A goal from Eden Hazard early in the second half was enough to give Chelsea victory over Bournemouth and move them into fourth in the Premier League.
The Belgian hit a firm shot past Asmir Begovic at the Cherries goalkeeper’s near post after defender Simon Francis failed to cut out a ball over the top.
Begovic had pulled off a fine save in the first half to deny Alvaro Morata, who also found the net only to see Cesar Azpilicueta flagged for offside.
The hosts failed to manage a shot on target until Steve Cook’s effort in the 92nd minute and remain one place off the foot of the table.
Had Cesc Fabregas converted a chance late in the game, it would have given the scoreline a fairer reflection of Chelsea’s dominance, but they still moved back above Arsenal on goal difference.
A win to improve Conte’s mood?
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte gave an angry performance in his press conference ahead of the visit to Bournemouth, lashing out at allegations that his players are unhappy about his training sessions.
With Chelsea starting the day in fourth place and nine points behind leaders Manchester City, anything less than three points for Conte’s side would have raised more questions about their ability to defend their Premier League title.
What the Italian’s team gave him was not a vintage Chelsea performance, but one good enough to give them a win that may help settle some frayed tempers.
They managed a first clean sheet in seven outings in all competitions since the 4-0 win at Stoke on 23 September, seeing out the game with a disciplined performance against opponents who could not convert effort into chances.
BBC Sports