Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: Verdict, man of the match, stats as Enzo Maresca's side see their title hopes fade

Chelsea's winless run in the Premier League has stretched to three matches, with the Blues held to a goalless draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Enzo Maresca's side entered the match looking to bounce back from their 3-1 loss at Leeds United, but they were unable to find a route past Bournemouth.

The result has left Chelsea in fourth spot in the Premier League table, eight points behind the leaders Arsenal and only three points clear of 12th-placed Liverpool.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have climbed into 13th, but the Cherries are now six matches without a victory in the top flight of English football, having struggled in recent weeks.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Chelsea have been mentioned as potential Premier League title challengers in recent weeks, but this match showed that the Blues are not yet ready to make the next step.

Bournemouth have been in incredibly disappointing form, so this was the perfect chance for Chelsea to send out a statement, but the visitors were unable to take advantage of a slip-up from Arsenal earlier in the afternoon.

Liam Delap's early injury was a major setback for Chelsea, and the likes of Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer and Alejandro Garnacho struggled to make their mark, while it was a similar story for Marc Guiu, Joao Pedro and Estevao off the bench.

Chelsea sit fourth, only three points above 12th-placed Liverpool, and they are eight points off the summit - the Blues should be focusing on a top-four spot this term rather than a title challenge.

As for Bournemouth, their winless run has continued, but there were positives from the Cherries, namely the performance of Antoine Semenyo, who could well be leaving the Vitality Stadium during the January transfer window.

MAN OF THE MATCH - WESLEY FOFANA

© Imago / Pro Sports Images

Fofana was Chelsea's standout player on the afternoon, with the centre-back putting in a brilliant performance for the visitors.

The 24-year-old won five aerial duels and made two tackles, while he was also excellent in possession of the ball, finishing with a pass success rate of 87%.

BOURNEMOUTH VS. CHELSEA MATCH STATS

Possession: Bournemouth 39%-61% Chelsea

Shots: Bournemouth 13-11 Chelsea

Shots on target: Bournemouth 5-4 Chelsea

Corners: Bournemouth 5-0 Chelsea

Fouls: Bournemouth 15-13 Chelsea

WHAT NEXT?

Chelsea's attention will now switch to the Champions League, with the Blues tackling Atalanta BC in the league phase of the competition on Tuesday night.

Maresca's side will then be back in Premier League action at home to Everton next Saturday.

As for Bournemouth, the Cherries will face a trip to Old Trafford on December 15 to take on Manchester United, and they will head to Manchester having not won in their last six league fixtures.