Chelsea will look for a much-needed return to winning ways in the Premier League on Tuesday when they take on high-flying Bournemouth.
Talk of the title has faded from the boroughs of west London with the Blues without a win in four league games. Enzo Maresca's side have been beaten by Fulham and Ipswich, and drawn by Everton and Crystal Palace during their barren run which has seen them drop to fourth in the table.
A crushing victory over Morecambe 5-0 in the third round of the FA Cup Chelsea were given some relief at the weekend, with centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo and elite playmaker Joao Felix scoring twice in the comfortable win.
Bournemouth struggled badly with injuries at the start of the new year, but Andoni Iraola's side showed no signs of slowing down at the weekend as they beat West Bromwich 5-1 on the south coast. The Cherries have enjoyed a fantastic season to this point and currently sit seventh in the Premier League table.
A first European berth is within reach, and they will edge out the hosts on Tuesday with a memorable win at the Bridge.
here 90 minutes Guide to Chelsea Against Bournemouth Premier League.
Record of direct confrontations between Chelsea and Bournemouth (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Chelsea |
Bournemouth |
|---|---|
|
Chelsea 5-0 Morecambe – 11/01/25 |
Bournemouth 5-1 West Bromwich – 11/01/25 |
|
Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea – 04/01/25 |
Bournemouth 1-0 Everton – 25/04/1 |
|
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea – 30/12/24 |
Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth – 12/29/24 |
|
Chelsea 1-2 Fulham – 12/26/24 |
Bournemouth 0-0 Crystal Palace – 12/26/24 |
|
Everton 0-0 Chelsea – 12/22/24 |
Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth – 12/22/24 |
|
nation |
TV Channel/Live Broadcast |
|---|---|
|
UK |
TNT Sports 3, Discovery+, Discovery+ App |
|
US |
peacock |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 3 Canada |
There was plenty of rotation from Maresca, who was able to welcome Reece James and Romeo Lavia back into the team after spells on the bench, at the weekend. Both players started in Saturday's cup tie and are in contention to feature against the Cherries.
Malo Gusto is likely to return to right-back, while Enzo Fernandes and Moses Caicedo are bound to play in midfield.
Noni Madueke missed the defeat at Morecambe due to illness But he could be welcomed back on Tuesday, with Pedro Neto likely to retain his right wing.
Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashelli, Mykhaylo Modric and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are absent.
Chelsea's expected formation against Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusteau, Tossin, Colwell, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.
Bournemouth suffered two devastating blows at the start of the new year, with Enes Unal tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in training after they lost Evanelsson to a long-term foot injury.
Impressive winger Antoine Semenyu is likely to fill the void at the top for the foreseeable future.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is ineligible to play against his parent club on Tuesday, so Mark Travers will make a rare start between the sticks. Iraola is also missing Alex Scott, Julian Araujo, Marcos Sinise, Adam Smith, Luis Sinistera and Marcos Tavernier.
Bournemouth's expected formation against Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Travers. Aarons, Zabarny, Huysen, Kerkes; Christie, cook; Brooks, Kluivert, Ouattara; Seminyo.
The last time Bournemouth were beaten was on November 23, and just confidence could help them get through the next period without Unal and Evanelson.
Given their injury problems, you have to expect the Cherries to collapse at some point, and a potential downturn could begin in west London. Chelsea have been in poor form over the past month, but the breather provided to several key names in Maresca at the weekend should serve the hosts well ahead of this match.
While Iraola's side deserve a lot of credit for their performances over the past two months, this looks like a perfect match for Chelsea.
