It was all Chelsea now. Hazard cut inside from the left but misdirected his shot, and Willian twice struck the ball at Boruc from the right. Moses hit a bouncing ball only just wide with an hour almost up.

It was all Chelsea now. Hazard cut inside from the left but misdirected his shot, and Willian twice struck the ball at Boruc from the right. Moses hit a bouncing ball only just wide with an hour almost up.

Pedro picked up a yellow card that means he will be banned for the Stoke game, and he further demonstrated we will be without an in-form player for that New Year’s Eve game with a thrilling run and shot just wide.

He and Hazard threatened more goals on the break although there was a warning the job was not yet done when substitute Benik Afobe got behind our defence and forced Courtois into a good save.

The Blues kept the ball and probed away for the remainder of the game and were rewarded with goal number three and our best winning margin since Everton were beaten here 5-0 at the start of November. Pedro, on the break once again, shot low from distance with his right this time and fortune was with him as it took a touch off a Bournemouth player to give Boruc no chance.

With the win secured in our penultimate game of 2016, we can now wait and see if all our challengers can stay with this pace.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill (c); Moses (Aina 89), Fabregas, Matic, Alonso; Willian (Chalobah 83), Hazard, Pedro (Batshuayi 90+4).
Unused subs Begovic, Ivanovic, Zouma, Loftus-Cheek.
Booked Pedro 63
Scorers Pedro 24, 90+4, Hazard 49 pen.

Bournemouth (3-5-1-1): Boruc; Francis (c), Cook, Daniels; A Smith, Arter, Surman (Stanislas 66) Gosling, B Smith (Ibe 77); Wilshere; King (Afobe 66).
Unused subs Federici, Mings, Fraser, Wilson.
Booked Wilshere 14.

Referee Mike Jones
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