England fought through the third day to leave the fourth Test against India wonderfully poised in Southampton.

Jos Buttler made 69, sharing stands of 56 with Ben Stokes and 55 with Sam Curran as the home side reached 260-8, a lead of 233.

On a gripping day, there were times when England were in peril, especially at 92-4 and, after Joe Root was run out for 48, 122-5.

But the determination of Buttler, Stokes and Curran left England with the edge on a wearing surface that is offering assistance to both pace and spin bowlers.

India’s attack was threatening throughout, even if off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin seemed hampered by the hip injury that affected him in the third Test at Trent Bridge.

Still, the tourists are facing pulling off their highest run-chase to beat England in a Test.

If they fail, England, who lead 2-1, will seal the five-match series.

Who are favourites to win?

England’s Jos Buttler on Sky Sports: “We’ve got plenty to work with already but anything about 250 would be a great number to try and eke out tomorrow morning. That would give us plenty of runs on a challenging pitch.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan on BBC Test Match Special: “When you’re playing against a team with Virat Kohli in, you’re not going to sleep too well with the fact that you know he can play incredible innings – as can Cheteshwar Pujara.

“But England are well ahead of the game because Moeen Ali will bowl a lot better than Ravichandran Ashwin.”

Ex-England spinner Phil Tufnell: “This game is still on a razor’s edge. You can’t take your eyes off it for a ball.

“I didn’t expect to see England still batting at the close. But they have got themselves in a position where I would rather be in their dressing room tonight.”

England’s tense battle

Through their recent batting struggles – they were bowled out in a session in Nottingham – England have been criticised for a cavalier approach.

Admittedly, their top order once again was found wanting on Saturday, but perhaps the only batsman culpable was Jonny Bairstow, who played an awful drive to the first ball he faced to be bowled by Mohammed Shami immediately after lunch.

After that, on a pitch where batsmen can never feel truly secure, the middle and lower order battled with patience, discipline and restraint.

Time and again the ball went past the bat and runs were earned rather than gifted, gratefully received by a crowd gripped by tension.

Until late in the day, India were never more than a couple of quick wickets from being on top and could still face a manageable chase if they wrap up the tail quickly on Sunday.

From England’s perspective, they already have something to bowl at and, given the nature of the surface, are probably now the more likely winners.

Buttler leads resistance

Buttler’s batting has been superb since he was handed a surprise recall to the Test side at the beginning of the summer, not least when he made his maiden century in Nottingham.

Here, he arrived with England teetering after Root was run out and made batting look easier than any of his team-mates.

Carefully choosing which balls to attack, he turned the ball off his pads or unfurled glorious, turf-skimming cover drives.

At the other end, Stokes was almost shotless, intent on straight-batted defence until he edged Ashwin to slip for a 30 that came from 110 balls.

But 20-year-old Curran continued the form and fearlessness he has shown in his four-Test career.

Even after Buttler was trapped lbw by Ishant Sharma with the second new ball, Curran continued to 37 not out in the company of Adil Rashid, who was caught behind off Shami off the final delivery of the day.

Different order, same problems

England have tinkered with their top order this summer – here they did it in the middle of a Test – yet they still lost their fourth wicket with less than 100 on the board for the 33rd time in 64 innings.

From an overnight 6-0, England saw Alastair Cook’s run of low scores continue when he pushed at Jasprit Bumrah to be caught by a juggling KL Rahul at second slip.

Before the Test, captain Root said England get the best from Moeen Ali when he bats at number seven. After 40 in the first innings, Moeen was promoted to number three, but fell in similar fashion to Cook, poking at Ishant.

Meanwhile, Keaton Jennings, perhaps battling for his place, was growing in stature with sweeps off Ashwin, only to be trapped leg before by a skidder from Shami for 36 from the final delivery before lunch.

From the first ball of the afternoon session, Bairstow lost his leg stump to a horrible stroke not at all befitting a top-order Test batsman.

Captain Root, batting at four, overcame some early looseness to look solid, only to fall to Shami’s direct hit at the striker’s end when Stokes called for a very tight single.

Curran’s sparkling start – the stats

• No player has been run out more often in 2018 than Joe Root (twice, level with Cheteshwar Pujara).
• Ben Stokes’ strike-rate in Tests this year is 37 runs per 100 balls.
• Sam Curran has reached 20 in his first six Test innings, one short of Douglas Jardine and David Steel’s record for England.
• India’s highest successful fourth-innings chase in a Test in England is 174.

