Premier League2 hours ago1 minute read

Henderson Scores Twice on Chelsea Home Debut

Jordan Henderson scored two goals, including his first career direct free kick, as Chelsea beat Bournemouth 5-1.

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Henderson strikes twice on home debut

Jordan Henderson enjoyed an impressive home debut for Chelsea. The 36 year old midfielder had scored just two goals across his previous four seasons, yet he struck twice in 70 minutes during a 5-1 victory over Bournemouth.

His first goal arrived after just 65 seconds, finding the net with a 20 yard strike that went in off the post. Morgan Rogers soon doubled the Chelsea lead, and João Pedro added a third goal 40 seconds into the second half. Evanilson pulled one back for Bournemouth, but Pedro scored again before Henderson finished off the scoring.

Practice pays off on set pieces

The standout moment came when Henderson stepped up for a direct free kick. He took the shot ahead of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers to score the very first direct free kick of his career.

Henderson explained that he used the three week break to practice shooting alongside set piece coach Austin MacPhee. Speaking to the club website, Henderson said Austin told the group that he would take the shot. Henderson admitted that Rogers was not too happy about the decision, while Palmer asked which corner they would celebrate in. Henderson added that he was grateful to both teammates for letting him take it after working consistently on it in training.

Praise for the front line

The attacking trio of Palmer, Rogers, and Pedro caused non stop problems for Bournemouth throughout the game. Henderson made sure to credit the defensive work shown by his teammates in attack.

He explained that their defensive attitude without the ball gave the squad a strong platform. Henderson noted that they can kill any team with their pace and power on the transition, but added that he was most impressed by how hard they worked for the rest of the team.

What it means for the next game

Chelsea will look to build on this win when they return to league action.

Everton vs Chelsea (Premier League, Sat, 17 Oct): Everton win 35%, draw 26%, Chelsea win 39%; expected goals 1.43 to 1.53. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.