Bournemouth stunned Chelsea with three second-half goals in a 3-0 Premier League victory on Wednesday, inflicting on the champions their first home defeat in four months.
The visitors scored on the break in the 51st minute after midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko lost the ball and Callum Wilson played a neat one-two with Jordan Ibe before slotting home.
Wilson was also involved in the second goal, when he pushed the ball to Junior Stanislas who flicked it into the net off sprawling goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the 65th minute.
Former Chelsea midfielder Nathan Ake made it three barely three minutes later, prodding the ball in from a Stanislas shot.
Chelsea’s first home defeat since Sept. 30 exposed the London side’s lack of firepower, with Alvaro Morata injured, Michy Batshuayi on his way to Dortmund on loan and Olivier Giroud signed from Arsenal only a few hours before kickoff.
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe expressed joy at the performance of his team, adding that it was the best result the club has ever achieved.
The result matched Chelsea’s defeat at Roma in the Champions League on 31 October, and was also the joint-heaviest defeat of Conte’s two-and-a-half-year spell in charge of the Blues.
“That has to be our best result and the best performance in getting the result,” he said.
“We were very aggressive and everyone was magnificent. Our aggressiveness, work-rate and endeavour – it all came together. Although it was a game of few chances, we deserved the victory and scored some great goals.”. (Reuters/NAN)
