Chelsea squandered a golden opportunity to apply pressure on the Premier League summit after being held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday 06 December 2025.
Sanchez Saves the Day for Frustrated Blues
The story of the match was one of Chelsea's profligacy in attack and the inspired form of their goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez. With leaders Arsenal losing earlier in the day, Enzo Maresca's side had the chance to cut the gap to just six points against a Bournemouth team in poor form. However, despite a spirited second-half performance, the visitors lacked the decisive final ball to break down a resilient Cherries defence.
Chelsea were arguably fortunate to reach halftime on level terms after Bournemouth finished the first period strongly. Sanchez was in magnificent form, producing a string of fine saves to deny the hosts. He first diverted an Antoine Semenyo shot across the face of goal, where Evanilson could not convert at the far post, before making brilliant stops from Alex Scott and Semenyo again.
Missed Opportunities and VAR Drama
The home side thought they had taken an early lead when Antoine Semenyo found the net after just three minutes, but the effort was ruled out for offside following a lengthy VAR review. Bournemouth, encouraged by their bright start, continued to press with Marcus Tavernier forcing an early save from Sanchez.
Chelsea looked nervous, particularly in defence where the reunited centre-back pairing of Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah offered little calm. Semenyo consistently troubled Malo Gusto on Bournemouth's right flank. The first half also saw Bournemouth's Liam Delap substituted with a shoulder injury after a tussle with Marcos Senesi, with Marc Guiu surprisingly replacing him ahead of Joao Pedro.
Chelsea's Second-Half Improvement Falls Short
After the break, Chelsea improved and began to create chances. Pedro Neto forced Bournemouth keeper Djordje Petrovic into action, while Alejandro Garnacho headed against the post from a deep Neto cross. Marc Guiu blazed a glorious chance over from six yards, and substitute Cole Palmer, making his first start since September, shot straight at Petrovic.
Garnacho, anonymous in the first half, became increasingly influential, cutting in to fire a drive just wide. Maresca introduced Estevao for the final 15 minutes in search of a winning pass, but it was Bournemouth who came closest late on, requiring one final superb near-post save from the impeccable Sanchez to secure a point for Chelsea.
The result leaves Chelsea ruing a significant missed opportunity in the Premier League title race, with their failure to find a cutting edge ultimately costing them two valuable points.
