EPL: Nkunku scores late winner as Chelsea beat Bournemouth 1-0

Substitute Christopher Nkunku netted a late goal to snatch a 1-0 away win for Chelsea despite a dominant attacking display from Bournemouth.

The Cherries’ £40m record signing Evanilson had earlier missed an excellent chance to score his first Premier League goal when he had a poor first-half penalty parried away by Robert Sanchez.

Bournemouth constantly tormented Chelsea’s defence, capitalising on their often lacklustre distribution and getting in behind the back line.

But the hosts did not make the most of having the bulk of the chances and were made to pay by Nkunku, who prodded the ball past Mark Travers after a through-ball from debutant Jadon Sancho.

It was a hard-fought and aggressive encounter on the south coast, with referee Anthony Taylor handing out a Premier League record 14 yellow cards.

Bournemouth had more final-third opportunities but did not manage to find a way to get ahead as both Marcus Tavernier and Ryan Christie had efforts denied by the woodwork.

Nkunku’s heroics to the rescue

There were promising elements in Chelsea’s performance, but the game equally exposed a number of issues for manager Enzo Maresca – especially in their defence.

Chelsea were often sloppy in their attempts to build up, failing to sustain possession and instead gifting Bournemouth chances. It was only the hosts’ final product that prevented the visitors from conceding.

There were some good moments for Chelsea, particularly in their forward movement. But they struggled to adequately express themselves, instead making nice moves that resulted in little of note until Nkunku notched the late winner.

Nicolas Jackson earlier spurned an excellent chance to snatch the lead, firing straight to the palms of Travers when slipped through one-on-one.

Introducing Manchester United loanee Sancho at half-time proved crucial, with his footwork carving out opportunities before he eventually delivered the all-important through-ball to set up Nkunku.

Chelsea, who move up to seventh, will play West Ham at 12:30 BST next Saturday in their next Premier League game, while 11th-placed Bournemouth will visit Liverpool at 15:00 BST later that day.

BBCSPORT