Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth: Reece James strikes in stoppage time as super sub salvages a precious point for Blues | OneFootball

Chelsea captain Reece James spared the Blues' blushes by netting a last-gasp free kick that pinched a point in a 2-2 stalemate with AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday evening.

It felt like groundhog day yet again at Stamford Bridge as the Pensioners conspired to throw away a commanding lead once again - a familiar malaise gripping Enzo Maresca's men and threatening to pull them further into Premier League purgatory.

But cometh the hour, cometh Chelsea's man to pop the Cherries at the death, steering home a sumptuous free kick to at least snatch a point from the jaws of what would have been another embarrassing defeat for the wistful Blues.

It was a storied tale on home soil, as the hosts had looked sharp from the off. The first opportunity of many fell at the feet of their talisman Cole Palmer, whom flashed a delightfully deft chip just wide of the far post on the ten minute mark after a cutback from an ever direct Jadon Sancho.

What was an ominous moment for the visitors proved to be an omen. No more than five minutes later did the former Manchester City man open the scoring, capping off a wonderful sweeping move from Chelsea. Nicolas Jackson spun three Bournemouth midfielders on the turn, before slipping in a perfectly weighted ball for Palmer. The coldest man in Stamford Bridge could only duly oblige, sending Mark Travers for a dummy and sitting him down before stroking it home.

The Pensioners were positively purring. Palmer was the pick of the bunch with everything he attempted sticking, but Sancho was a particular menace on the left flank - a delectable double nutmeg just one moment leaving the Cherries at sixes and sevens.

IMAGO / Sportimage

A steady slew of chances started to flow on the half hour mark. Enzo Fernandez drew a corner from a drive at goal, and then Jackson smashed a gilt-edged chance over the crossbar after some dazzling dribbling from the mazing Noni Madueke - albeit it was an awkward bouncing ball.

Complete control almost gave way to complete calamity thereafter, as a misplaced Robert Sanchez pass gave early substitute Justin Kluivert - whose dad Patrick bagged a couple against the Blues in his pomp - a sight of goal. His effort rattled the right-hand post and almost immediately broke for Jackson to do the exact same at the other end.

Chelsea continued to come on strong as the depleted Bournemouth hung on for the shrill and respite of the referee's half-time whistle. Travers was well equal to a Palmer effort and then pulled off an instinctive reaction stop to deny Jackson, whom really ought to have converted with his header or the subsequent rebound which lacked conviction.

A thrall of chances had gone amiss and the scoreline did not reflect the hosts' utter domination of proceedings going into the interval. Jackson in particular had spurned some glorious opportunities and his gaffer Maresca will have been alive to the need to avoid a repeat of the Fulham fixture on Boxing Day, in which Palmer had similarly put a comfortable Chelsea in front before a late collapse.

Sure enough, it did not take long for the Blues to be ruing their profligacy. Moises Caicedo was caught wrong-side of the lively Antoine Semenyo and felled the winger with a clumsy challenge five minutes into the second period. Up stepped Kluivert to follow in his father's footsteps, sending Sanchez the wrong way and restoring - somewhat unjust on the balance of play - parity in proceedings.

The equaliser injected some heat into the game, and perhaps too much when David Brooks channelled his inner John Bradshaw Layfield to deliver a clothesline from hell to the unsuspecting Marc Cucurella. Bafflingly, the Video Assistant Referee recommended a review for a red card but the on-field official inexplicably opted to dole out a yellow instead. Just another occasion the Blues had ended up on the wrong-end of a decision, in what is becoming quite the streak of late.

IMAGO / Sportsphoto

Stamford Bridge would have been absolutely apoplectic if not for Sanchez getting down low to deny the villain of the piece Brooks on the hour mark, after he stabbed an effort at goal following a well worked corner routine.

But Chelsea had rode their luck and their luck was out. Semenyo spinning past the young Josh Acheampong and smashing one into the roof of the net in minute 68 to put Bournemouth on the cusp of a very unlikely smash and grab, when going by the evidence of the first period.

The frustration from the home crowd was bubbling over and the players on the pitch looked short on ideas. For what it is worth, so did Maresca - only making attacking changes via the introduction of Joao Felix and Pedro Neto with ten minutes left on the clock.

Another substitute, Tosin Adarabioyo, almost grabbed an equaliser in the dying embers ,but the inspired Travers - in between the sticks in place of an ineliglble Kepa Arrizabalaga for the evening - pulled off a fantastic stop to deny a fantastic header.

Travers again denied the Pensioners a handful of minutes into eight added of stoppage time with another top save, and it seemed clear it was not to be the Blues' day. Even more so when Jackson went tumbling in the Bournemouth area, and the referee waved away the protests.

But the home side kept knocking, and it took their captain to batter down the door. Reece James finding a gap in the wall and bending it into the far corner to send the crowd into raptures, Chelsea's boy became Chelsea's hero.

IMAGO / Sportsphoto

When the elation subsides, Enzo Maresca will need to chew over his Blues side only claiming three points from a possible 15 in their last five Premier League games. In spite of the circumstances of how this one played out, it felt like another two were dropped today through sheer Chelsea complacency.