Chelsea's momentum in the Premier League title race stalled significantly after being held to a frustrating goalless draw by a resilient Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday. The result leaves Enzo Maresca's side eight points adrift of the league summit, a gap that feels like a missed opportunity following Arsenal's surprise defeat earlier in the weekend.
Bournemouth's Early Dominance and VAR Drama
Andoni Iraola's Cherries, inspired by Leeds' midweek blueprint, started with fierce intensity, penning Chelsea back and creating the game's clearest early chances. The home side thought they had taken a lead inside the opening minutes when Antoine Semenyo fired home from close range, but the goal was correctly disallowed after a VAR review showed Evanilson was marginally offside in the build-up.
Chelsea's defence, and captain Reece James in particular, breathed another sigh of relief moments later. Marcus Tavernier's driven shot was parried by Robert Sánchez straight to Justin Kluivert, who beat James to the loose ball and went down under a challenge. The assistant referee's offside flag cut short Bournemouth's penalty appeals, sparing the visitors further early embarrassment.
Chelsea Struggle to Impose Their Game
Despite weathering the early storm, Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm for much of the first half. Cole Palmer, making his first league start since the opening day, grew into the contest and was involved in a rare Chelsea chance that saw Marc Cucurella head over. Bournemouth, however, remained the more threatening, with Sánchez forced into saves from Semenyo and Kluivert before the break.
The second half saw a slight improvement from the Blues, who introduced more attacking impetus. Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, and Palmer all tested former Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, while substitute Alejandro Garnacho saw a headed effort come back off the post.
Stalemate Seals a Costly Point for Chelsea
As the game entered its final quarter, Bournemouth's defensive resolve, marshalled superbly by the right-back combination of Adam Smith and Álex Jiménez, held firm. The introduction of wingers Amine Adli and David Brooks offered fresh legs but no breakthrough, with Semenyo's late, powerful drive well saved by Sánchez the final act of note.
For Iraola, a point against a title contender, despite extending his team's winless run to six matches, represents a solid return based on a disciplined performance. For Maresca and Chelsea, however, the 0-0 draw feels like two points dropped. The vibrant form shown in victories over Barcelona and a brave draw with Arsenal in late November has evaporated in December, leaving their championship ambitions looking significantly more distant.
