He has played 7 minutes this season in the Premier until his start this Sunday. Moisés Caicedo is unavailable due to discomfort resulting from the Ecuadorian national team’s international matches last week.

His guilt grew. It’s normal, nothing special. No fanfare. By pushing. Neto intervened to stop another shot from Nicolas Jackson and another rebound from Colwill, who then increased, with more work almost in an instant than in the whole rivalry, between the intentions of Chelsea, a desperate team in last meters. With every entry into the final phase, every visiting footballer is almost always a poor choice. Or he made the wrong pass, cross or shot, as did Cole Palmer, who hit a centered volley, unopposed. It should be a goal.

Data sheet:

Bournemouth: net; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Kelly, Kerkez (Senesi, d. 74); Christie (Brooks, d. 89), Cook; Tavernier (Sinisterra, d. 73), Billing, Outtara (Justin Kluivert, d. 63); Solanke.

Chelsea: Robert Sanchez; Bad Will, Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill (Chilwell, d. 81); Gallagher, Ugochukwu; Sterling, Enzo Fernández (Maatsen, d. 81), Mudryk (Cole Palmer, d. 63); Nicholas Jackson.

Referee: David Coote. He gave yellow cards to the local Kerkez (m. 62) and to the visitors Sterling (m. 4), Mudryk (m. 41) and Chilwell (m. 96).

Incidents: match corresponding to the fifth day of the English Premier League played at the Vitality stadium in front of around 11,000 spectators.