Chelsea vs Bournemouth Preview
Both Chelsea and Bournemouth have shown defensive weaknesses this season, while possessing enough attacking quality to threaten at the other end. With goals likely from both sides, BTTS & Over 2.5 Goals stands out as an appealing option.
Key Stats
- Chelsea have failed to win their last three Premier League matches
- The Blues have conceded 12 goals, the most in the Premier League.
- Chelsea have conceded in each of their league games this season.
- Bournemouth have conceded in every Premier League game this season.
- The Cherries are still without a Premier League win (0-3-2).
- Bournemouth have not beaten Chelsea since December 2019.
Head to Head
Chelsea have a 11-4 advantage against Bournemouth alongside 5 draws. The previous three encounters ended in draws.
Chelsea Form
Chelsea head into their clash with Bournemouth looking to bounce back after a disappointing defeat to Brentford before the international break. The Blues were beaten 3-0 in a poor performance and were also missing several key players.
Xabi Alonso’s side are now without a win in their last three Premier League matches, with one defeat and two draws during that run.
Despite sitting 10th in the table, Chelsea have struggled badly at the back, conceding 12 goals so far – the highest total in the Premier League.
That defensive record makes another clean sheet look difficult to trust, especially against a Bournemouth side capable of causing problems in attack.
Bournemouth Form
Bournemouth suffered their first defeat since the opening weekend as they went down 1-0 to Liverpool before the international break. Marco Rose’s side were competitive for long periods, but ultimately came away empty-handed at Anfield.
The defeat ended Bournemouth’s five-game unbeaten run in all competitions, which had included two wins and three draws. Despite the setback, their overall performances have been encouraging so far.
Defensively, however, there are still concerns. Bournemouth have conceded in every Premier League game this season and remain without a league win, with three draws and two defeats from their opening five matches.
Their results have also come against a difficult schedule, while both of their wins this season came in cup competitions, including a 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad in their first-ever European match in the Europa League.
Team News
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Emiliano Martínez; Wesley Fofana, Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill; Pedro Neto, Jordan Henderson, Valentín Barco, Pep Chavarría; Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers; Danny Welbeck.
João Pedro remains sidelined with a knee injury, while Reece James and Moisés Caicedo are also doubts ahead of the game.
Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha are dealing with fitness issues, while Cole Palmer is being assessed after a groin problem. Jamie Gittens is another doubt after picking up an ankle injury.
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Djordje Petrović; Adam Smith, James Hill, António Silva, Adrien Truffert; Tyler Adams, Lewis Cook; Rayan, Ryan Christie, Marcus Tavernier; Evanilson.
Alex Scott is expected to miss around two months after suffering a thigh injury while on international duty with England. Justin Kluivert, Eli Kroupi, Julian Araujo and Veljko Milosavljevic are also ruled out, while Amine Adli remains a doubt.