Chelsea left frustrated as stubborn Bournemouth stand firm

Chelsea's now all too familiar frailty in front of goal came back to haunt them once again as they drew a blank in a 0-0 stalemate against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.

The Blues enjoyed the better of the first half but couldn't turn their dominance into clear chances and the opportunities they did create were frittered away.

The game was more even after the break but a combination of poor finishing and strong goalkeeping prevented a breakthrough at either end.

Chelsea's inability to find the crucial opener emboldened the hosts and the west London side were grateful to goalkeeper Robert Sanchez for keeping Bournemouth out.

The result was the first 0-0 recorded anywhere in the Premier League so far this season and left Chelsea down in 14th place having taken five points from five games with five scored and same number conceded.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino said: "I cannot say that I am happy but it was a very competitive game. I think we deserved more, we deserved to win. We created good chances and in the first half after 20, 30 minutes I think we created many chances and didn't score.

"I think we need to be tough. We need to prove our efficiency in front of goal. We need to be calm also but these circumstances are not always easy for the players. We cannot blame anyone.

"In the last 10 minutes our full-backs and some defensive players wanted to do the jobs of the offensive players. Sometimes we couldn't risk the point. I prefer that to being relaxed and calm. They care a lot about the game and situation. The effort was really good."

Chelsea's continued and sustained spending, allied with the arrival of coach Pochettino, had many tipping them for an upwardly mobile campaign after what had ended up being a