Chelsea have much to celebrate here. It is not every day Bournemouth get beaten 5-1. Jordan Henderson was signed this summer for his much-needed experience in a relatively young group but he did much more here, scoring twice and providing an assist as Xabi Alonso’s side claimed their first Premier League victory in four matches.
The 36-year-old midfielder opened the scoring inside two minutes before setting up Morgan Rogers for Chelsea’s second. Joao Pedro struck twice after the break, and then Henderson completed the rout with a superb free-kick into the top corner as the hosts punished Bournemouth’s defensive weaknesses.
Chelsea had struggled before the international break, with a 3-0 defeat at Brentford extending their winless run to three league matches. Their latest performance was the perfect riposte.
For the first goal, Cole Palmer carried the ball towards the Bournemouth penalty area unchecked before finding Henderson, who drove a first-time shot beyond Djordje Petrovic and inside the far post.
It made him Chelsea’s oldest Premier League goalscorer since John Terry in May 2017, but there was little time for Bournemouth to recover before the hosts doubled their advantage.
Chelsea pressed forward again, with Petrovic saving from Pedro Neto before Henderson released Rogers on the left. The England international cut inside and curled towards the far corner, with a deflection off Antonio Silva taking the ball beyond the goalkeeper after 149 seconds.
Bournemouth had entered the match with an open attacking formation, but their willingness to commit players forward left space for Chelsea to exploit. The visitors gradually settled and came close to reducing the deficit before half-time, only for Emiliano Martinez to deny Rayan and Ryan Christie in quick succession.
Silva also threatened, but Chelsea survived the pressure to maintain their two-goal advantage at the interval. Bournemouth’s problems were compounded by the absence of several important players, including Justin Kluivert, Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott, who faces a spell out with a thigh injury.
The hosts resumed with the same attacking intent and extended their lead less than a minute into the second half. Silva failed to deal with Neto’s run towards the byline, allowing the winger to deliver a cross that Pedro converted with a rising finish.
Bournemouth responded in the 51st minute, when Evanilson bundled the ball over the line from a corner. The goal extended Chelsea’s run without a Premier League clean sheet to 22 matches and briefly offered the visitors a route back into the contest.
However, Chelsea restored their three-goal advantage in the 67th minute. Rogers found the overlapping Pep Chavarria on the left, and his low delivery gave Pedro the opportunity to score his second of the afternoon. Henderson soon completed his brace to score Chelsea’s fifth.
