Reece James’ late heroics salvaged a point for Chelsea in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
The Chelsea captain’s stunning free-kick in the dying moments of stoppage time denied Bournemouth a famous victory after the visitors overturned an early deficit with two second-half goals.
Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth, riding high on confidence, appeared set to claim all three points as goals from Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo canceled out Cole Palmer’s opener.
A win would have seen Bournemouth climb to fifth in the Premier League standings, level with Chelsea.
However, James’ moment of brilliance in the fifth minute of added time electrified Stamford Bridge and ensured Enzo Maresca’s side ended their five-game winless streak with a dramatic draw.
Bournemouth came into the clash in blistering form, boasting a club-record unbeaten run of eight league matches. Yet, it was Chelsea who dominated the opening exchanges.
They started brightly, with Palmer orchestrating play and constantly probing the Bournemouth defense.
Palmer, heavily involved from the outset and mentioned in 10 of the first 14 updates in Sky Sports’ live commentary, finally made his mark with a composed finish.
Nicolas Jackson set up the goal brilliantly, using his strength to hold off his marker before slipping Palmer through on goal. With Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers advancing, Palmer calmly feinted, sending Travers to the ground, and slotted the ball into the net. It marked his 14th league goal in 21 appearances.
The second half saw a revitalized Bournemouth turn the game on its head. Early on, Moises Caicedo’s foul on Semenyo in the box handed the visitors a lifeline. Referee Robert Jones wasted no time pointing to the spot, and Kluivert converted with precision to bring his side level.
Tensions flared later when Bournemouth’s David Brooks was involved in a heated incident with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella.
VAR intervened, and Jones reviewed the footage at the pitchside monitor, ultimately deciding against issuing a red card—marking a historic first in the Premier League where a referee rejected a red-card review after consulting the monitor.
Chelsea were left ruing missed opportunities as Bournemouth’s resurgence stunned the home side.
Semenyo capped off a spirited second-half performance with a composed finish, giving Bournemouth the lead and setting the stage for what appeared to be a remarkable victory.
But James had other ideas. With the clock ticking down, the Chelsea skipper stepped up and delivered a sensational free-kick that nestled into the top corner, rescuing a crucial point and sending Stamford Bridge into raptures.
