Chelsea Striker Liam Delap Injured in Draw Against Bournemouth
Chelsea striker Liam Delap sustained a shoulder injury during a lackluster 0-0 draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Delap appeared to dislocate his shoulder while attempting to defend a corner, pulling down Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi in the process.
The England Under-21 international was substituted for teenager Marc Guiu after a series of physical confrontations with Senesi, who also left the match injured after overstretching for the ball in the second half.
Both teams struggled to create scoring opportunities despite Chelsea's decision to recall forward Cole Palmer. The draw was seen as a fair outcome. Palmer played for 58 minutes in his first start since September 20, having previously dealt with a groin injury and a fractured toe sustained in an accident at home in November.
Bournemouth believed they had scored in the fifth minute when forward Antoine Semenyo reacted quickly to finish from close range following a blocked attempt by Evanilson. However, the goal was disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) due to Evanilson being marginally offside in the build-up.
The hosts had the upper hand in the first half, with Semenyo demonstrating his potential to attract interest from top clubs in January. He forced a save with a long-range shot and nearly set up a tap-in for Evanilson.
Chelsea's Marcus Tavernier and Alex Jimenez came close to scoring before Marc Cucurella headed just over from Pedro Neto's cross in the 21st minute. Delap then had a shot blocked before he had to leave the match due to injury.
Following the break, Chelsea began to exert more control, with Alejandro Garnacho hitting the post. However, most of their attempts were from outside the penalty area, including efforts from Neto, Palmer, Guiu, and Enzo Fernandez.
Both teams made attacking substitutions, with Bournemouth bringing on midfielders David Brooks and Amine Adli along with striker Enes Unal, while Chelsea introduced Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian.
Bournemouth managed to maintain their position comfortably but rarely threatened in the second half, apart from Semenyo's dribble and shot, which drew a solid save from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The withdrawal of Senesi also affected their rhythm.
Andoni Iraola's side will take some satisfaction from the match, despite now being six games without a win, while Chelsea remains winless in three matches, dampening speculation about a potential title challenge.