After both teams were beaten in midweek, we look ahead to Saturday’s Premier League clash with our Bournemouth vs Chelsea prediction and preview.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea: The Key Stats
The Opta supercomputer expects Chelsea to get back on track this weekend, giving the visitors a healthy 42% chance of victory against Bournemouth. Picking up just one point along the way, Bournemouth have lost four of their last five Premier League fixtures – that’s more than across their previous 17. Chelsea are on the longest scoring streak of any team in the Premier League, netting in 13 straight games since a goalless draw with Crystal Palace on the opening matchday.Quelling talk of a title challenge, Chelsea failed to build on their spirited draw with imperious Premier League leaders Arsenal when losing to Leeds in midweek – but they can right those wrongs away to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Enzo Maresca’s young side were out-thought and out-fought by their lowly hosts on Wednesday, as they struggled to cope with an electric atmosphere at Elland Road. A 3-1 defeat was the outcome, with the Chelsea coach’s team selection drawing questions from a frustrated fanbase.
Despite that loss, Chelsea still boast one of the best away records in the Premier League ahead of the weekend trip to the south coast, having accrued more points on the road (13) than they have at Stamford Bridge (11).
And, for what it’s worth, Chelsea are unbeaten in their last four visits to Bournemouth (W2 D2), most recently winning 1-0 in September 2024.
But probably more pertinently, the Cherries have endured a difficult spell since the start of November, bringing their dismal form into a new month by losing on Tuesday.
Uncharacteristically impotent at the Vitality Stadium, Andoni Iraola’s side were beaten 1-0 by Everton, and there are clearly issues to resolve at both ends of the pitch.
On a run of four defeats from five, the Cherries have conceded 13 goals in the process and scored just five. Absences have played a part and will likely continue to do so.
Lewis Cook and Tyler Adams are suspended for Saturday, while Scottish pair Ryan Christie and Ben Gannon Doak are still injured. But Justin Kluivert returned to the starting XI in midweek, while Marcos Senesi and David Brooks are now available.
For their part, Chelsea are still without key midfield cog Moisés Caicedo, who must serve the second game of a three-match ban. Since his arrival in 2023, they have won just 25% of the Premier League games the Ecuadorian hasn’t started, compared to 52% when he has.
So, Cole Palmer’s latest return could prove timely. Facing seven matches in the space of 24 days to wrap up a busy 2025, the world champions can again call upon their inspirational playmaker.
After missing 14 games through injury, Palmer made his comeback as a second-half substitute against Leeds, so Maresca must weigh up whether to start the England star this weekend.
Having slipped to fourth place in the Premier League, there will be pressure to beat off-colour opponents such as Bournemouth, who have plummeted from second spot to 14th over the past few weeks.
Still, such is the congested nature of the table, Bournemouth sit just five points behind Chelsea, and they’ve earned 14 of their 19 points on home soil.
However, neither form nor history will be on their side. Bournemouth have only beaten Chelsea twice in front of their own fans from 11 attempts – most recently with a memorable 4-0 win nearly seven years ago in January 2019.
To add a third victory to that modest record, Bournemouth may need Antoine Semenyo to rediscover his brilliant best, having failed to score or assist in any of his last six Premier League appearances.
After the first seven matchdays, he was second only to Erling Haaland (10) for goal involvements (nine – six goals, three assists), but transfer speculation has potentially taken a toll.
While Palmer and the electric Estêvão generally grab headlines for Chelsea, a less-heralded figure has quietly gone about becoming their most effective forward. No Chelsea player has scored (five) or been involved in (seven) more top-flight goals than Pedro Neto this season.
Indeed, Neto has played a part in six goals across his last seven league appearances. So, facing Bournemouth’s ailing backline provides another chance to shine for the former Wolves winger.
Against Everton, 18-year-old Veljko Milosavljevic started in Bournemouth’s youngest-ever Premier League XI (23 years and 254 days), with their lineup not featuring a single player over the age of 26.
On Saturday, the teenage centre-back is set to make way for Senesi, who adds experience to a defence that had to be hastily rebuilt in the summer. A relative veteran, aged 28, the latter will certainly have his hands full with Chelsea’s talent-packed attack.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea Head-to-Head
While Chelsea won 1-0 on their most recent trip to Bournemouth last September, they needed a late Reece James equaliser to steal a point from them at Stamford Bridge in January. Palmer, Semenyo and Kluivert were also on target in an eventful 2-2 draw.
As well as narrowly avoiding a home defeat on that occasion, the Blues have lost just one of eight Premier League fixtures at the Vitality Stadium (W5 D2).
Denied victory in stoppage time earlier this year, Bournemouth are winless in seven league games against Chelsea, having won three of the previous four.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea Prediction
The Opta supercomputer has Chelsea as favourites to prevail, the London club bouncing back in 42% of the 10,000 simulations. Bournemouth aren’t without hope, though, winning 32.5% of the sims.
That leaves a 25.5% probability of the spoils being shared; in the circumstances, that result would suit neither side.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea Predicted Lineups
Bournemouth: Djordje Petrovic, Álex Jiménez, Bafodé Diakité, Marcos Senesi, Adrien Truffert, Alex Scott, David Brooks, Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Amine Adli, Eli Kroupi.
Head coach: Andoni Iraola
Chelsea: Robert Sánchez, Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernández, Reece James, Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Estêvão, João Pedro.
Head coach: Enzo Maresca
Opta Power Rankings
The Opta Power Rankings are a global team ranking system. They assign an ability score to over 15,000 domestic football teams. This score is on a scale between zero and 100, where zero is the worst-ranked team in the world and 100 is the best team in the world.
Ahead of kick-off this weekend, here is the Opta Power Ranking for both sides.
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Bournemouth vs Chelsea Prediction: Can the Blues Bounce Back? Opta Analyst.
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