Each year on Sep. 1, the day young witches and wizards in J.K. Rowling’s books travel to Hogwarts, Harry Potter fans in London travel to the real King’s Cross station, the location of Platform 9 ¾. It’s called Back to Hogwarts Day. This year, however, there was an added surprise: Eddie Remayne (Newt Scamander) and Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore), two stars of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, popped in to surprise those waiting to get their photo taken under the famous Platform 9 3/4 sign. Scroll through to see photos from the event. 

Family members and dignitaries gathered to pay tribute to late U.S. Senator John McCain in Washington DC on Saturday, a solemn event attended by thousands, including two former presidents.

The McCain family was joined by a gathering of friends and loved ones to grieve the loss of an American icon. The ceremony was filled with touching tributes and messages of faith in the face of great loss. 

What it didn’t have was the current President of the United States. 

The absence of President Donald Trump at the memorial set up the event to be a charged topic of political debate on social media — and Twitter users did not disappoint.

Trump Tweets

The comparisons started early in the day as President Donald Trump sent a series of tweets attacking the FBI, Department of Justice, the news media and Canada as the McCain motorcade passed the White House

Trump made no reference to the senator’s passing in the posts. While supporters rallied around Trump’s tweets, many criticized his timing:

Meghan McCain

During the service, Meghan McCain — John McCain’s daughter — eulogized her father as a hero. But her comments that got the most attention on Twitter: thinly-veiled criticisms of Trump.

She said her father was “the real thing, not cheap rhetoric from men who will never come near the sacrifice he gave so willingly, nor the opportunistic appropriation of those who lived lives of comfort and privilege while he suffered and served.”

Her comments drew cheers from many:

Some resonated with her words so much that they hoped she would enter politics:

While some said her words were too political for the event:

Former President Barack Obama

Obama’s marks were measured and did not directly touch on current politics.

He indirectly addressed the nation’s deep political divisions as he praised McCain’s independent streak. McCain, he said, believed “some principles transcend politics, that some values transcend party.”

That restraint earned praise from supporters and comparisons to the current president:

While some conservative users saw references to politics in his remarks and criticized Obama, saying he contributed to a divisive atmosphere at the event:

 

 

 

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2NH522e

Mary Bowerman, USA TODAY Network
Published 11:49 a.m. ET Sept. 1, 2018 | Updated 4:00 p.m. ET Sept. 1, 2018

Kyle Walker’s brilliant second-half strike preserved Premier League champions Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the season as they secured a battling victory over winless Newcastle.

City had seen title rivals Liverpool and Chelsea win earlier on Saturday and had to work hard for three points to keep pace at the top end of the table.

Full-back Walker was the match-winner with his first goal for the club, picking the ball up 30 yards out and drilling a low finish into the far corner of the net.

Pep Guardiola’s side were forcing the issue against a Newcastle side set up to defend at Etihad Stadium and took the lead within the opening 10 minutes through Raheem Sterling’s curled effort.

But the home side missed clear-cut chances and were punished when striker Salomon Rondon set up DeAndre Yedlin to stroke home the equaliser before half-time.

It proved to be Newcastle’s only shot on target in the match, however, and Rafael Benitez’s beleaguered side have now collected just one point from their first four games.

City keep pace with early leaders

City strolled to the title last season with a record number of points, victories and goals but early indications suggest they will have to battle much harder to claim back-to-back triumphs.

No team has managed to achieve the feat since rivals Manchester United won three in a row between 2007 and 2009, with leaders Liverpool and second-placed Chelsea two points ahead in the table and boasting 100% records after four games.

City drew against Wolves last time out and, having been pegged back against the Magpies, it looked as if they might drop further points, but England international Walker’s rasping drive in the second half was the difference.

The hosts had signalled their intent from the off as club record signing Riyad Mahrez dragged a shot wide, before Sterling opened the scoring with a brilliant strike on seven minutes.

Striker Sergio Aguero narrowly failed to add to his 14 goals against Newcastle, coming close with an effort that went just wide.

Little to smile about for Newcastle

Newcastle’s wretched form against City now stretches to 22 top-flight meetings without victory. They have lost their past 10 away from home against these opponents.

The north-east side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in midweek by Championship side Nottingham Forest and already occupy one of the relegation spots in the Premier League.

