Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Bournemouth was their first Premier League victory in four games and lifted them to fifth, and the charge was led by Jordan Henderson and João Pedro. For Henderson it was a home debut decorated with two spectacular goals and an assist for Morgan Rogers.
The 36-year-old is the oldest player to have joined Chelsea during the BlueCo era, and he is a former Liverpool captain whose arrival from Brentford came as a surprise. He is determined to make his presence felt, and he set the tone against Bournemouth by offering aggression in midfield. Henderson opened the scoring in the second minute and later bent in a free-kick.
There was a time when the idea of a 36-year-old starting in midfield for the Chelsea built by Clearlake Capital was impossible to imagine, but not any more. The vibe changed when Xabi Alonso joined as manager last summer, leading to a shift in transfer strategy, and the benefit of placing more faith in experience was on show in Henderson’s performance. The sense is that Chelsea are better off with his leadership.
The day had begun with one for the youth audience, Cole Palmer appearing on a live stream to explain the thinking behind his latest contract extension. It ended with the oldest player to join Chelsea during the BlueCo era stealing the show, with Henderson’s free-kick leaving Palmer in the shade.