Chelsea vs Bournemouth Preview: Team News & Prediction
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Enzo Maresca may well be finding himself under pressure once again as Chelsea head into a clash with a desperately out of form AFC Bournemouth side at Stamford Bridge.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports / USA – USA Network
How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / USA – Universo
Chelsea preview: Need consistency
For a second season in a row under the management of Enzo Maresca, Chelsea have again stumbled mid-way through the season just as things began to look positive for the Blues and now they are under a fair bit of pressure to find some consistency.
Chelsea come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa the other day in a game in which they had been winning. They have now managed just two victories in their last eight matches across all competitions.
Bournemouth preview: Desperate for a win
AFC Bournemouth come into this one on the back of a woeful performance in west London again, suffering a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium with a Kevin Schade hat-trick.
Andoni Iraola is a highly-rated coach but he is now under a lot of pressure with the Cherries in woeful form for a while. Their loss to Chelsea means that they are now winless in their last nine matches in the Premier League.
Chelsea team news: Left-back issues
Amid reports that Jorrel Hato could be returning to Ajax this winter, the left-back is out due to injury, while Marc Cucurella also appeared to sustain a hamstring issue against Villa.
Wesley Fofana is available after being rested against Aston Villa but he is expected to start in what could be a reshuffle in the back-line for the Blues due to that Cucurella injury.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Gusto; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
Unavailable: Colwill (Injured), Lavia (Injured), Essugo (Injured), Mudryk (Disciplinary)
Questionable: Cucurella (Injured)
Bournemouth team news: Semenyo still going
Andoni Iraola has said, once again, that he hopes to keep Antoine Semenyo but there are strong links suggesting the Ghana international attacker will soon be joining Manchester City in the January transfer window.
Alex Scott will have to be assessed ahead of the trip to London after suffering yet another facial knock at the weekend, while Tyler Adams remains sidelined due to a knee injury.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson
Unavailable: Milosavljevic (Injured), Akinmobi (Injured), Adams (Injured), Gannon Doak (Injured)
Questionable: Scott (Injured)
Chelsea vs Bournemouth prediction
Home advantage should again give Chelsea the initiative and a seemingly irritated Cole Palmer, who came off with about 20 or so minutes left of their defeat to Villa, should play with intensity from the off here. Bournemouth head to Stamford Bridge needing to use their previously brilliant counter-attacking efficiency against an often overly deliberate Chelsea side. Both teams scoring would seem a good bet for this one between two unpredictable sides.
Chelsea vs Bournemouth tip: Both teams to score
