Chelsea manager Graham Potter said Reece James' latest injury was a distraction for his players as they ended their six-game Premier League winning streak and moved into the top four with a comfortable win at home to brilliant Bournemouth.
James impressed after returning from a knee problem that forced him out of contention for England's 2022 World Cup squad, but suffered a leg injury early in the second half that left the full-back lying on his back in disbelief before walking off. dam
We'll have to see in the next 24 to 48 hours," Potter told Amazon Prime Video when asked about the extent of James' problem. "We're disappointed to lose him as quickly as we did. . The situation affected us a little bit."
That incident was the fault for Chelsea on a night when Mason Mount made his 150th start for his boyhood club with a brilliant long-range goal to double their first-half lead after Kai Haverz scored first. by sliding in Raheem Sterling's cross.
Away goalkeeper Mark Travers denied James, Sterling and Mountain among several saves to keep Bournemouth's faint hopes of a comeback alive in Gary O'Neil's first game as permanent manager.
Chelsea, who travel to Nottingham Forest on January 1, avoided the honor of losing four league games in a row for the first time since 1998 and trailed Tottenham Hotspur by six points going into the Champions League final. qualifications place
Bournemouth's fifth defeat in six league games kept them three points above the relegation zone ahead of the visit of Crystal Palace on December 31.
Chelsea switch attacking options
With Chelsea not scoring for more than five and a half hours in all competitions, they also started the game as an outside forward, with Potter starting on the bench with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The pressure was on for Sterling, Havertz and Christian Pulisic - who had a goal disallowed - to perform, with the three World Cup participants showing early concern for their part after Bournemouth won three of their last five visits. Stamford Bridge started brightly.
Mountain moved in behind them and sent Sterling away in the penalty area with a through ball to the right which allowed the receiver to deliver an excellent low cross over the Bournemouth back line to continue Havertz's run in front of goal which slipped his own goal. . . firmly under Travers's dive.
Mount's finish was excellent and he expertly curled his elegant shot past Travers from outside the box with a confidence that permeated Chelsea's play for most of the match.
Havertz showed quick feet to parry Mount's strike and is now Chelsea's top scorer, with Potter leading the way with four goals. "He gives me the freedom to go anywhere on the court comfortably, and I like that," Havertz said of Potter.
"I like to be free, get the ball often, be in the box and just play. He gives me a lot of confidence. This period is crucial for us and we know we need points."
Potter explained that the introduction of Havertz as a number nine would give Chelsea "variety" and allow Sterling and Pulisic to stay high up the pitch.
"We wanted a performance . above. from our supporters - we weren't happy with our performance," said the manager, adding to his team's busy schedule ahead: "It's fun, it's challenging. Certainly nothing to complain about."
Do you miss football now that the World Cup is over?
The Premier League is back on Monday and there are more games to come today. Christian Pulisic is one of them. and Chelsea in mid-table with 21 points against Bournemouth .
Graham Potter's side (6-3-5) enter the World Cup break without a win since mid-October and unbeaten in their last three games. Bournemouth (4-4-7), although a few places lower, won two of three before the break.
12:30 PM ET Tuesday's game will be played at Stamford Bridge and will be broadcast on US network Fubo TV (try the FREE seven-day trial), DirecTV Stream and Sling TV.
Potter is in his first year as manager and has been increasingly under the spotlight over the past few months, so the break has certainly been welcome as he tries to sort out some big issues.
Key players Wesley Fofana, Reece James, N'Golo Kante and Ben Chilwell have all been sidelined for long periods with knee and hamstring problems but have been included in the squad for a warm-weather camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of the tournament's resumption. of the league match, reports goal.com.
Furthermore, Chelsea's two best players at the World Cup - Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech - are players whose futures at Stamford Bridge are far from certain. The organization will decide over the coming months whether to keep one or both.
Overall, this is a team that has been underwhelming and questions about the quality of the midfield and backline personnel will follow this group for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth have scored eight goals in their last three Premier League games, as many as in their previous 11 games combined. However, according to the BBC, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their 17 away Premier League games since a 1-0 win at Chelsea in December 2019.
Players to Watch Marcus Tavernier has been involved in six of Bournemouth's last eight Premier League goals, including two goals and four assists. So let's see if he can continue this streak.
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