The vast majority of Premier League teams playing at the home ground of the champions would have clipped in a cross in the hope of getting a header on goal.
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For Bournemouth on Saturday, Harry Arter was that player and, as the hub of everything that was good about the best result in the club’s history, it was obvious why Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane rate him highly.
Chelsea’s first Premier League home defeat in their last 44 games against a newly-promoted side – they had won 37 and drawn six before Saturday – deepened the crisis at Stamford Bridge but lifted Bournemouth out of the bottom three.
“The manager’s key to that, that’s why he’s going to be one of the best managers in the country”.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 38-year-old said: “We believed we were on the right path, you look at our recent games, we’ve done really well and performed ever so well in several of them and not got the wins we feel we’ve deserved”.
While he expected them to chase the ball more given they had less of it, he did not expect to see only Nemanja Matic feature from Chelsea among the players who covered the most distance.
“Where I do not have sympathy for Chelsea is in injury time”, Carragher said on Monday Night Football.
While Howe would have been delighted with his team and their heroic efforts, Mourinho’s disgust was evident on the touchline as the Blues failed to make the final ball count. “We did that and I am sure that will be most pleasing for all of the lads”.
Jamie Carragher has accused Chelsea’s players of “not working hard enough” for Jose Mourinho, and says he has “no sympathy” for their struggles as a result.
Next for Bournemouth is Manchester United on the south coast.
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Howe admitted: “I did not expect to be so close to them but I think they are in a false position and I think they will climb the league”.
