Chelsea are looking for a well-deserved return to winning ways in the Premier League on Tuesday as they take on high-flying Bournemouth.
Title talk has faded in the west London districts, with the Blues without a win in four league matches. Enzo Maresca’s side were beaten by Fulham and Ipswich, and held out by Everton and Crystal Palace during their barren run which saw them slip to fourth in the table.
A 5-0 win over Morecambe in the FA Cup third round offered Chelsea some respite at the weekend, with centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo and luxury playmaker Joao Felix scoring braces in a comfortable triumph.
Bournemouth were hit hard by injuries to kick off the new year, but Andoni Iraola’s side showed no signs of decline this weekend as they beat West Brom 5-1 on the south coast. The Cherries have had a superb season so far and currently sit seventh in the Premier League table.
A top European spot is within their reach, and they will leapfrog Tuesday’s hosts with a memorable win at the Bridge.
Here is 90 minutes guide for Chelsea against Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Head-to-head record Chelsea vs Bournemouth (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Chelsea |
Bournemouth |
|---|---|
|
Chelsea 5-0 Morecambe – 01/11/25 |
Bournemouth 5-1 West Brom – 01/11/25 |
|
Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea – 04/01/25 |
Bournemouth 1-0 Everton – 01/04/25 |
|
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea – 30/12/24 |
Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth – 29/12/24 |
|
Chelsea 1-2 Fulham – 12/26/24 |
Bournemouth 0-0 Crystal Palace – 12/26/24 |
|
Everton 0-0 Chelsea – 12/22/24 |
Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth – 22/12/24 |
|
Country |
TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
TNT Sports 3, discovery+, discovery application+ |
|
UNITED STATES |
Peacock |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 3 Canada |
There was a lot of turnover from Maresca, who was able to welcome Reece James and Romeo Lavia back into the fold after periods of absence, this weekend. Both players started the cup match on Saturday and are in contention to face the Cherries.
Malo Gusto is likely to return at right-back, while Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are expected to partner in the middle of the park.
Noni Madueke missed Morecambe rout due to illness but could be welcome on Tuesday, with Pedro Neto potentially retaining his right flank.
Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are all missing.
Chelsea predicted the line-up against Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.
Bournemouth suffered some devastating injuries at the start of the new year, with Enes Unal tearing his ACL in training after losing Evanilson to a long-term foot injury.
Impressive winger Antoine Semenyo will likely fill the void at the top for the foreseeable future.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is not eligible to play against his parent club on Tuesday, so Mark Travers will make a rare start between the sticks. Iraola is also without Alex Scott, Julian Araujo, Marcos Senesi, Adam Smith, Luis Sinisterra and Marcus Tavernier.
Bournemouth predicted the line-up against Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cross; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, cook; Brooks, Kluivert, Ouattara; Seményo.
Bournemouth were last beaten on November 23 and simple confidence could see them through the period ahead without Unal and Evanilson.
Given their injuries, a Cherries crash is to be expected at some point, and a possible downturn could begin in west London. Chelsea have been out of form over the past month, but the breaks handed out to many of Maresca’s key names this weekend should serve the hosts well ahead of this game.
While Iraola’s side deserve immense credit for the run they have had over the past couple of months, it looks like a successful game for Chelsea.
