Chelsea vs Bournemouth: Match preview, team news and predicted line-ups
· Yahoo Sports
Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday when they host Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, looking to end a three-match winless run.
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Xabi Alonso’s side have endured a difficult spell after making a promising start to the season, with defensive problems undermining their attacking performances. The international break has given the Blues an opportunity to regroup ahead of a busy period.
Chelsea opened the campaign with victories over Fulham and Brighton, scoring seven goals across the two matches. They also beat Leeds United 6-3 in the Carabao Cup after recovering from two goals down. That victory came after Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat against the reigning champions Arsenal.
An encouraging start against Hull City ultimately gave way to an open contest, with the visitors perhaps feeling they should have taken more than a 2-2 draw from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea then suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat by Brentford before the international break.
Alonso will now hope his players can respond against a Bournemouth side who have also struggled for consistency in the league.
Cole Palmer (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Team news
Xabi Alonso said Moisés Caicedo is “ready to go” in his pre-match press conference, while Reece James remains a doubt. Cole Palmer is also expected to be assessed after missing the recent international break.
Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha have been spotted in Chelsea training this week, raising hopes that both could return to action.
Joao Pedro could also miss out, having been sidelined by a knee problem that kept him out of Brazil’s latest fixtures.
Moises Caicedo (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Xabi Alonso’s Thoughts
On the international break
“The break has been probably too long. We’ve had time for everything, to analyse what we have done and what’s coming. We are working with some players. We’ve used the time properly.”
On Bournemouth
“A tough test. So intense. High tempo game, very demanding. They have a very clear idea with what they do. We play at home, we need to have a good game. We want to win. We need a win.”
The Opposition
Bournemouth sit 17th in the table after a difficult start to their domestic campaign. However, progress in the Europa League and a convincing Carabao Cup victory over Lincoln City have provided some encouragement for manager Marco Rose.
The visitors will be looking to end their wait for a win at Stamford Bridge, having last won there in December 2019. Their recent record at the ground offers some encouragement, with each of their previous two visits ending in a 2-2 draw.
Manager Rose also has several fitness concerns to manage. Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi are among those facing potential absences, while Julian Araujo and Justin Kluivert have also been dealing with injuries.
Veljko Milosavljevic, Amine Adli and David Brooks are further doubts ahead of the trip to west London.
Marcus Tavernier has been one of Bournemouth’s more productive attacking players this season, scoring away against Manchester City and Newcastle United.
Recent Form
Chelsea: W W L D L 18/09/26: Brentford 3-0 Chelsea (L, away) 12/09/26: Chelsea 2-2 Hull City (D, home) 06/09/26: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea (L, away) 30/08/26: Chelsea 4-3 Brighton (W, home) 24/08/26: Fulham 2-3 Chelsea (W, away)
Head to Head
- Chelsea have won 15 of their 25 meetings with Bournemouth, compared with five victories for the Cherries.
- At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have won eight of their 13 encounters with Bournemouth, who have claimed three victories.
- In the Premier League, Chelsea have recorded nine wins in 18 meetings, with five draws and four Bournemouth victories.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea: Martinez; Fofana, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Lavia, Caicedo, Chavarria; Palmer, Rogers; Welbeck.Bournemouth: Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Adams, Cook; Rayan, Christie, Tavernier; Evanilson.
Score prediction
Chelsea should have enough attacking quality to create chances, but their defensive issues remain a concern.
Bournemouth have drawn on their last two visits to Stamford Bridge and could leave with another point if they take advantage of the hosts’ defensive weaknesses. Chelsea 3-2 Bournemouth