Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth (14 Jan 2025) Match Analysis

On By Littum

Chelsea captain Reece James rescued a point for his side with a 95th-minute free-kick to grab a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Second-half substitute James, who returned after a long spell injured at the weekend, beat the keeper Mark Travers with a perfectly placed curling shot into the far corner of the net.

But it was two points lost for the hosts, who dominated large parts of the game and scored throughout Cole Palmer in the first half before allowing Bournemouth to respond with a penalty kick Justin Kluivert early in the second period.

Palmer scored his 14th Premier League goal of the season after receiving a nicely weighted ball from Nicholas Jackson who had wriggled free of three Bournemouth midfielders on the halfway line.

The Chelsea talisman then sent Travers to the floor with a small dummy and rolled the ball into his net.

Chelsea had several chances in the first half, through Jackson, Palmer and Enzo Fernandez to double their lead.

Reece James scored his first goal in almost two years to earn Chelsea a point against Bournemouth.

Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

But they let the visitors back into the game three minutes into the second half when Moises Caicedo brought down Antoine Semenyo in the penalty area and Kluivert sent Robert Sanchez the wrong way from the place.

The Stamford Bridge faithful were shocked into silence in the 67th minute when Semenyo rounded the 18-year-old defender Josh Acheampong and sent a near-post rocket past goalkeeper Sánchez.

Travers kept Bournemouth in front and kept out shots from Jackson, who was busy all night but couldn’t get a ball past the keeper and the visitors looked dangerous on the break.

James, a product of the Chelsea academy who has been plagued by injuries all season, roared in celebration and relief as his free-kick hit the back of the net with three extra minutes to play.

Chelsea, who have failed to win in their last five league games, remain fourth in the table with 37 points from 21 games, with Bournemouth seventh on 34.