Stars of the show: Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling were on top form for Chelsea in their win over Bournemouth
(Picture: Getty Images)Raheem Sterling peeled away pumping his fist even before Kai Havertz had completed his sliding finish.
Sterling had sparked Chelsea back into action after the World Cup with a perfectly weighted pass for Havertz to net in gleeful fashion.
Just nine minutes later Havertz had the presence of mind to cut one way then the other, then lay off for Mason Mount to whip home from the edge of the area.
Two moments of absolute quality sealed Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues back in business after the break.
Graham Potter’s men ended their run of three straight defeats with a cool, collected victory. And for Sterling and Havertz, this was a fine way to shake off some World Cup disappointments, and prove all over again their enduring qualities.
Sterling enjoyed his World Cup according to Chelsea boss Potter, but the highly-regarded forward also had to dash home from Qatar to check on his family’s safety.
A break-in at his home had shaken up his family, and all respect to the 28-year-old for putting them first and heading back to England.
Gareth Southgate is exactly the kind of manager anyone would want in a family crisis, with his pastoral care transforming England’s set-up.
Sterling knew he could leave Qatar with full blessing, but also he still relinquished an edge with England even though he later returned to the camp.
So when the former Manchester City man toasted Havertz’s opener with that exuberant response, then maybe a whirl of emotions were vented.
Havertz had a difficult World Cup with Germany exiting the global battle at the group stage for the second tournament in a row.
The former Bayer Leverkusen man would have hoped for far better, and can now be forgiven for itching to hit top form with Chelsea. And that’s just what he did here, delivering in the metrics that matter most.
Not only did Havertz time his slide to reach Sterling’s ball in ideal fashion for the opener, but he also took over from Denis Zakaria in the area to find Mount for the Blues’ second.
This was exactly the kind of composed, confident performance and victory on which Potter will want to build his Chelsea tenure. Keep delivering like this, and Sterling and Havertz can lay the foundations.
