Chelsea played perhaps their most mobile side of the season against Bournemouth and reeped the rewards. Enzo Fernandez, N'Golo Kante and Conor Gallagher in midfield offered legs and energy that had been severly lacking against Arsenal despite just a one player difference.
The frontline was more explosive, offering Noni Madueke - starting his second game in a row for the first time since February - and Mykhailo Mudryk as out-and-out wingers either side of Kai Havertz. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, after his nine touches at the Emirates Stadium, was left out.
In defence, Benoit Badiashile returned to the starting XI in place of the injured Wesley Fofana and showed why he is in the top three Chelsea players for points-per-game this season. His aerial prowess and speed alongside Thiago Silva helped for the winning goal.
READ MORE: Frank Lampard deals Mauricio Pochettino major Chelsea blow as hopes crumble with latest call
Elsewhere Trevoh Chalobah replaced the ageing legs of Cesar Azpilicueta. The averafe age of 25.9 (bumped up by 38-year-old Silva) was nearly three years younger than the team that went out against Arsenal.
The call from Frank Lampard proved effective with all three goalscorers 23 or under with more experienced substitutes coming on to seal the victory. What was noticeable, for the second week in a row, was just how much Chelsea benefited from the liveliness of Madueke on the right.
At £35million ($44.2million), he is somewhat of a maverick option and a risk given his inexperience at the top level and a patchy injury record. What he has offered in his early months as a Chelsea player is excitement and confidence in possession that has been missing for too long.
Under Maurizio Sarri and then Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea's attack became too positionally focused and fluidity, creativity and expression on the ball massively fell. Lampard's version of Chelsea first time round was more exciting but also choatic.
Even the raw Madueke has shown some balance in his infancy and demonstrates that with a staggering average of 4.62 take-ons per-90 minutes. It puts him in the top 1% of wingers worldwide and comfortably ahead of Christian Pulisic.
The American's tally of 1.46 per-90 is middling and unspectacular, though he offers more in terms of creativity and end product at this point. They are just two of the competing wingers but Mudryk's 1.75 take-ons is once more more than Pulisic's.
It is a style contrast that has taken time to develop into results on the pitch and is yet to do so consistently but what it does show is the change of direction for attacking play at the club. In a remarkable statistic, Madueke has more take-ons in 2023 than any Chelsea player despite just 381 minutes of action.
It puts Pulisic's more cautious approach to one side and demonstrates just why slower, less possession-based players such as himself and Hakim Ziyech are set for an exit for SW6 this summer. Given the pair are expected to be on their way, it is refreshing for Chelsea fans to see the future of the club getting more pronounced minutes on the pitch.
It was also please prospective manager Mauricio Pochettino with the Argentine still expected to take over in west London next season. He has an impressive track record with young players and improving attackers. The hope will be that Mudryk and Madueke can repeat that process.
READ NEXT:
Every word Frank Lampard said on Chelsea win, Madueke, Badiashile, Chilwell, Sterling boos
Chelsea player ratings vs Bournemouth as Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke excellent in victory
Bournemouth vs Chelsea highlights: Gallagher, Joao Felix and Benoit Badiashile win it for Blues
Ben Chilwell substituted with suspected hamstring injury during Chelsea vs Bournemouth
Transfer news LIVE: Latest news, views and rumours from Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham
