Christopher Nkunku’s decisive goal in the dying moments secured Chelsea a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Bournemouth in a chaotic Premier League clash marked by a staggering 14 yellow cards—setting a new record.

Bournemouth had dominated the chances throughout the match, but their marquee £40m signing, Evanilson, squandered a golden opportunity to open his Premier League account, with his first-half penalty saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

The home side kept piling on the pressure, with Marcus Tavernier and Ryan Christie both rattling the woodwork, but the breakthrough never came.

Chelsea eventually capitalized on Bournemouth’s missed chances when Jadon Sancho, making his debut for the Blues, threaded a perfect pass through to Nkunku, who calmly slotted the ball past Mark Travers for the game's only goal.

The match was fiercely contested, and referee Anthony Taylor dished out a record-breaking number of yellow cards—six for Bournemouth and eight for Chelsea—surpassing the previous high of 12 set in 2016 and 2010 matches.

Despite the intense nature of the game, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca remained unfazed by the wave of bookings, stating, "It is what it is. Sometimes the game demands this behavior."

Chelsea's win pushes them up to seventh in the league, with an upcoming clash against West Ham, while Bournemouth, now in 11th, prepare to face Liverpool.