Chelsea vs Bournemouth preview, prediction, team news and head-to-head

This match carries significant weight for the home side as they look to recover from a difficult run, while the visitors aim to cause an upset and climb into the top half of the table.

Chelsea come into this game on the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge last weekend. 

That result was a major setback for the team under Enzo Maresca, who saw his side drop to fifth place with 29 points on the table. 

They have struggled in their last five games, with two wins, one draw and two losses across all competitions.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have not had the best of weeks in the Premier League and have failed to get a win in their last five games.

They have only managed three draws and two losses and are currently sitting in 15th place on the standings.

They suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford last weekend and will need to get back to winning ways to avoid dropping further into the relegation zone.

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Chelsea have generally had the upper hand in recent meetings, winning two of the last five encounters against Bournemouth. 

The remaining three games have ended in a draw, with their recent meeting ending in a 0-0 scoreline at the Vitality Stadium.

Their last two EPL meetings have ended in a draw, which could also mean this fixture could see another stalemate.

Chelsea travel into this fixture with several notable absentees once again. Levi Colwill remains unavailable due to injury. 

Young midfielder Dario Essugo is still sidelined as he continues his recovery and Romeo Lavia also remains out with a long-term injury problem. 

Bournemouth are also dealing with an extensive injury list ahead of the match. Alex Scott is unavailable through injury, while Matai Akinmboni and Veljko Milosavljevic are also sidelined. 

Midfielder Tyler Adams remains out as he continues rehabilitation, and Ben Doak is likewise unavailable due to injury.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sánchez – James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella – Caicedo, Enzo – Pedro Neto, Palmer, Garnacho – João Pedro

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Petrovic – Adam Smith, Diakité, Senesi, Truffert – Christie, Lewis Cook – Jimenez, Tavernier, Semenyo – Kroupi

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With Chelsea desperate to bounce back from their home defeat yesterday and Bournemouth struggling to get a win, we expect the Blues to get a narrow victory.

The attacking quality of the Blues, led by the creativity of Cole Palmer, should eventually break down the Bournemouth press. 

However, the psychological blow of the Villa defeat may make the home side nervous in the opening stages.