AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe admitted he was "so disappointed" by the late defeat to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup quarter final.
Substitute Eden Hazard struck in the 84th minute with a strike that took a massive deflection as the Cherries were more than a match for the Blues, creating a number of good opportunities at Stamford Bridge.
It was a cruel defeat for the Cherries and the manager spoke to the assembled written media and had this to say...
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
I'm pleased tonight, the start of the game was tough but we settled down and were good value.
We put in a disciplined defensive display, counter-attacked well and we used the ball well at times. The result really could've been different, I'm so disappointed for those players who gave their all out on the pitch.
At 0-0 we looked more than capable and had our moments, we just couldn't get that one moment to score. There are so many positives to take.
ABOUT THE SQUAD ROTATION
One of the positives is our squad, there were players who hadn't played regularly who did really well and it shows the strength in the squad.
I thought Lys Mousset did very well and that was his best performance for the club. Technically he reached a very high level and he's a big part of our future.
Artur Boruc was outstanding, it doesn't surprise me as he's a player who always rises to the occasion and he thrives on the sternest tests.
He made a number of great saves and I don't know how he saved the effort at the end [from Olivier Giroud].
He's been a real professional off the pitch and has been a real support for Asmir.
ON EDEN HAZARD'S IMPACT
Hazard always has a habit of scoring against us, he's a quality player who made the difference tonight.
He's a nice sub for them to bring on, we knew we were going to be tested but when you go against the best that's the best way to judge yourselves.
Hazard has got such good feet in tight areas that can swing a game, but we should be pleased with the positives from our display.
