A HAT-trick of assists from Cesc Fabregas proved decisive as Chelsea avenged their December defeat by Cherries at Vitality Stadium today.

Fabregas, a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, showed his class to set up goals for Pedro, Eden Hazard and Willian.

And although Tommy Elphick bagged his first Premier League goal, it proved a mere consolation for Cherries as Hazard made it 4-1 in the closing stages.

Bournemouth Echo:

Chelsea forged into a 2-0 lead with Hazard’s 25-yard piledriver after 34 minutes adding to Pedro’s delicately-taken fifth-minute opener.

But Elphick’s maiden top-flight goal, a header which came just 90 seconds after Hazard had made it 2-0, halved the deficit for the hosts.

Bournemouth Echo:

However, another finely-crafted goal saw Chelsea restore their 2-0 lead, with Willian netting 19 minutes before Hazard completed the scoring late on.

Marc Pugh and Lewis Grabban were drafted in to the Cherries starting line-up as boss Howe made two changes.

Pugh replaced Matt Ritchie, who was named on the bench, while Grabban came in for Max Gradel, who was ruled out through injury.

Bournemouth Echo:

Despite an encouraging start, Cherries found themselves behind after just five minutes when Pedro opening the scoring from Chelsea’s first attack.

The Spaniard finished with aplomb by lifting the ball over the advancing Artur Boruc after being sent clear by Cesc Fabregas’s defence-splitting pass.

Steve Cook’s timely block denied Eden Hazard after the Belgian had taken aim in the 10th minute before Cherries twice went close to levelling from corners.

Bournemouth Echo:

Firstly, Josh King blazed over when well placed following a familiar routine which saw Cook outwit the Chelsea defence with a clever step-over from Charlie Daniels’s delivery.

Then, Cook hooked the ball over the crossbar from just seven yards after Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic had flapped at Andrew Surman’s corner.

Branislav Ivanovic’s disputed free-kick struck the wall before Grabban drew a save from Begovic after trying to catch out the former Cherries loan star at his near post.

Another well-worked corner from Cherries ended with King heading the ball straight down Begovic’s throat following a cross from Simon Francis.

As chances continued to come thick and fast, Grabban’s glancing header from a Stanislas centre drifted wide.

Bournemouth Echo:

Chelsea doubled their lead through Hazard in the 34th minute, the Belgian firing home from 25 yards following a sumptuous back-heel from Fabregas.

However, the visitors held on to their two-goal advantage for little over 90 seconds as Elphick halved the deficit when he notched his first goal in the Premier League.

The Cherries skipper outjumped the Chelsea defence to meet a Francis cross, his downward header bouncing over Begovic and into the back of the net.

And Cherries went close to levelling through Grabban when the striker’s thunderous effort was superbly beaten away by Begovic after 38 minutes.

As an engrossing first half drew to a close, Stanislas’s effort flashed past the upright, while Pedro lifted a shot narrowly over the crossbar at the other end.

Diego Costa went close to prodding home a third for Chelsea at the start of the second half but failed to make contact with Baba Rahman’s low cross.

Cook’s well-timed challenge prevented Costa’s shot from testing Boruc before a double substitution saw Callum Wilson and Benik Afobe replace Grabban and King after 62 minutes.

Stanislas’s rasping drive after 66 minutes had Begovic beaten all ends up but also flew the wrong side of the upright as far as Cherries followers were concerned.

Another superb assist from Fabregas set up Willian for Chelsea’s third, the Brazilian midfielder dinking the ball over Boruc after being sent clear by the Spaniard’s precision pass.

Bournemouth Echo:

Chelsea added a fourth on the stroke of full-time when Hazard netted from close range after arriving to meet a pass from Nemanja Matic.

Cherries: Boruc, Francis, Cook, Elphick, Daniels, Stanislas (Ritchie, 78), Gosling, Surman, Pugh, Grabban (Afobe, 62), King (Wilson, 62).

Unused subs: MacDonald, Wiggins, O’Kane, Federici (g/k).

Chelsea: Begovic, Azpilicueta, Mikel, Ivanovic, Rahman, Pedro, Fabregas, Willian (Loftus-Cheek, 83), Matic, Hazard, Costa.

Unused subs: Falcao, Pato, Traore, Kenedy, Miazga, Amelia (g/k).

Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 11,365 (including 1,382 Chelsea supporters).