As Bournemouth can testify, Chelsea remain just as devastating without Diego Costa

Greg Lea reports from Stamford Bridge where Chelsea shrugged off the absence of lead striker Diego Costa to cruise past Bournemouth and extend their winning run in the Premier League to 12 matches.

Eden Hazard, centre, was deployed through the middle for Chelsea in the absence of Diego Costa. Peter Nicholls / Reuters

Chelsea 3 Bournemouth 0

Chelsea: Pedro (24', 90'+3), Hazard (49' pen)

Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

LONDON // Antonio Conte’s team selections have not contained many surprises the last few months, but the Chelsea manager’s decision to omit Michy Batshuayi from his starting XI on Monday was unexpected.

The Belgium international was the likely candidate to replace the suspended Diego Costa, the Premier League’s top scorer.

Instead, Conte opted for a fluid front three of Pedro, Willian and Eden Hazard, with the latter deployed in Costa’s customary position through the middle.

Hazard, as his manager would have anticipated, did not interpret the role in the same way as his absent teammate, but Chelsea were no less potent without their leading marksman at the top of the pitch.

This 3-0 victory over Bournemouth, a result which extends Conte’s charges’ winning run to 12 consecutive matches and sets a new club record for successive successes, was a fair reflection of Chelsea’s dominance at Stamford Bridge.

The home side started brightly, circulating the ball with pace as they sought an early lead.

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Wing-backs Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso positioned themselves high up the field and hugged their respective touchlines, a move which allowed Willian and Pedro to drift infield and combine with Hazard in central areas.

The outcome often produced some thrilling football in the final third, with Hazard, 25, particularly impressive against Bournemouth’s three-man backline of Simon Francis, Steve Cook and Charlie Daniels.

He regularly dropped deep to pick up possession away from his markers, before causing considerable panic by driving at the heart of the visitors’ defence.

Bournemouth had some positive moments of their own, particularly when Jack Wilshere found space between the lines and carried the ball towards the penalty area, but Chelsea’s superior individual quality meant it was they who took the lead when Pedro bent a left-footed effort past Artur Boruc and into the far corner.

The Premier League leaders were firmly in control from that moment onwards. Although Bournemouth saw more of the ball than the table-toppers both before and after the half-time break, Chelsea looked menacing virtually every time they advanced.

The decisive second strike arrived four minutes into the second period, Hazard converting from the penalty spot after being felled by Francis.

That was one of many moments when the Belgian’s footwork and close control bamboozled his opponents — Bournemouth were simply unable to deal with Hazard’s sublime dribbling throughout this encounter.

A two-goal cushion gave the hosts some breathing space, and they responded by sitting a little deeper and opening up space for their front three on the counter-attack.

There are currently few teams in Europe as dangerous in transition as Chelsea, who come alive as soon as possession changes hands and are capable of cutting through opposing sides at will.

The third, a deflected effort scored by Pedro in stoppage time, was an example of their threat in that regard, as the Spaniard won the ball back inside his own half and immediately raced clear to add some extra gloss to Chelsea’s latest triumph, which strengthened their position at the summit of the standings.

“Eden, Pedro and Willian played really well,” Conte said. “We had a week to find a solution without Diego, and I’m pleased with the solution we chose.

“Michy is a really good player, but he’s a young player and he’s trying to adapt to this league. I tried to make the best decision for the team.”

This convincing victory, and Hazard’s starring role within it, proved that he did exactly that.

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