Chelsea’s goalless draw at Bournemouth may have brought a welcome clean sheet, but the afternoon was overshadowed by another worrying injury blow to striker Liam Delap, whose debut season at Stamford Bridge continues to be derailed by fitness problems.
The 21 year old was forced off just after the half hour mark at the Vitality Stadium after landing awkwardly on his shoulder during a tussle with Marcos Senesi. Delap immediately signal led that he could not continue, leaving the pitch with his arm strapped in an improvised sling.
Speaking after the match, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca delivered a bleak early assessment. “Unfortunately he has already been out for two months, and he has to be out again,” he said. “We don’t know for how long, but it looks quite bad. He has been unlucky because we need that kind of No. 9.”
Delap had only recently returned from a long hamstring layoff suffered in August, limiting him to just 17 appearances in all competitions since joining from Ipswich Town in the summer. His promising early form at the Club World Cup where he scored against ES Tunis and assisted on his debut offered glimpses of what he could bring, but his momentum has been repeatedly halted.
While Delap’s exit dampened Chelsea’s attacking threat, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez ensured the visitors at least escaped with a point. Bournemouth dominated large spells of the first half, repeatedly forcing Sanchez into action as Semenyo, Evanilson and Alex Scott tested him with sharp effort.
Chelsea improved after the break, with Alejandro Garnacho’s header clipping the post and Enzo Fernandez drawing a strong save from Djordje Petrovic. Cole Palmer, returning for his first league start since September, also grew into the game, but the decisive breakthrough remained elusive.
The statement extends Chelsea’s run to three Premier League matches without victory, leaving them fourth and now anxiously looking over their shoulder. While Crystal Palace could overtake them with a win on Sunday.
Maresca, however, preferred to emphasize the positives, particularly another strong defensive display away from home. The Blues have now kept four clean sheets in their last five league trips, a vast improvement on last season’s frailties.
“ We kept a clean sheet and didn’t lose the game,” Sanchez said. “We take the point and go into the next match needing three. Bournemouth are a great team with intensity, and we managed the game well.”
For Bournemouth, the draw continues a frustrating winless run that now stretches to six league games. Yet Andoni Iraola’s side can take encouragement from a controlled and energetic display, with Stott, Kluivert and Semenyo all impressing despite their failure to find the net.
Chelsea’s inability to capitalize on Arsenal’s earlier defeat at Aston Villa may sting, but the greater concern now centers on Delap. With the Blues already light in the No. 9 department, another lengthy absence for the young striker threatens to reshape Maresca’s attacking plans once more.
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