MAURICIO POCHETTINO’S Chelsea billionaires club were frustrated by fellow strugglers Bournemouth.
Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling both struck the woodwork for the injury-ravaged Blues but they had keeper Robert Sanchez for a couple of smart saves which spared them a humiliating defeat on a soggy south coast.
Pochettino’s team are marooned in 14th place in the Premier League table after just one win in five matches under the Argentinian.
On an individual level, Chelsea lack experience and as a team, they lack cohesion, with the £1billion transfer-market splurge from Todd Boehly looking like a panic-stricken trolley dash.
Striker Jackson lacked physical presence and £106milion midfielder Enzo Fernandez was substituted after an anonymous display.
Bournemouth, winless under new boss Andoni Iraola, finished the stronger side but Sanchez pulled off the save of the match to deny former Chelsea man Dominic Solanke.
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With their form dismal and their injury list in double figures, Chelsea included six players on their bench who were yet to play for the club – despite their extraordinary levels of spending.
Mykhailo Mudryk, such a disappointment since Chelsea’s January hijacking of a move to Arsenal, was enjoying some success on the left.
His early centre across the face of goal struck Conor Gallagher and was deflected over.
Then the Ukrainian was involved in a neat exchange of passes with Nicolas Jackson, whose shot struck the base of the post.
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But Bournemouth almost seized the lead when a smart sharply-taken free-kick from Lewis Cook caught Chelsea’s defence square and released Ryan Christie.
The Scot, who was kippered by Jude Bellingham at Hampden Park in midweek, centred low for Dango Ouattara but Robert Sanchez reacted quickly to smother his shot.
Mudryk, booked for a foul on Max Aarons and struggling out of possession, centred for Gallagher, who beat his marker and forced a fine diving save from Neto in the Cherries goal.
Pochettino’s men had shaded the first half but their naivety and often showed.
Early in the second half, Mudryk darted inside and was chopped down on the edge of the area by Max Aarons, who was cautioned by ref David Coote.
Raheem Sterling’s free-kick crashed against the underside of the bar and looped out to Levi Colwill, who stabbed home – but the stand-in left-back was immediately flagged for offside.
It was something of a surprise when Pochettino hooked Mudryk in the 63rd minute, although his replacement Cole Palmer was alert from the off.
When Bournemouth half-cleared a corner, Sterling picked out Colwill, who forced two scrambling stops from Neto.
But the longer Chelsea failed to score, the Cherries grew in belief – especially with the introduction of sub Justin Kluivert.
First, the Dutchman’s centre found Marcus Tavernier, who duffed his shot, then he was mowed down by Axel Diasi on the edge of the box, with Philip Billing’s free-kick deflected wide off the Chelsea wall.
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And when Jackson meekly lost possession, Inaola’s side countered sharply with a Dominic Solanke shot brilliantly saved by Sanchez, sticking out his right boot.
It was end-to-end now, Palmer’s volley pushed away by Neto, before Solanke failed to finish off a Bournemouth counter-attack.
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