With talk of unrest between manager Benitez and owner Mike Ashley – one report saying the two do not speak directly – and a training-ground row between captain Jamaal Lascelles and Matt Ritchie, it looks like being a difficult season for Newcastle.

Benitez was criticised for his unadventurous approach in the loss to Chelsea in their previous league game, where they had just 19% possession, and they fared only slightly better with 21% against City.

And as in the defeat at Stamford Bridge, they failed to hold out after equalising, with summer signing Rondon cutting an isolated figure for much of the game.

Defeat could have been much worse had it not been for goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who stopped well from Gabriel Jesus and made an excellent double save to deny Fernandinho and David Silva.

Man of the match – David Silva (Manchester City)

What next?

The teams are back in action after the international break. Manchester City host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday, 15 September (kick-off 15:00 BST), while Newcastle play Arsenal at the same time.

Mendy’s magic – the stats

• Manchester City have won each of their past 10 Premier League home games against Newcastle, their joint-longest run of home wins against a single opponent in the top-flight (also 10 v Wolves between 1900 and 1937).
• Newcastle have registered just one win in their past 10 away Premier League games (D3 L6).
• Manchester City hit the 750 mark for home Premier League goals in this game (160 at Maine Road and 590 at the Etihad).
• Since the start of last season, only Mohamed Salah (45) and Harry Kane (35) have had a hand in more Premier League goals than Sterling (31 – 20 goals, 11 assists).
• Benjamin Mendy is the third City player to assist as many as four goals in their first four games to a Premier League season, after Samir Nasri in 2011-12 and Silva in 2015-16.
• Yedlin is the first American player to score in the Premier League since Geoff Cameron for Stoke v Aston Villa in March 2014.
• Walker scored his first goal for City in all competitions in his 52nd appearance for the club.
• Aguero has been directly involved in 17 goals in 12 Premier League appearances against Newcastle (14 goals, 3 assists), more than against any other side.

Chemnitz, a city in the eastern German state of Saxony, has seen a series of violent anti-immigrant protests. 

The demonstrations began last Sunday after the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old German man of Cuban origin and the subsequent arrest of two suspects – asylum seekers from Iraq and Syria.

Chanting slogans such as “Germany for Germans”, the far-right protesters took to the streets to protest against the stabbing and reportedly gave Nazi salutes. 

Police struggled to maintain control as fights broke out between right- and left-wing demonstrators who threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at each other. 

The events have raised concerns that Chemnitz is becoming a stronghold for those with far-right views, exposing divisions in German society when it comes to the question of immigration. 

In 2015, at the height of Europe’s refugee crisis, Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed more than a million people into the country.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, seizing on concerns over what it saw as Merkel’s open-door policy, became the country’s main opposition political force, winning 92 parliamentary seats in last year’s elections.

Is anti-immigrant sentiment growing in Germany?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests: 

Philipp Sauter – student activist and anti-fascism campaigner

Cynthia Miller-Idriss – professor of education at the American University

Mona El Omari – political activist and community educator 

Source: Al Jazeera News

My fellow millennials, you can’t imagine how much it pains me to write this: We’ve peaked.

Worse still, it happened some time ago. Fifteen years ago, as most members of our now-much-maligned generation traversed their teens, the summer of 2003 presented us at our best — before we were accused of ruining anything (or everything), before we all became cynical tweeters or avocado-eating hipsters, political abstainers or flawed, exclusionary activists.

Our lives were full of hope. Our music was full of sparkle. Our closets were full of low-slung jeans and teeny-tiny printed purses. But that fateful summer was more than just a random assortment of bubblegummy early-aughts pop culture bonbons; the entertainment that characterized the season also marked a turning point in our own evolution, a landmark in our complicated cultural legacy. It was a grand millennial coming-of-age, and we hardly even saw it happening.

So as the summer of 2018 — our summer of Harry and Meghan and another Mamma Mia movie and Big Dick Energy — draws to a close, I invite you to throw it back a decade and a half and breathe the perfumed air of 2003, beginning in…

MAY

The summer started strong, with the release of The Lizzie McGuire Movie (May 2), which put everyone’s favorite TV tween on the big screen and sent her off to Italy, where she met a dastardly boy and her very own diva doppelganger and became an international pop superstar almost overnight. What dreams are made of, truly!

