Chelsea secured a 2-1 win over Bournemouth and a spot in Europe subsequent season with a powerful lobbed purpose from the midway line by Moisés Caicedo and a twisting effort from Raheem Sterling of their remaining Premier League sport on Sunday.
The end result means Chelsea end sixth and can play within the Europa League if Premier League champions Manchester Metropolis win the FA Cup remaining subsequent weekend or the Europa Convention League if Manchester United with the Wembley showpiece.
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Sunday’s sport in heat London sunshine pulsed with vitality. Bournemouth, who completed twelfth, had been eager to make a sport of it.
The south-coast facet had solely 39% possession however 22 photographs in opposition to 16 from the hosts. They need to have equalised within the dying moments however former Chelsea striker Dominic Solanke, who got here on as an alternative, fired over the bar from shut vary.
Chelsea had been on high from the beginning at Stamford Bridge.
Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto rushed out of his space within the seventeenth minute to cease the advancing Sterling however his clearance dropped to Caicedo and the Ecuadorean lobbed an ideal shot from the midway line into the web for his first Chelsea purpose.Two minutes into the second half, Sterling doubled the lead by rounding two defenders earlier than slipping the ball by Neto’s legs on the close to submit.
Barely a minute later, although, Bournemouth obtained one again when Enes Ünal’s shot took an enormous deflection off Chelsea defender Benoît Badiashile and flew into the web.
The result was greater than Chelsea followers may need anticipated after a misfiring begin to the season underneath Mauricio Pochettino.
The London facet had been languishing in twelfth place initially of final month, regardless of having extra success within the home cups having reaching the League Cup remaining and FA Cup semi-finals .
On Sunday no followers had been booing or calling for Argentine Pochettino to go as they’d earlier within the 12 months. As a substitute they celebrated Chelsea’s fifth win in a row.
There have been tears from former Brazil defender Thiago Silva, who at 39 performed his final sport after 4 years on the membership. His workforce mates gave him a guard of honour earlier than doing a customary season-ending lap of honour.