Date: Saturday 14th December 2019
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
After making it through the group stage in the Champions League
midweek, we’re back at home in the Premier League this afternoon to face Bournemouth.
We lost to Everton last weekend in probably our most
disappointing performance so far this season, whilst Bournemouth faced
Liverpool and like most teams this season, came away with as much as Jeremy
Corbyn in a general election.
All predictions seem to favour us in
this battle, mainly because The Cherries are on a run of five straight defeats
and only one win in 10, but we seem to be encouraging the poorer performers to
make games against us the FA cup game of their season, so I think
the predictions might be a little off balance.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Chelsea
manager Frank Lampard, says “I didn’t expect us to roll over West
Ham. I understand from the outside that it might have been thought of. But
similar happened at Everton. If you
don’t perform at the levels, you don’t do the basics that you have been doing
all season then any team in the Premier League can beat you. Bournemouth are
having a tough time but there’s no doubt that they have talent and ability in
their squad to beat us if we are not at it.
Sometimes it takes a lot out of you
(playing in Europe). I see a genuine reason there but we didn’t travel, we
played on Tuesday so there’s less of an excuse for us. Then it comes down to mentality. You have to
understand if we want to be a big club at this level, fight in Europe and the
top level of the Premier League that these are little tests after you have had
a pretty successful but difficult night to now refocus on the Premier League.”
Meanwhile,
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, says “In these moments I try to be at my best, when things are
most challenging. I’d like to think I’ve handled these situations before and I
can do it again. Frank [Lampard] and his
team have done so well, it’s a different Chelsea this season but still a very
effective team. But we feel, if we’re at our best, we can beat anyone.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, Ruben Loftus-Cheek
(Achilles), van Ginkel (ACL), and Fikayo Tomori (hip) are injured.
For Bournemouth, Steve Cook,
Adam Smith, David Brookes, Lloyd Kelly and Charlie Daniels are joined by Nathan
Ake (hamstring) after his injury against Liverpool last week, but there’s a chance
Callum Wilson and Josh King could be available.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible
line-up): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rudiger, Emerson; Jorginho; Kante; Willian, Mount;
Pulisic; Abraham.
BOURNEMOUTH (Possible line-up): Ramsdale; Francis,
Mepham, Simpson, Rico; L.Cook, Lerma, Billing; Groenveld, H.Wilson, C.Wilson
LAST SEASON
Chelsea 1-0 Bournemouth (19 December 2018)
CURRENT FORM (PL)
CHELSEA: WWLLWL
BOURNEMOUTH: WLLLLL
OTHER STUFF
- Bournemouth’s win
at home last season was just a second in nine games against us.
- Chelsea have won in
11 of 15 meetings overall.
- Chelsea’s defeat at
Everton last weekend was a third in four Premier League games.
- Bournemouth are on
a run of five defeats.
- Chelsea have lost
two of their eight Premier League home games so far this season.
- Chelsea have scored
31 goals in the Premier League but only 11 have come at home.
- Bournemouth could
lose six straight league games for the first time since 1994.
- Bournemouth have
lost 22 of their 26 Premier League away matches versus established top-six
opposition. Their two wins were both at Stamford Bridge.
- Bournemouth have
scored a league-high nine goals from set-pieces, excluding penalties.
PREDICTION
BBC Sport: Chelsea 2-0 Bournemouth
Sky Sports: Chelsea 3-1 Bournemouth
Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