Crucial emo moment (emo-ment)! Time to stop what you’re doing and commemorate Fall Out Boy’s Take This to Your Grave (May 6)! If you didn’t spend 2003 asking everyone where is their boy tonight and expressing hope that he was a gentleman, you were doing 2003 wrong.

America’s Next Top Model (May 20) first sashayed onto our televisions and into our hearts that year, too, back when everyone was still rooting for us. This is when we learned how to smize, before we would poison the entire notion of personal photographs with duck face.

May’s not over yet, though. For everyone who had fallen in love with the M&M-pizza-eating guitarist Michael Moscovitz in The Princess Diaries two years prior, this summer was the time to graduate to swooning over Robert Schwartzman as a musician, when his band Rooney released its self-titled debut album (May 27).

JUNE

To be fair, nobody really loved From Justin to Kelly (June 20) — not even Kelly Clarkson. But can we please just take a moment to remember that American Idol required its season 1 winner to star in a movie? Can you even imagine that kind of optimism now? Can you imagine using your MoviePass to see From Justin to Kelly?

As the teens of the mid-aughts navigated the emotional crises of high school, so too did the figure with whom we have grown to collectively identify with most. The year went by without a Harry Potter movie, but the boy wizard got his angstiest chapter in J.K. Rowling’s fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (June 21), in 2003, and millennials across the country eyeliner-ed lightning bolts on their foreheads and stood outside Borders all night long for the privilege of reading some good emotional turmoil to match their own.

Before she was Mrs. Carter, before she was queen of Coachella, and before she was turning lemons into sweet, sweet lemonade, Beyoncé Knowles was just a singer from a girl group trying to make it on her own. Make it she did, with her solo debut Dangerously in Love (June 23). How could anyone not fall crazy in love with it?

 

Millennials showed their early taste for cameo-packed sequels of remakes of beloved properties when Charlie’s Angels 2: Full Throttle (June 27) hit theaters at the end of the month, reuniting the iconic trio of Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu (and adding Demi Moore, in a much-hyped bikini) for a triple dose of early-aughts girl power. Hey, guess what we all have to look forward to now?

JULY

Did someone say sequel mania? Legally Blonde 2 (July 2) followed close behind Charlie’s Angels. It was pretty red, white, and bad, but hey, there’s going to be a third one!

July delivered one of the greatest cultural artifacts of our generation, with the “It’s Totally Raining Teens!” issue of Vanity Fair, in which dozens of teen stars (including Amanda Bynes, the Olsen twins, Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, Alexis Bledel, Evan Rachel Wood, Raven Symoné, Lindsay Lohan, all three Harry Potter kids, Aaron Carter, Shia LaBeouf, Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia, and Solange, among others) went on the record about their big breaks, their upcoming projects, their favorite guy’s guys and their favorite pretty boys, what cell phone they had, how many Juicy Couture outfits each of the girls owned (really), and whether they were all in favor of Britney or Christina.

Can you imagine Vanity Fair asking Amandla Stenberg about her favorite lip gloss (as they asked all the girls, and only the girls) and Timothée Chalamet whether he prefers PS2 or Xbox (as they asked all the boys, and only the boys) but pressing neither of them on their responsibility as young people with a public platform to effect change or whether they feel morally compromised by having appeared in a Woody Allen film? And honestly, can you believe Shia LaBeouf cooperated at all? (Well, sort of: He gave a shoutout to his Panasonic cell phone — “it has a freakin’ camera on it” — but did name Eric Clapton as his choice in the battle between Britney and Christina.)

The Vanity Fair cover story isn’t so much a love letter to 2003 millennials (a group treated in the magazine as a shiny new phenomenon, with a sociological description of the term “Millennial” provided early in the piece) as it is a wish list — which, I, guess, would be a more effective love letter to the materialistic early-2000s teen described here than a sonnet might be. “The generation that the stars in this portfolio represent is the most style-conscious, splurged-upon, and media-immersed army of ragamuffins in history,” the story declared, before the questionnaires served as the most effective Lancôme advertisement that I personally, at least, had ever seen up until that point. Joke’s on you, though, splurged-upon ragamuffins! You better hope those Juicy tracksuits have good resale value in a few years when the recession hits right as you enter the workforce!

Speaking of things happening in a few years, the entire decade (-plus) following this magical summer was marked by a near-constant stream of sequels to one of the biggest smashes of 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (July 9). A non-sequel with a subtitle! Truly, what a time!

