Mason Mount marked his 150th Chelsea start with a fine goal but a badly-needed victory was marred by another injury scare for Reece James.
James had spent the previous 11 weeks recovering from the knee injury that had been picked up on Champions League duty in Milan and ultimately forced him to miss the World Cup finals.
Now Chelsea faces another anxious wait to see if the England right-back, who was impressively energetic in the first half, can escape another significant spell on the sidelines.
FT: Chelsea 2 Bournemouth 0
That was good enough for Chelsea, who taste victory in the Premier League for the first time since Oct 16.
Chelsea were able to play through Bournemouth’s tactical approach at the start of the game with ease. Kai Havertz finished a lovely move and Mount scored a beauty, while the James-Sterling link caught the eye on the right.
Chelsea fans will be nervous to discover the extent of James’ fresh injury, who went straight down the tunnel just five minutes into the second half.