MY ACCOUNT
– Bournemouth have won four of their last five Premier League matches
– Chelsea have won only four games in 2023 in all competitions
– Recommended bet: Bournemouth to win
Chelsea were thoroughly outplayed by Arsenal in a 3-1 away defeat on Tuesday night and the Blues could be in for another challenging afternoon when they visit in-form Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Blues found themselves 3-0 down against the Gunners after only 34 minutes and, despite Noni Madueke scoring his first goal for the club in the second half, they failed to find a way back into the match.
That was Chelsea’s sixth successive defeat since Frank Lampard took charge and they head into this weekend only nine points clear of the relegation zone.
The Londoners also have a tough run of fixtures ahead, starting with the trip to the Vitality Stadium, a venue they have lost 4-0 and drew 2-2 at in their two most recent visits.
Team news
For Bournemouth, Ryan Fredericks, Junior Stanislas and Marcus Tavernier are sidelined, while Hamed Traore, Kieffer Moore and Chris Mepham will all be assessed.
Chelsea have a pretty lengthy list of absentees with Armando Broja, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mason Mount, Marc Cucurella, Reece James and Marcus Bettinelli all ruled out for this fixture.
The stats
Bournemouth have pulled clear of the Premier League relegation zone after a run of four wins in their last five matches.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have won only four games in the entirety of 2023 in all competitions, having failed to score in 13 games this calendar year.
Chelsea have struggled up top this campaign and seven-goal Kai Havertz is their top-scorer in the Premier League.
Despite their recent run of good form, Bournemouth have nonetheless managed to keep only one clean sheet in their last four games.
Prediction
The situation at Chelsea is deeply concerning. Despite a transfer outlay of more than £600million this season, the club are on course to finish in the bottom half and could drop to as low as 14th this weekend if results do not go their way.
A win for Bournemouth would actually see them leapfrog the Blues and recent form suggests a home win is the way to go.
Lampard, like his predecessor Graham Potter, looks unsure of his best starting combination and the team are far too wasteful in the attacking third.
Chelsea have scored only 31 goals in 33 league matches this season but their expected goals for figure is 44.27 — that implies there is an issue with the team’s finishing in particular.
As for Bournemouth, they cruised to a 4-1 win over Leeds last time out, putting themselves on the brink of securing their place in the Premier League for another season, and they will approach this clash with confidence.
Back Bournemouth to win at 5/2 with LiveScore Bet.
Win big with LiveScore 6!
Fancy winning up to £100,000?
Simply predict six correct scores from the weekend action for your chance to win, with consolation prizes also on offer if you go close.
Play LiveScore 6 for free this weekend (18+, UK only). Click here for details on how to get involved.
