Chelsea’s unlikely hero Henderson scores twice in 5-1 rout of Bournemouth

Jordan Henderson turned back the clock with two goals and an assist as Chelsea beat Bournemouth 5-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, ending a three-match winless run in the Premier League and stretching Xabi Alonso’s side to 23 goals in eight games in all competitions.

The 36-year-old sealed the win in the 70th minute with a fierce, curling free kick, his second of the afternoon. It made him the oldest player to be directly involved in three or more Premier League goals since Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2022.

Three minutes earlier, Joao Pedro had settled the contest with a close-range poke, his fifth goal of the season and his second of the afternoon. Bournemouth had briefly threatened a recovery, but Chelsea restored a three-goal cushion and never looked in danger again.

Evanilson pulled one back in the 51st minute, though luck played its part. Moises Caicedo’s miscued clearance deflected off him and into the net, meaning Chelsea have now gone 22 league matches without a clean sheet, despite the emphatic scoreline.

Chelsea emerged from the interval with real intent. Pedro Neto’s pass found Joao Pedro, who finished clinically within a minute of the restart to make it 3-0. The hosts, already well ahead, showed no appetite for sitting back on that advantage.

Morgan Rogers had doubled the advantage in the third minute, his curling effort taking a deflection off Antonio Silva after being found by Henderson. Chelsea led 2-0 before Bournemouth had settled, and that early burst effectively shaped the rest of the afternoon.

The opener arrived after 68 seconds. Cole Palmer, fresh from signing a new contract, surged forward from the halfway line and set up Henderson, who curled in his first goal for the club. Few had Alonso’s veteran midfielder pencilled in as the afternoon’s hero.