Chelsea finally heaved a sigh of relief after ending a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 win against Bournemouth on Tuesday, December 27, 2022.
But the victory came at a cost as Chelsea were dealt an injury blow, as defender Reece James limped off injured early in the second half after returning from the knee injury that forced him to miss the World Cup.
First-half goals from Kai Harvetz and Mason Mount gave The Blues a much-needed three points to see Chelsea sit 8th in the English Premier League, while Bournemouth are in 14th place.
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Before the World Cup break, Chelsea had lost four of its previous five games in all competitions and had been winless in its previous five league games.
Manager Graham Potter was in need of a win with his team outside the top six at Christmas for only the second time in 22 seasons.
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Chelsea took the lead against Bournemouth after just 16 minutes when Havertz slid in to convert Raheem Sterling’s low ball.
Eight minutes later Chelsea had a second, with Havertz laying the ball back for Mount, making his 150th start for the club, to superbly curl beyond Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers from 20 yards.
Speaking to the BBC in a post-match interview, Potter praised his players’ attitude, stating that it was a deserved win.
”Credit to the players. You’re never sure how it’ll go with the break we had. The attitude was fantastic and they tried their best.
“It was a deserved win. We had to hold on; Bournemouth made it competitive. It’s a step forward for us as a team.“