AUGUST

Welcome to the ’03, bitch! That’s right, The O.C. (Aug. 5) hit as the summer started to wind down, inspiring a whole slew of TV shows obsessed with affluent Californians in the years to come. But they weren’t the only kids whose turbulent romantic lives were lighting up the small screen: Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica (Aug. 5) premiered the same day. If only we’d known, then, that their love would go the way of Marissa Cooper!

Some of our Vanity Fair cover girls hit the big screen as the summer went on. In yet another remake of a classic, Lindsay Lohan starred in Freaky Friday (Aug. 6), opposite Jamie Lee Curtis as her body-swapped mom. Lohan had been listening to her Fall Out Boy, apparently, because her onscreen persona in the Disney flick was a little rougher around the edges than we’d all seen from her before — though nowhere near the makeover Evan Rachel Wood got in Thirteen (Aug. 20), Catherine Hardwicke’s edgy Sundance movie that presented a shocking counterargument to Lizzie McGuire and “it’s totally raining teens!” as the dark “no bra, no panties” reality of contemporary teenage life. Yikes?

But this was supposed to be a fun summer! Let’s turn back to our old pal Disney, who knew, even then, that this generation would have a longtime fashion love affair with leopard print. The Cheetah Girls (Aug. 15) aired on the Disney Channel in the middle of the month, delivering a playlist of repetitive girl-powered anthems that were just barely still in vogue.

August drew to a close much as May began — with Hilary Duff. The TV-turned-movie-turned-pop star’s Metamorphosis (Aug. 26) implored us all to come clean, presumably about our Juicy Couture spending, as we entered the fall. The album didn’t mark the very conclusion of the season, however. Duff’s pop predecessors (and Vanity Fair questionnaire subjects) Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera — and their pop predecessor, Madonna — closed out the summer and truly marked the completion of this historic era when they sang at the MTV Video Music Awards (Aug. 28) in an opener that called back to Madge’s 1984 “Like a Virgin” performance and ended with a pair of kisses that shocked everyone, including Justin Timberlake.

The summer was over. The real metamorphosis was complete. Britney and Christina were no longer Mickey Mouse Club girls; the Vanity Fair teens were destined for a similar fate. Juicy would become tacky. Matte lips would overtake glossy ones. And one day, every single cell phone would have a freakin’ camera on it. For one shining summer, though, our world was truly what dreams are made of.

Gary Craig and Mary Bowerman, USA TODAY Network
Published 12:52 p.m. ET Sept. 1, 2018

WASHINGTON – After a moving ceremony Saturday honoring the late Sen. John McCain, a private memorial service is scheduled Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where McCain will be buried.

McCain’s family, friends, Naval Academy Class of 1958 peers, Naval and military leaders and the Brigade of Midshipmen are invited to the ceremony held in Naval Academy Chapel, McCain’s office said.

Among those speaking will be son Jack McCain, a Navy helicopter pilot, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., McCain’s closest friend in the Senate, and General David Petraeus. Son Doug McCain, a retired Navy pilot, and former chief of staff Mark Salter will also read scripture passages at the service.

The U.S. Navy Choir is slated to sing hymns “Amazing Grace” and “Faith of our Fathers.”

After the ceremony, McCain will be brought to the Naval Academy Cemetery where he is to be buried next to Navy pal Charles “Chuck” Larson.

In his memoir published earlier this year, “The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations,” McCain reflected on how he wanted to spend his final days, revealing his desire to be buried next to Larson.

“I want to watch the hawks hunt from the sycamore, and then take my leave bound for a place near my old friend Chuck Larson, in the cemetery on the Severn (River), back where it began,” he wrote.

The two were known as the “odd couple.” McCain was nicknamed “McNasty” for his no-rules attitude that in-turn left him near the bottom of his graduating class, while Larson was a high-achieving naval student who scored good grades.

They shared a friendship, which remained strong throughout their lives, until Larson’s death in 2014 at age 77.

At the time of Larson’s death, McCain said in a statement he could think of “no finer example of honorable” and faithful service to the country than that of Larson’s.

The Sunday services will cap off a week-long remembrance of McCain, during which the “maverick” was remembered in Arizona and Washington, D.C.

