Jadon Sancho sends a message in win over Chelsea as Cole Palmer plays dirty trick on Bournemouth | Football | Sport

Chelsea earned a late 1-0 win over Bournemouth thanks to substitute Christopher Nkunku, with Jadon Sancho providing the assist on his brilliant debut. Robert Sanchez's save from Evanilson's penalty will make the result even sweeter for manager Enzo Maresca, who also saw the Cherries hit the outside of the post through Ryan Christie in the second half.

The Blues return to London with three slightly lucky points. Express Sports takes you through four key talking points from the Vitality Stadium…

Jadon Sancho sends a message

Coming on at half-time for the struggling Pedro Neto, the stage was set for Sancho to make an impression and he did not disappoint. Within three minutes of being positioned on the left, the Manchester United loanee found Marc Cucurella, who created a brilliant goal-scoring opportunity.

Sancho received the ball moments later, burst past two defenders and laid it off at the last second to Nicolas Jackson, who shot just over. His cameo was full of moments of brilliance, the kind he wanted to show the Chelsea fans after a hugely disappointing time at Old Trafford, and he got what he deserved with four minutes left.

Sancho again penetrated the centre from the left and played a flat pass to the feet of Nkunku, who brilliantly shook off the Bournemouth defence and found the far corner.

Sancho was named man of the match for his 45-minute performance.

Palmer plays dirty tricks

Chelsea had their backs against the wall when, just before half-time, a surprise pass from Wesley Fofana resulted in Sanchez tripping Evanilson in the box. The Bournemouth striker stepped up to take the penalty himself and not only did he have to deal with the pressure of living up to his £40m fee, but also with Cole Palmer speaking directly into his ear. The mind games worked wonders as Evanilson's mediocre penalty was slotted home by Sanchez.

Two players engage in a loud argument

Maresca will be looking to keep his young players together in what is a difficult start to his tenure as manager. But the Italian's daring football sometimes puts players in stressful situations. Midway through the first half, it was too much for Sanchez and Moises Caicedo when Bournemouth almost caught them with high pressure. The pair exchanged angry words before resuming play.

Problem area remains

Maresca claims to have been working on Chelsea's defence during the international break, and although a clean game and a win at the Vitality Stadium suggests he is on the right track, the Blues have been less than convincing at the back.

Axel Disasi didn't look comfortable replacing Malo Gusto and Reece James on the right, Fofana was awkward in the middle, Sanchez made several top-class saves and Bournemouth were able to cause them problems throughout. Maresca's attacking qualities are well established but he still has work to do before he faces games against sharper shooters than the Cherries.

New card record

It wasn't a particularly exciting game on the south coast, but referee Anthony Taylor was in the thick of things for most of the game. With a total of 14 yellow cards – six for Bournemouth and eight for Chelsea – it set a new standard for bookings in a Premier League game.