COMMENTARY
FT
Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
Willian (13)
Álvaro Morata (90+1)
Antonio Conte has made eight changes from the side that beat Southampton at the weekend. Gary Cahill, Willian and Pedro are the only three to keep their places, while youngster Ethan Ampadu is among those to get a chance to impress tonight. Meanwhile Eddie Howe has changed seven from the side that lost 4-0 to Liverpool on Sunday.
BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Ramsdale, Ake, Cook, Hyndman, Ibe, Pugh, Wilson
BOURNEMOUTH (4-5-1): Boruc (GK); Smith, Francis (C), Cook, Simpson; Surman, Arter, Gosling, Mousset, Fraser; Defoe
CHELSEA SUBS: Eduardo, Clarke-Salter, Sterling, Bakayoko, Hazard, Hudson-Odoi, Morata
CHELSEA (3-4-3): Caballero (GK); Rudiger, Ampadu, Cahill (C); Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Kenedy; Willian, Pedro, Batshuayi
The team news is in, here is how the two sides will line-up this evening...
Head-to-head: Bournemouth have only won one of their last nine meetings with Chelsea in all competitions, losing eight, although that win did come at Stamford Bridge back in December 2015.
With Premier League survival a priority for the Cherries this season, Eddie Howe is also likely to rest some players for the game, particularly with a daunting away fixture at Manchester City to come on Saturday.
Their opponents tonight Bournemouth have endured a difficult run of late, failing to win any of their last six Premier League matches which has left them just one point above the relegation zone, including a 4-0 home defeat against Liverpool on Sunday.
Antonio Conte is likely to hand some of his fringe players an opportunity to impress for Chelsea tonight at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are highly unlikely to catch Manchester City in the Premier League after their 1-0 defeat to West Ham earlier this month, but his side are still competing on all four fronts this season and the fixtures are starting to come thick and fast.
Good evening and welcome to our LIVE match commentary of the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash between Chelsea and Bournemouth.
24' CHANCE BOURNEMOUTH! Ibe should've done much better with this opportunity. Willian lost the ball deep in his own half after a challenge by Arter, he then completely stops and looks at the referee waiting for a free-kick to be awarded but nothing is given. Ibe takes advantage, he picks the ball up and runs into the penalty area and fires a shot at goal from a tight angle, but he blasts it wide of the near post.
26' Much better by Bournemouth now, they are starting to have some possession of their own and string passes together, but they aren't getting close to the Chelsea final third at the moment, with Ibe's chance a few minutes ago, by far their best opportunity of the game.
28' Davide Zappacosta is enjoying a lot of success down the right-wing at the moment, he is causing the Cherries defence a lot of problems with his pacey runs and link up play with Fabregas and Pedro.
29' CHANCE CHELSEA! Gary Cahill with a decent effort at goal from the edge of the penalty area, he takes the shot on the volley but he can't keep it down and it goes a couple of yards over the Bournemouth goal. The chance came after Pedro gets into the box and lays it off to Batshuayi, but the striker can't sort his feet out and Bournemouth manage to scramble it away.
41' Not long left on the clock until half- time now, can Chelsea double their lead before the break? Or, will Bournemouth be able to change the course of the game and pull one back.
42' CHANCE CHELSEA! Kenedy carved the opportunity himself, he nicks the ball off Smith and charges deep into the Bournemouth half, he should've passed to Batshuayi who was in a better position but instead he goes for goal himself and gets it terribly wrong! His sliced effort drifts well wide of the Cherries goal.
45' There will be a minimum of two minutes of added time played at the end of the first half.
45' + 2' That's the half-time whistle.
HALF-TIME: CHELSEA 1-0 BOURNEMOUTH
Chelsea lead 1-0 at half-time here and they look well on course to book their place in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, after a dominant first half performance. The Blues have controlled possession and looked the far more dangerous side, taking the lead early on through Willian.
46' The second half is underway! Chelsea lead 1-0 at half-time here and they look well on course to book their place in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, after a dominant first half performance. The Blues have controlled possession and looked the far more dangerous side, taking the lead early on through Willian.
48' STAT: The Cherries have never won in 15 previous away League Cup games against top-flight opponents. drawing three and losing 12, though they did eliminate Blackburn on penalties in September 2004 as a League One side, with Eddie Howe playing the full 120 minutes in that match.
49' Good start to the second half by Bournemouth, they have increased the pace of their forward play, with Fraser and Ibe running at the Chelsea full-backs and looking for teammates to make runs in between the lines. They are attacking well so far.
51' Both teams will surely be hoping to get this game finished in 90 minutes ahead of the hectic festive period in the Premier League, in order to rest players and get the best out of them.
53' The Cherries are looking dangerous going forward now, the pace has really picked up and the Blues defence is being forced to sit deeper and deeper. The teamtalk at half-time by Eddie Howe seems to have really had an effect.
