Can Enzo Maresca's Chelsea sail past Bournemouth to Hold their spot in Top 4 in Premier League- Full Match Preview and Prediction for Bournemouth vs Chelsea

Chelsea are on the course to redeem themselves after enduring a 3-1 loss against Leeds away from home in midweek. They meet Iraola's Bournemouth next, and the match promises thrilling action for both sets of fans. AFC Bournemouth, who sit in the 14th position on the League table, and Chelsea, who sit in the 4th position on the League table, seek to get back their winning ways at the Vitality Stadium after both teams were handed losses in their respective midweek games.

While fans have different expectations from the game, at Sportsdunia, our Bournemouth vs Chelsea Prediction are backed by data and team form.

Bournemouth vs Chelsea Preview

The Bournemouth vs Chelsea preview speaks of two teams who are coming into the game with different momentum on their sides. Even though Bournemouth started their campaign well this season, November is a month that Iraola's men would like to forget as they failed to win any of their four games. Moreover, their 0-1 defeat to Everton did not set them off with a good momentum for their game against Chelsea. It would take something special from Semenyo and co. to get a positive result out of their game against Chelsea.

The Blues, on the other hand, faced an obstacle in their consistent run to be at the top of the table. They have won 3 out of their last 5 games and drew their match against the League topper last Sunday. While Enzo Maresca's men are in better form, if they really want to win the league this year, they need to understand that every match counts.

Bournemouth vs Chelsea Match Info

Now that you have seen the Bournemouth vs Chelsea Preview, let us take a look at the Bournemouth vs Chelsea match info:

Bournemouth Team News

Andoni Iraola's biggest challenge is that both Ryan Christie and Doak are sidelined due to knee and hamstring injuries, respectively. Moreover, Adams and Cook are also unavailable for the game as they are suspended.

But the good news is that both Brooks and Senesi are available for the Chelsea game, giving attacking weight and defensive solidity to the lineup. Evanilson should start the game this Saturday at the frontline for the Cherries.

Bournemouth Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Petrovic

Defenders: Truffert, Diakite, Milosavljevic, Senesi

Midfielders: Brooks, Tavernier, Semenyo, Kluivert, Adli

Forwards: Evanilson

Chelsea Team News

For Enzo Maresca, Caicedo will miss this fixture as well, as he is serving the suspension that he took during Chelsea's game against Arsenal. Other absentees are Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, and Dario Essugo. Given we haven't seen much of Palmer after his return, we can expect the Englishman to start this game. We can expect Delap to start this game from the bench, as Maresca would prefer the in-form Joao Pedro to lead the team from the front.

Chelsea Expected Lineup (4-5-1):

Goalkeeper: Sanchez

Defenders: Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella

Midfielders: James, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Garnacho

Forwards: Pedro

Bournemouth vs Chelsea Team Injuries

Now that you are aware of the AFC Bournemouth vs Chelsea predicted lineups, let us take a look at Bournemouth vs Chelsea injuries.

Bournemouth Injuries

First, we will see which players Iraola will miss due to injuries:

Chelsea Injuries

Now, let us take a look at the players Maresca will miss due to injuries:

Other than these injuries, there are many players who are unavailable due to suspensions that they received in previous matches.

Sportsdunia's Bournemouth vs Chelsea Prediction

Bournemouth are yet to break the losing streak that they have been on since the beginning of November. Irrespective of being a home game, it would take something really special to stop Maresca's Chelsea, who are in amazing form if you look past the 3-1 defeat to Leeds.

With the star players like Palmer returning to the action, Chelsea looks even stronger than they were at the beginning of the season. Looking at their form, it should be a comfortable win for the Blues.

Sportsdunia's Predicted Score: Bournemouth 1-3 Chelsea