It is fair to assume that Pep Guardiola has targeted Antoine Semenyo for more than his enormous long throws. Still, the Bournemouth winger’s missiles were a devastating weapon against a slipshod Chelsea defence. They led to insultingly simple goals for David Brooks and Justin Kluivert during a breathless first half and were enough to plunge Enzo Maresca deeper into trouble after another damaging result for the Italian’s erratic side.
There were jeers from the Stamford Bridge crowd when Maresca removed Cole Palmer with Chelsea chasing a winner during a one-sided second half. There was no chance of the dissenters giving a moment’s thought to the context around Palmer, whose load still needs careful management as he feels his way back from a groin injury. “You don’t know what you’re doing,” was the chant pouring down from the stands and, although Chelsea were the stronger side during the closing stages, there were more boos when this wild game drew to a close.
Positives were in short supply. Chelsea were appalling at the back, conceding six clearcut chances. They have let in four goals from throw-ins this season, leaving them with the worst record in the league, and again counted the cost of failing to press home an advantage. They have now dropped 15 points from winning positions. Bournemouth, winless in 10 games, made Chelsea pay for not pushing on after going 2-1 up through an Enzo Fernández goal in the 23rd minute.
It was 2-2 four minutes later, Kluivert equalising when another Semenyo delivery caused havoc. Bournemouth, nine points above the bottom three, dug deep. They were indebted to a fine potential farewell from Semenyo, who looks set to complete a £65m move to Manchester City, and ensured that Andoni Iraola could talk up a resilient display.
“I am very proud,” Bournemouth’s manager said. “It is one point, but we did very good things. We would have taken one point before coming here but looking at how the game developed I am probably not satisfied.”
Maresca, his mood hardly lifted by the defending that left his side with one win from their past seven league games, was not well enough to conduct his post-match press conference. “He had a temperature two days ago,” Willy Caballero, Chelsea’s assistant manager, said. “After the game he asked me to replace him [here].”
Chelsea will feel even queasier when they remember what comes next: a trip to City without Moisés Caicedo, who will serve a one-game ban after his fifth booking of the season. No wonder the mood is darkening. December has been a bad month for Chelsea and it is hard to see them coping against City without the protection offered by Caicedo in midfield.
Opponents are finding it too easy to create chances. Bournemouth had done their homework. Chelsea cowered under the aerial bombardment and were behind when a Semenyo delivery in the sixth minute bounced through to Brooks, who bundled the ball past Robert Sánchez from close range.
There was no hiding Chelsea’s kryptonite. Semenyo was at it again in the 27th minute, this time hurling in a missile from the left, James Hill making a nuisance of himself at the near post. Chelsea, who had Malo Gusto filling in for the hamstrung Marc Cucurella at left-back, were all over the place. Trevoh Chalobah lost the initial challenge and Alejandro Garnacho was dozing at the far, allowing Kluivert to steal in for the equaliser.
The defending was shambolic at both ends. It was 1-1 when Cole Palmer converted a contentious penalty, awarded after Sam Barrott was sent to the pitchside monitor and deemed Semenyo’s brief tangle of legs with Estêvão Willian enough for a foul, and the hosts led when Garnacho teed up Fernández to whip a wonderful effort beyond Djordje Petrovic.
It was a baffling half. Bournemouth, who had hoped that bringing Hill in for Bafodé Diakité would restore order at the back, seemed to decide there was no point sitting back. They flew at Chelsea at every opportunity and saw Sánchez make fine saves from Evanilson and Brooks before half-time.
Maresca, having seen enough, brought Reece James on for Josh Acheampong at right-back and punished Garnacho for his part in Kluivert’s goal by replacing him with Pedro Neto. Fourteen shots from Bournemouth, after all, was the most mustered in a first half at Stamford Bridge by any visiting side in the Premier League since records began in 2003.
Bournemouth kept pushing. They appealed in vain for a penalty when Gusto handled a cross at the start of the second half. They almost nicked the points when Enes Unal headed over in added time.
Chelsea were short of inspiration. Liam Delap was quiet after being handed a rare start up front. Estêvão was brighter, testing Petrovic from 20 yards, but Bournemouth held firm to leave Maresca on increasingly dodgy ground.
