Chelsea made five changes from their match against Aston Villa last weekend, with key players Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, and Reece James surprisingly benched. With an average age of 23 years and 157 days, "The Blues" fielded their youngest starting lineup in a Premier League match this season.

The young and inexperienced squad struggled to control the game. The hosts exposed defensive gaps, leading to a chaotic first half. In the 6th minute, from a long throw-in by Antoine Semenyo, James Hill's flicked header found David Brooks, who slotted home to open the scoring.

Enzo Fernandez scored with a curling shot to make it 2-1, during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in Premier League matchday 19 at Stamford Bridge, London, England on 30/12. *Reuters*

The hosts quickly equalized in the 15th minute through a precise penalty kick from Cole Palmer. Eight minutes later, Alejandro Garnacho assisted Enzo Fernandez, who scored a superb curling effort into the top corner, putting Chelsea ahead.

However, defensive errors continued to cost "The Blues." In the 27th minute, another long throw-in from Semenyo saw Trevoh Chalobah attempt to head the ball clear, but it inadvertently became an assist for Justin Kluivert, who tapped it into an empty net at the far post, leveling the score at 2-2.

Bournemouth unleashed 14 shots in the first 45 minutes – their best first-half performance in an away Premier League match. This also marked the most shots Chelsea had faced in a first half at home since the 2003-2004 season.

Coach Enzo Maresca shakes hands with Cole Palmer as he substitutes the player. *Reuters*

Entering the second half, in an effort to find a winning goal, Coach Enzo Maresca surprised many by substituting Cole Palmer in the 63rd minute. This decision angered many fans at Stamford Bridge, who booed relentlessly. Spectator dissatisfaction erupted further at the final whistle, with chants of "You don't know what you're doing" directed at the Italian manager.

Maresca did not attend the post-match press conference due to health reasons. Instead, assistant Willy Caballero took on the responsibility of speaking to the media in London.

"Maresca has not been well for the past two days, even having a fever. After the match, he went into the changing room and asked me to attend the press conference on his behalf because he was not feeling well," Caballero stated. He also ruled out the possibility of Maresca directly managing the next match against Man City at the Etihad Stadium on 4/1/2026. "I only wish him a speedy recovery. I believe he will be fine in one or two days."

Caballero also defended the decision to substitute Palmer, a midfielder who had just returned to play after a long-term groin injury. "Fans want to see the best players on the field, and so do we," he noted. "But Palmer has just returned, so we must consider appropriate substitutions that both serve the game and ensure player welfare."