Chelsea substitute Christopher Nkunku scored in the 86th minute to give Bournemouth a 1-0 victory in a match that was marked by a Premier League record 14 yellow cards on Saturday.

Bournemouth hit the woodwork twice and Evanilson saw a first-half penalty saved by Robert Sánchez.

But Chelsea finished the game strongly and Nkunku, who came on in the 79th minute, fired home from close range to give the Londoners their second away win in two games.

Chelsea moved up to seventh with seven points from four games, while Bournemouth are 11th with five points.

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Although Enzo Maresca’s team, who were very lucky in the first half, did not play particularly convincingly, there were plenty of positives to be taken from the match on the south coast.

They ended a run of 17 away Premier League games without a clean sheet, with on-loan Jadon Sancho making his debut as a player, impressing as a second-half substitute and showing great resilience.

“First half we struggled, second half we were miles better,” Maresca said. “We didn’t win many balls in the first half and that’s what you need in these stadiums against this team.”

However, Bournemouth paid a high price for not taking their chances.

“We had more of everything, more shots, more corners, but in the end it’s all about scoring and they did that in the end,” said Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

The game was full of chances and nasty fouls and looked set for an unlikely equaliser until Sancho, on loan from Manchester United, played the ball to Nkunku, who showed great strength by turning quickly and toe-tapping the ball past goalkeeper Mark Travers.

The game was full of chances and nasty fouls and looked set for an unlikely equaliser until Sancho, on loan from Manchester United, played the ball to Nkunku, who showed great strength by turning quickly and toe-tapping the ball past keeper Mark Travers.

Sancho’s role in the goal was the crowning achievement of a remarkable debut for the winger who won a runners-up medal in the Champions League final on loan at Borussia Dortmund last season.

“Jadon is a very good player and can help us,” Maresca said. “Now all the noise around him, I don’t care. With us he is very polite, he trains well with and without the ball.”

Bournemouth had the better of the first half when Marcus Tavernier hit the crossbar with a long-range shot in the fourth minute.

Travers denied Nicolas Jackson at the other end but Bournemouth looked to have taken the lead when Brazilian Evanilson was outpaced by Chelsea keeper Sanchez in the 36th minute.

However, Sanchez made amends by interpreting Evanilson’s penalty well to keep his team level.

Chelsea brought on Sancho for Pedro Neto in the second half and he showed glimpses of his best form.

But Bournemouth still looked the most likely to score when Sanchez made a save from Justin Kluivert’s shot, before Ryan Christie saw his shot hit the outside of the post with the side of his foot.

Chelsea weathered the storm, however, and Nkunku sent the visiting fans home satisfied.

Although referee Anthony Taylor had a busy evening with his yellow card, most bookings were for minor offences or for players talking back to the referee. Eight Chelsea players were booked in total.

“For me it’s not a problem with this number of yellow cards. It is what it is. Sometimes the game demands the way you have to behave,” Maresca said.