This weekend, Bournemouth is set to welcome Chelsea to the Vitality Stadium for an exciting Premier League matchup.
Key Takeaways
- Chelsea has prevailed in the last three meetings with Bournemouth
- For Bournemouth, David Brooks has the most shots on goal per game (2)
- In previous meetings between Bournemouth and Chelsea, there were 2.71 goals scored on average and BTTS occurred 36% of the time
Despite Chelsea's recent streak of three victories in a row against Bournemouth giving them a minor advantage, it's important to remember that both clubs have suffered in their respective home and away records. Bournemouth's home performance hasn't been great, while Chelsea has struggled on the road. This implies that unexpected results might occur because surprises are often in football.
Bournemouth Form
The game before this one saw Bournemouth play an exciting encounter in the Premier League against Brentford that finally resulted in a 2-2 tie.
In recent meetings, Bournemouth has had variable results. They showed tenacity in those games, drawing 2-2 and 1-1 with Brentford and West Ham United. However, they lost to Liverpool 3-1 and Tottenham Hotspur 0-2, showing that they had both defensive and offensive difficulties. Their 2-3 victory over Swansea City demonstrates both their attacking prowess and the weaknesses in their defense.
Indeed, Bournemouth has to strengthen their defensive qualities as seen by their recent performance, which saw them score 7 goals while giving up 10, with no clean sheets.
Chelsea Form
Chelsea's most recent Premier League game ended in a disheartening 0-1 loss to Nottingham Forest.
In previous meetings, Chelsea's performance has been inconsistent. They drew 1-1 with Liverpool and easily overcame Wimbledon 2-1 and Luton Town 3-0. To retain consistency in their performances, they might need to fix some weaknesses, as seen by the defeats to West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.
In fact, Chelsea's recent defensive performance, with only one clean sheet and 6 goals allowed while scoring 7, might be viewed as falling short of what is expected of a club of their level.
Head-to-Head
According to their head-to-head record, Chelsea has won 9 times and Bournemouth has won 4 times in their 14 encounters. Bournemouth and Chelsea have played one match that was a draw.
Team News
The availability of the players isn't a major issue; of a nearly totally healthy group of players, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola just has one fitness worry. Tyler Adams is sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Due to a variety of injuries and health difficulties, the current Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, only has a small group of players at his disposal. Wesley Fofana, in particular, has a torn cruciate ligament, Trevoh Chalobah has thigh issues, Marcus Bettinelli has an undisclosed injury, Reece James has a hamstring problem, Carney Chukwuemeka is recovering from a knee injury, and Christopher Nkunku is also out with a knee problem.
Key Players
Key members of the Bournemouth team including Dominic Solanke, David Brooks, and Antoine Semenyo have the ability to significantly impact the club's success. Their abilities and contributions may significantly affect Bournemouth's overall effectiveness and match results.
For Chelsea, it is possible to count on players like Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, and Thiago Silva to make a big impact in games.
Final Thoughts
Given Chelsea's previous success in defeating Bournemouth in their past three meetings, Chelsea seems to have an advantage over Bournemouth in the next game.
It is concerning that Chelsea is currently ranked 12th in the rankings, especially in light of the enormous cash investments made in the squad. This underperformance can raise concerns about the worth and viability of such investments, which some would see as not producing the desired outcomes. In order to enhance their on-field performance and defend the financial commitments they've made in the team, Chelsea may need to reassess their plans and expenditures.