55' Fraser is looking like one of Bournemouth's most dangerous players, he is causing Zappacosta a lot of problems defensively by running at him and making him face his own goal, along with limiting the Chelsea's man attacking threat at the other end. Zappacosta has suffered from a couple of injures since joining Chelsea and Conte has admitted that he is perhaps not at full fitness, which may play into Fraser's hands as the games goes on.
57' Zappacosta is now down injured after a clash with Fraser, he is receiving medical treatment and looks to be in a lot of pain. Meanwhile, Eden Hazard is getting stripped and ready to enter the fray, looks like Conte is ready to go for the lethal blow and tie up victory.
60' CHANCE BOURNEMOUTH! What a great opportunitity that was for the Cherries to score the equaliser! Ibe does brilliantly down the left-wing to beat two Chelsea defenders on the byline, he then pulls the ball back to Mousset who is waiting on the edge of the six-yard box. The striker gets a shot away but it is superbly blocked and goes over the bar. The resulting corner is well cleared by Chelsea.
61' The first of a double substitution by Chelsea, the goalscorer Willian is off and he has been replaced by Eden Hazard.
61' The second change sees Pedro leave the pitch and he has been replaced by Tiemoué Bakayoko.
62' Zappacosta is the third Chelsea man to pick up a booking tonight, for a tackle from behind on Fraser. The winger is still causing the right-back a lot of problems and he will now need to be careful for the rest of the game.
64' ANOTHER CHANCE! The opportunities are now starting to mount up for Bournemouth, they need to start taking them and get the equalising goal before Chelsea punish them with a second. Gosling with a clear sight on goal from the edge of the penalty area, but he completely slices his shot wide of the goal. Terrible effort.
67' Bournemouth may turn to Callum Wilson for a goal tonight, the striker has scored in three of his last four League Cup matches for Bournemouth, in a run stretching back to August 2014.
69' Chelsea are starting to regain a bit of control over the game once again, they have kept possession well in the last few minutes and reduced the pace of the game, in an attempt to stop the Cherries breaking forward.
70' PENALTY SHOUT! Kenedy is furious that he hasn't been awarded a penalty after a coming together with Smith just inside the penalty area. The winger flicked the ball past the full-back, then ran into Smith who had his arms up and it would've been a soft foul.
71' Bournemouth make the change up front, with Lys Mousset heading off the pitch and he has been replaced by Callum Wilson.
72' Jack Simpson is the first Bournemouth player to be shown a yellow card tonight after a late challenge on Danny Drinkwater.
73' Chelsea make their third and final substitution of the evening, with Michy Batshuayi being replaced by Álvaro Morata
74' Bournemouth respond by making their final change of the evening as well, which comes in midfield with Harry Arter being replaced by Lewis Cook.
76' The Bournemouth skipper Simon Francis is shown the yellow card for pulling the shirt of Kenedy and he looked to break forward on the counter-attack.
82' Adam Smith is shown a yellow card for a rash tackle on Fabregas.
86' Not long left on the clock here, can Bournemouth find that equalising goal after all of their hard work in this second half? Chelsea have certainly been off the pace in the second period.
88' Chelsea looking to try and run the clock down now, passing the ball around the Bournemouth half and keeping the Cherries away from their final third. However, there still may be a few minutes added on here due to the injuries picked up during the game.
90' GOOOAAALLL! BOURNEMOUTH EQUALISE! A terrific finish by Gosling, he curled it beautifully into the corner of the net from the edge of the box, and it is nothing more than what Bournemouth have deserved after their second half performance.
90' Jordon Ibe with the pass to Gosling on the edge of the area, but it was a terrific strike from Gosling.
90' + 1' GOOOAAALLL! CHELSEA LEAD AGAIN! Almost straight from the restart Chelsea go up the pitch and take the lead again! Just seconds after the equaliser, the Blues have punished some slack defending by the Cherries. Hazard breaking forward, he draws the Chelsea defenders to him and then squares it to Morata who slides the ball into the back of the net. Just 40 seconds after the Cherries goal.
90' + 3' The striker is shown a yellow card for his goal celebrations and kicking the ball away as Bournemouth tried to get the ball back quickly.
FULL-TIME: CHELSEA 2-1 BOURNEMOUTH 90' + 5' That's the full-time whistle!
An excellent cup game, which ends with Chelsea booking their place in the semi- finals of the Carabao Cup. That's all from us tonight, we hope you enjoyed the game!
A thrilling end to the game at Stamford Bridge! Bournemouth thought they had scored the vital equaliser to take the game into extra-time, after a great strike by Dan Gosling, following a superb and much improved second half performance. However, just seconds after the goal the Blues broke forward and Morata fired in a second goal and made the score 2-1, sending Chelsea into the semi-finals!
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