Henderson steals show with two goals as Chelsea thrash Bournemouth 5-1

The Age of Henderson is under way at Stamford Bridge

Watch and learn, kids. The day began with one for the youth audience, Cole Palmer appearing on a live stream to explain the thinking behind his latest contract extension, and it ended with the oldest player to join Chelsea during the BlueCo era stealing the show with an all-action midfield display in a 5-1 win over Bournemouth.

The Age of Henderson is under way. There was a time when the idea of a 36-year-old starting in midfield for the Chelsea constructed by Clearlake Capital was impossible to imagine, but not any more. The vibe changed when Xabi Alonso joined as manager last summer, leading to a shift in transfer strategy, and the benefit of placing more faith in experience was on show as Jordan Henderson marked his home debut by decorating an excellent performance with two spectacular goals and an assist for Morgan Rogers.

The sense is that Chelsea, who are up to fifth in the early Premier League table, are better off with Henderson's leadership. The former Liverpool captain was a surprise signing from Brentford but is determined to make his presence felt. The veteran set the tone against Bournemouth, offering aggression in midfield, and was key to the side's first league win in four games.

Henderson opened the scoring in the second minute and later bent in a free-kick to leave Palmer in the shade. More than that, Chelsea's stunning start bookmarked the scoring, with the Blues racing to the fastest-ever 2-0 lead in the club's history before João Pedro added a brace and Morgan Rogers also found the net in a rout that served as a emphatic bounce-back from the previous defeat at Brentford.

"There was a time when the idea of a 36-year-old starting in midfield for the Chelsea constructed by Clearlake Capital was impossible to imagine, but not any more," the Guardian's report noted, capturing a shift in philosophy under Alonso that has prioritised experience alongside the club's young core.

Palmer, whose live-streamed contract chat opened the day, had contributed two goals and two assists in five Premier League appearances this season heading into the match, but it was the veteran Henderson who took centre stage against the Cherries, capping a performance that underlined why Chelsea believe their midfield is stronger for his arrival.