AFC Bournemouth: Glenn Murray late show earns Cherries superb win at Chelsea

Both sides had a string of chances to break the deadlock and despite plenty of second-half pressure from the Blues, it was Murray that provided the winning goal.

The frontman's close-range header saw Cherries climb out of the relegation zone and claim their first league win since mid-September, condemning Chelsea to an eighth league defeat of the season in the process.

• AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: Chelsea win "best individual result in the club's history"
• Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho laments missed chances against Cherries
• VIDEO: Cherries skipper Tommy Elphick reacts to Glenn Murray winner while working as pundit

Cherries boss Eddie Howe made two changes to the starting XI with keeper Artur Boruc brought in for his first start since the end of October following a knee problem.

Defender Sylvain Distin missed out through illness and was replaced by Adam Smith, allowing Simon Francis to shift to centre-half.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho recalled stopper Thibaut Courtois and left-back Baba Rahman but Spain striker Diego Costa remained on the bench.

Chelsea created a decent chance inside the first two minutes when Belgium international Eden Hazard played a neat one-two with Willian but saw his near-post drive pawed away by Boruc.

Minutes later, Cherries came close. Smith picked Hazard’s pocket on the right flank and his subsequent cross fell to Junior Stanislas, whose shot was blocked by Gary Cahill.

• See the rest of our pictures from Chelsea 0 AFC Bournemouth 1

A positive run from deep by Joshua King gave Stanislas a clear effort at goal, only for Courtois to repel, with King’s follow-up finding traffic.

The chances continued to flow and in the 15th minute, Dan Gosling sent King clear on the right side of the box, the Norwegian international denied low by Courtois.

Harry Arter fired wide from distance midway through the half while at the other end, Pedro diverted over Branislav Ivanovic’s useful right-wing cross.

Nemanja Matic scuffed off-target from outside the box before Hazard tested Boruc with a fierce near-post drive that the Polish international was equal to.

Courtois saved from King from a narrow angle and the frontman lashed over the bar soon after having been teed up by Harry Arter.

But Chelsea continued to look a threat and Pedro’s curling effort was goal-bound until Boruc intervened, while Francis blocked from Oscar.

Willian and Pedro were becoming increasingly influential and the duo combined to release Oscar, who was denied from an acute angle by Boruc to close the half.

Costa was brought on in place of Oscar for the second period, allowing Hazard to switch to the left flank, but the visitors were first to try their luck when Matt Ritchie fizzed over from range.

Pedro’s weak overhead kick was easily gathered by Boruc while the dangerous Willian crashed yards past the left post.

Matic somehow contrived to head over from inside the six-yard box after Willian’s cross flicked off the head of Steve Cook and the Blues were threatening with increasing regularity.

A last-ditch clearance by Gosling denied Cahill and moments later, Boruc smartly parried to safety Ivanovic’s deflected cross.

Francis survived Chelsea calls for a penalty after Costa’s cross had hit his arm in the box, with the latter booked moments later for a crude challenge on Ritchie.

The hosts cranked up the pressure further and Ivanovic’s cross was a fraction too far ahead of the sliding Pedro, while minutes later Boruc kept out a hopeful stab by Costa.

But it was Cherries who took the lead with eight minutes left when Stanislas’s corner was flapped at by Courtois, Cook hacked back across goal and Murray, who had only been on the pitch a matter of moments, survived a close offside call to nod into the net from close range.

Ritchie had the chance to double the advantage when he raced through on goal but the wide man flashed past the post, while Arter saw his shot blocked by Cahill late on.

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Zouma, Cahill, Baba (Traore, 82), Fabregas (Remy, 82), Matic, Willian, Oscar (Costa h-t), Pedro, Hazard.

Unused subs: Azpilicueta, Mikel, Loftus-Cheek, Begovic (g/k).

Booked: Pedro, Costa.

Cherries: Boruc, Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, Arter, Surman, Gosling, Stanislas, King (Murray, 80).

Unused subs: Cargill, Butcher, O'Kane, Kermorgant, Rantie, Allsop (g/k).

Booked: Surman.

Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire).