Chelsea ended a six-match winless streak with a 3-1 victory away to Bournemouth on Saturday thanks to late goals from Benoit Badiashile and Joao Felix.
The Blues moved three points above their hosts and are now mathematically safe from relegation for the first time this season.
One of five changes Frank Lampard made to the starting XI that was dismantled by Arsenal on Tuesday gave Chelsea the lead very much against the run of play. Conor Gallagher burst into Bournemouth's box, nodding N'Golo Kante's cross beyond Neto's reach after nine minutes. Chelsea's travelling support sarcastically bellowed: "We scored a goal!" in celebration of the third the Blues have registered since March.
Midway through the first half, Bournemouth fans could deliver the same creative chant.
Lampard lamented that the quick turnaround from Chelsea's limp loss to Arsenal ensured that there was "not the chance to deal with the more fundamental issues". That was painfully evident as Bournemouth zig-zagged their way down the left flank with the same ease as Arsenal's Granit Xhaka. Left-back Matias Vina had forced Kepa Arrizabalaga into a save within the opening four minutes before leaving Chelsea's shot-stopper with no chance of rebuffing his curling equaliser.
Bouncing the ball off Ryan Christie and Dominic Solanke, Vina slalomed through a set of bamboozled and befuddled white shirts, chopping onto his supposedly weaker right foot and picking out the top corner.
Madueke tried his best to pin Vina back with a steady stream of forward thrusts. The entire Bournemouth team retreated deep into their own half after the interval, allowing Chelsea lashings of possession while waiting to strike on the break.
A nervous hush swept around the Vitality Stadium each time Chelsea won a set piece. For 82 long minutes, each delivery was eventually scrambled away until Hakim Ziyech trotted onto the pitch. The £33m afterthought swung a devilish ball into the box which evaded the retreating red and black stripes, landing on Badiashile's instep for the first Chelsea goal of his career.
With their stubborn resolve pierce, Bournemouth watched on in a daze as Raheem Sterling zipped into the box before squaring for fellow substitute Joao Felix to sweep in a game-sealing third goal.
Bournemouth player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Neto - 5/10 - Could hardly be blamed for being beaten from very close range.
RB: Adam Smith - 4/10 - Almost took off Gallagher's head with an attempted clearance in a failed bid to prevent the opener.
CB: Marco Senesi - 4/10 - Liable to a clumsy lunge when forced to defend even a whisper of open space.
CB: Lloyd Kelly - 5/10 - So intent on playing out from the back, even at the expense of giving the ball away in dangerous areas.
LB: Matias Vina - 6/10 - Wreaked havoc when pushing forward from the opening whistle. Not as convincing going the other way.
CM: Joe Rothwell - 4/10 - Hooked inside an hour as Bournemouth started the second half desperately slowly.
CM: Jefferson Lerma - 5/10 - Failed to exert a significant influence over proceedings.
AM: Philip Billing - 6/10 - Followed Enzo Fernandez wherever the Argentine roamed.
RW: Dango Ouattara - 5/10 - Keen to run at Ben Chilwell whenever he had the chance, Ouattara had mixed results up against Chelsea's fullback.
ST: Dominic Solanke - 6/10 - Up against his former side, Solanke was characteristically selfless and mobile.
LW: Ryan Christie - 7/10 - Dovetailed devilishly with Vina, comfortable drifting infield to allow his fullback room to push forward.
Substitutes
Lewis Cook (59' for Rothwell) - 5/10
Jaidon Anthony (84' for Billing) - N/A
Antoine Semenyo (84' for Christie) - N/A
David Brooks (90' for Solanke) - N/A
Manager
Gary O'Neil - 4/10 - Bournemouth may have shown plenty of improvement this season but set pieces remain a grave area of concern.
Chelsea player ratings (4-3-3)
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga - 4/10 - Absolutely no chance of stopping Vina's sumptuous equaliser.
RB: Trevoh Chalobah - 4/10 - Left with twisted blood by Bournemouth's dizzying rotations down his flank. Much more sure of himself when carrying the ball forward.
CB: Thiago Silva - 4/10 - The old sage was fortunate to get away with a late tackle on Solanke, sheepishly awaiting the referee's whistle which never came.
CB: Benoit Badiashile - 7/10 - Went about his defensive business without much fuss and made a decisive intervention in the opposition box.
LB: Ben Chilwell - 5/10 - Locked in an engaging jab-jab, thrust-thrust battle with Ouattara.
CM: N'Golo Kante - 5/10 - Never fully seemed to have the ball under his control but was not forced into the awkwardly high role he has fulfilled in recent weeks which completely takes him out of midfield.
CM: Enzo Fernandez - 6/10 - Struggled to escape the long shadow cast by Billing in the first half but grew into the contest.
CM: Conor Gallagher - 6/10 - Brought energy to Chelsea's midfield and another body in the box.
RW: Noni Madueke - 7/10 - A constant spoke in the opposition's wheel without neglecting his defensive responsibilities.
ST: Kai Havertz - 4/10 - Faded to the peripheries of the contest.
LW: Mykhaylo Mudryk - 3/10 - Booked within the opening quarter-hour for diving, Mudryk didn't see enough of the ball to terrorise Smith.
Substitutes
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (63' for Kante) - 5/10
Raheem Sterling (63' for Mudryk) - 5/10
Cezar Azpilicueta (75' for Chilwell) - N/A
Hakim Ziyech (76' for Madueke) - 6/10 - Delivered a typically vicious in-swinging delivering which Badashile converted.
Joao Felix (84' for Havertz) - N/A
Manager
Frank Lampard - 6/10 - Without being able to offer a consistent threat in open play, Lampard got his first win through a bit of luck and a dead ball.
