Bournemouth's defensive line quickly regrouped.
The first to confront Hazard was Daniels.
As a wide player himself, Daniels relied on his pace to close down Hazard, appearing right in front of him in a flash.
Daniels underestimated Hazard's individual brilliance.
Even though Hazard had been relatively quiet tonight, taking him lightly was a dangerous mistake.
And as expected, Hazard seized the moment.
With a sharp touch of his right foot, Hazard sent the ball rolling cleanly between Daniels' legs—a perfectly executed nutmeg!
The crowd erupted as Hazard darted forward again, leaving Daniels behind.
In no time, Hazard broke into the penalty area, turning the pressure squarely onto Bournemouth's defense.
Before him now stood three defenders—Francis, Ake, and Cook—who closed in swiftly, their focus solely on stopping Chelsea's star.
Hazard, however, didn't look for a pass.
While many might argue that passing would have been the better option, Hazard opted to take the shot himself.
The ball was struck firmly... but Francis was there to block it!
Bournemouth didn't miss a beat.
Stanislas quickly recovered possession in midfield, launching a precise long ball to the right wing. It found Adam Smith, Bournemouth's standout performer of the night.
Smith, as he had done repeatedly, caused havoc on the flank. His relentless drive created constant problems for Chelsea's defense.
After a slick move to bypass his marker, Smith reached the byline and delivered a dangerous cross into Chelsea's penalty area.
The ball curved menacingly, dropping into the box where Bournemouth's forwards, Defoe and Afobe, were ready to pounce.
But Chelsea's defense—anchored by Rudiger, David Luiz, and Azpilicueta—was rock-solid. The trio stayed composed, denying Bournemouth's strikers any chance to connect.
With that failed attack, the referee blew the whistle for halftime.
Half-Time Adjustments
During the break, both coaches made tactical tweaks.
For Antonio Conte, Chelsea's 2–1 lead wasn't safe. One goal was hardly enough to guarantee three points, and he demanded more from his players.
"We need to kill the game in the first ten minutes of the second half," Conte instructed firmly. His message was clear: attack relentlessly and put Bournemouth on the back foot.
As the second half kicked off, Chelsea's players came out with renewed energy.
Conte's tactical adjustment saw Su Luo switch positions with Pedro. Su Luo dropped into the midfield, while Pedro pushed further up the front line.
The reason was simple—Su Luo's vision and playmaking from deeper positions could unlock Bournemouth's defense, while Pedro's pace and movement would pose a direct threat in attack.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my page:
I upload 2 Chapters daily on !
There are 300+ advanced Chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[One piece: Starting as a Mythical Beast]