Bournemouth 1 Chelsea 4
Cesc Fabregas conjured all of Chelsea’s goals, including Eden Hazard’s first for the club in almost a year, in a commanding performance to mask the Blues’ defensive frailties at Bournemouth.
The Spain playmaker's inch-perfect through-balls teed up strikes for Pedro and Willian, while his astute flick round the corner let fit-again Eden Hazard drill home from 20 yards for his first goal in 356 days.
At the death another sumptuous Fabregas flick let Nemanja Matic square into the box for Hazard to tap home his second goal and cement the visitors’ victory.
John Obi Mikel endured an uncomfortable afternoon as a makeshift centre back, such was Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink's reluctance to start Matthew Miazga.
Gary Cahill’s illness, coupled with John Terry’s Achilles problem and Kurt Zouma’s long-term knee issue, left Chelsea short in the heart of defence.
Mikel agreed to shift back from midfield, but hardly answered the clarion call from Hiddink with any kind of security.
Bournemouth wasted a hatful of first-half chances however, with only Tommy Elphick’s header to show for their bluster.
Bournemouth dominated the opening five minutes but Chelsea punished their lack of penetration with the summary justice of Pedro’s counter-attack goal.
Diego Costa found Fabregas and the Spaniard's through ball allowed Pedro to stroke home the opener in a three-touch move.
The Cherries restored their dominance, even adding the idea of a cutting edge – but woeful finishing stymied the hosts’ advance.
Joshua King and Steve Cook skied shots from fine openings, before Lewis Grabban headed high and wide.
King fired a point-blank header straight at Asmir Begovic and Grabban glanced a header wide.
Just when Bournemouth sensed an equaliser, Chelsea struck again.
Fabregas’s smart flick round the corner carved space for Hazard and the Belgium playmaker drilled home from 20 yards.
Again Bournemouth rallied, but this time they made their mark.
Begovic tipped Marc Pugh’s hanging cross onto the bar, and from the corner the hosts finally troubled the scorers.
Elphick drove his header into the ground, the bounce eluding Begovic, and it went off the post and into the net.
Grabban then botched a one-on-one, with Begovic saving well, before Junior Stanislas shot wide from the edge of the area.
And at the end of the half Grabban was just unable to connect with Stanislas’s low cross on the slide.
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe introduced Benik Afobe and Callum Wilson on the hour to liven up a stagnant second-half – but that only served as another catalyst for Chelsea.
The Blues shrugged off their latest malaise thanks to the excellent Fabregas, whose through-ball let Willian canter clear and dink the ball over Artur Boruc for Chelsea's third goal.
As time ebbed away Fabregas produced another magical moment, his one-touch lay-off paving the way for Matic to tee up Hazard’s second goal.
