At this rate it looks like being a long, grim trudge to the end of the season for Antonio Conte and Chelsea, when their marriage of convenience is likely to end in a quickie divorce.
Having complained privately and in public about his employers’ transfer dealings throughout the window, the Chelsea coach saw his expensively remodelled squad humiliated on their opening night by opponents who did not buy any players last month, conceding three goals in 16 second-half minutes to slump to the club’s worst home league defeat for two years, before claiming that he is overachieving.
In mitigation, Conte was only able to utilise Ross Barkley of the new signings, with Emerson Palmieri and Olivier Giroud watching through their fingers in the stands, but that should not excuse a supine performance from his side against a team battling relegation.
After storming to the Premier League title last year, Conte’s second season is in danger of fading away, with Chelsea slipping to fourth in the table after winning only one of their past four league games, and it would be a huge surprise if he is asked to stay on for a third campaign.
Conte will be given some time to turn things around, particularly with a Champions League tie against Barcelona on the horizon, but he has considerable work to do to meet the club’s minimum requirement of qualifying for next season’s competition.
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To judge by the lethargy emanating from his team, the uncertainty surrounding the manager’s future may be getting to them, as Chelsea’s poor run of two wins in nine games in all competitions indicates.
Conte would no doubt contend that he has not been given the players he asked for — an argument supported by an anonymous full debut from Barkley that was brought to a premature end after 54 minutes — but they should have done more to test a visiting side who had not kept a clean sheet for 14 matches.
Bournemouth looked comfortable and, after grabbing the opening goal in the 51st minute through Callum Wilson, cruised to their first away win for three months to more than justify Eddie Howe’s description of the victory as the best of his career.
Conte, on the other hand, cannot have experienced many worse evenings, certainly not at Chelsea. It was compounded by the loss of Andreas Christensen to a hamstring problem.
Injuries to Álvaro Morata and Willian, and Michy Batshuayi’s departure to Borussia Dortmund, have stretched the squad, a point Conte has made in forceful terms. Bournemouth created the better chances in the first half and it was no surprise when they took the lead at the start of the second from Asmir Begovic’s goal kick. Tiémoué Bakayoko lost possession in midfield and the away team capitalised, with Jordon Ibe slipping the ball through to Wilson to score his seventh goal of the season.
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Conte hauled off Barkley three minutes later, replacing him with Cesc Fàbregas. Given the options Conte now has, it may be a while before Barkley gets another chance; he is about to learn the hard way that indifferent performances are not tolerated.
Conte is likely to be reminded of that himself by the board given the shocking manner in which his side imploded.
Bournemouth’s second goal was the result of well-worked passing between Wilson and Junior Stanislas, though César Azpilicueta should have done better in tracking the latter’s run before he scored. Conte did not see it, as he was preparing Callum Hudson-Odoi to make his Premier League debut at the age of 17, and could not believe his eyes when Bournemouth scored a third three minutes later.
Stanislas was instrumental again after Chelsea had failed to clear a corner, crossing from the left for Nathan Aké to tap in against his former club.
Conte’s reluctance to blood youngsters has been a source of contention for some time, but, given recent results, Chelsea now have more pressing short-term concerns to contend with.
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Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this defeat was Chelsea’s failure to respond in the final 23 minutes, which the coach blamed on the deficiencies of his squad. Conte’s problems are unlikely to earn him sympathy outside this area of London, or even inside the club, who are growing tired of his complaints.