LONDON: Kai Havertz and Mason Mount’s early strikes helped Chelsea ease to a 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday to snap a dismal run of five Premier League games without a win.
Graham Potter’s side endured a torrid spell before the World Cup but sparkled on their return to Stamford Bridge against the struggling Cherries to move eighth, six points shy of the top four with a game in hand to come.
However, victory came at a cost as defender Reece James limped off on his return from the knee injury which kept him out of England’s World Cup campaign.
James cruised through the first half but called for a substitution early in the second, pointing to his knee before going to ground and being replaced by Cesar Azpilicueta.
Potter, aiming to avoid overseeing a fourth consecutive Chelsea league defeat for the first time since 1998, handed Denis Zakaria his Premier League debut.
The Swiss midfielder broke forward well to drive Chelsea up the pitch in the first half, while the effervescent duo of Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic led the Bournemouth defense on a merry dance.
Sterling provided the opener with an incisive low cross to the back post where Havertz slid in to convert in the 16th minute.
Pulisic could easily have won a penalty when he was pulled back but referee Simon Hooper waved away his appeals.
Mount doubled the lead with a well-taken drive from the edge of the box in the 24th minute as Chelsea stepped up another gear before Pulisic had another goal disallowed for a foul by Havertz in the build-up.
After three games in all competitions without scoring a goal, the Blues were determined to end their disappointing streak and get their season back on track.
Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers did well to deny James after a dynamic burst forward, then made an even better save to foil Sterling before the break to keep his team in the game.
Havertz fired wide and Mount forced Travers into a smart low stop as Chelsea tried to put the game out of sight.
In the end they didn’t need to as Bournemouth failed to threaten other than Jaidon Anthony’s late free-kick that was beaten away by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
A fifth defeat in six league games leaves Gary O’Neil’s men in 14th just three points above the relegation zone.
Chelsea cruise back to winning ways against Bournemouth
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Chelsea cruise back to winning ways against Bournemouth
- After three games in all competitions without scoring a goal, the Blues were determined to end their disappointing streak and get their season back on track
Rampant Sabalenka sweeps past Jovic into Australian Open semifinals
MELBOURNE: Relentless top seed Aryna Sabalenka muscled past American teenager Iva Jovic and into the Australian Open semifinals Tuesday to accelerate her bid for a third Melbourne title.
The Belarusian powered home 6-3, 6-0 in blazing heat to set up a clash with either third seed Coco Gauff or 12th seed Elina Svitolina.
It booked the 27-year-old a 14th career Grand Slam semifinal and fourth in a row at the season-opening major.
Sabalenka has won twice in Melbourne, in 2023 and 2024, and seemed destined for another crown last year but was upset in the final by Madison Keys.
Keys’ title defense is over, beaten in the fourth round by Jessica Pegula.
“These teenagers have been testing me in the last couple of rounds,” said Sabalenka, who is on a 10-match win streak after victory at the lead-up Brisbane International.
“It was a tough match. Don’t look at the score, it wasn’t easy at all. She played incredible tennis. Pushed me to to one step better level. And I’m super happy with the win.”
The match was played under an open roof on Rod Laver Arena with the tournament Heat Stress Scale yet to reach the level where it could be closed.
Temperatures are forecast to hit a blistering 45C with a peak of 38C reached during the match.
Defeat brought an end to a breakthrough tournament for 18-year-old Jovic, the youngest player in the women’s top 100 and seeded 29.
She stunned seventh seed and two-time Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini and blitzed past experienced Yulia Putintseva for the loss of just one game to announce herself to the world.
But Sabalenka was a bridge too far.
The world number one safely held serve to lay down a marker, blasting an ace to set up game point and an unreturnable serve to win it.
Jovic made some early errors and sent the ball long on break point to surrender her serve and fall 2-0 behind.
Sabalenka held to pile on the pressure before Jovic fended off a break point on her next serve to get on the scoreboard.
But despite some long rallies as she got into the match and three break points as Sabalenka served for the set, the top seed’s brute force proved too much.
Sabalenka then broke her immediately to assert control of set two and Jovic was spent, with another break for 3-0 then a double fault to slump 5-0 down, signalling the end.