A service held at the National Cathedral Saturday featured eulogies from McCain’s daughter Meghan and former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

Before the service, McCain’s motorcade stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall, where wife Cindy McCain laid a wreath to honor her husband, a former Navy aviator and prisoner of war, and other Vietnam War veterans.

McCain lied in state at the U.S. Capitol Friday, and many of his congressional peers honored him at services. Earlier in the week, McCain was remembered in Arizona, where he also lied in state at the state capitol.

During a ceremony in Arizona, former Vice President Joe Biden reflected on the senator’s “ageless” code.

“It wasn’t about politics with John. You could disagree on substance,” Biden said. “It was about the underlying values that animated everything John did.”

Contributing: Christal Hayes, Donovan Slack and Richard Wolf, USA TODAY; Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, The Arizona Republic

 

 

 

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2wzXtnf

Chelsea can still improve despite opening the Premier League season with four successive victories, says head coach Maurizio Sarri.

Goals from substitute Pedro and Eden Hazard gave the Blues victory over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The result leaves Chelsea level on points with leaders Liverpool, who have a superior goal difference, heading into the first international break of the season.

Sarri succeeded fellow Italian Antonio Conte in the summer after the Blues finished 30 points behind champions Manchester City last season.

“I’m very happy with 12 points in four matches. But I always think we can do more. We can improve,” said the former Napoli boss.

“I think now for us it’s better to think of the next match. Because the gap at the beginning was 30 points. I think it’s very difficult to cover this gap in only one season.”

Bournemouth produced a gritty defensive display and missed two glaring chances when the game was goalless.

“Chelsea are a different team this year, a totally different way of playing,” said Cherries boss Eddie Howe, whose side won 3-0 at Stamford Bridge last season.

“They’ll be a difficult team to play against.”

Blues dig deep to continue winning start

Chelsea had to dig deep against a resolute Bournemouth to earn their latest win under Sarri – and once again they left it late to wrap up the points.

Two weeks ago, their winner at home to Arsenal did not arrive until the 81st minute. At Newcastle last week, it was even later.

Against the Cherries, Hazard’s second goal in as many games – which sealed the points – came five minutes from time. Sarri’s side had dominated possession but struggled to break down Bournemouth until Pedro struck seven minutes after replacing Willian.

The Spaniard exchanged passes with fellow substitute Olivier Giroud before his deflected finish beat former Blues keeper Asmir Begovic for his third league goal in four games.

Hazard doubled the lead with a quality finish from an angle.

At 0-0, Marcos Alonso was denied by the post before he was further frustrated by a fine save from Begovic.

But victory came eventually – and Chelsea have won their opening four games of the season for the first time since 2014-15, when they won the title.

Bigger tests lie ahead, but the Blues have made a strong start under Sarri.

Positives in defeat for Cherries

This was Bournemouth’s first Premier League defeat since losing at Southampton on 28 April.

Having stunned Conte’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season, they were good value for a point until Pedro struck after 72 minutes.

Howe gave Premier League debuts to £25m record signing Jefferson Lerma and Spanish full-back Diego Rico, and his side were hard-working and organised for long spells.

But they should have taken the lead, producing two glaring misses either side of the interval at 0-0, as Callum Wilson fired over from close range before Nathan Ake failed to hit the target against his old club from inside the six-yard box.

“Until that first goal I do think the game was in the balance,” said Howe.

“We knew we were going to have limited opportunities to score. We did create the best moments in the game. Those one or two moments you do get, you’ve got to try to take.”

Despite defeat, the Cherries remain sixth in the table after two wins and a draw from their opening four games.

They now face Leicester (home), Burnley (away), Crystal Palace (home), Watford (away), Southampton (home) and Fulham (away) before they come up against another major top-four contender – Manchester United at home on 3 November.

Man of the match – Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

In fine company – the stats

• Sarri has become the sixth manager to win his first four Premier League games in charge – after Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Craig Shakespeare.
• The Blues have won their first four games of a Premier League season for the sixth time, and the first time since 2014-15 under Mourinho.
• Pedro has scored three goals in four Premier League games this season, having only managed two in his previous 23 appearances in the competition.
• No player has been involved in more Premier League goals this season than Hazard (four – two goals, two assists).
• Hazard has scored in all five of Chelsea’s Premier League victories over Bournemouth.

What’s next?

Chelsea host newly promoted Cardiff City next at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 15 September (15:00 BST). At the same time, Bournemouth are at home to Leicester.