Chelsea vs Bournemouth: Preview | News | official site

The restart offers golf equipment a contemporary begin: accidents had time to be repaired, summer time transfers may very well be extra applicable, teaching concepts may very well be higher settled. This can be the precise time for a Blues facet, particularly in search of a first-quarter win. Cherries, who had been in 14th place earlier than the November pause, returned to the fray every week in the past and misplaced 1-0 to Newcastle within the Carabao Cup.

Many groups may have a special momentum than earlier than the World Cup finals. Normally there’s a lengthy summer time for members to rally, however not this 12 months. Whereas it took a number of days for the 14 Chelsea gamers to get again to their bodily and psychological peaks, a return to actual motion on Tuesday actually cannot be early sufficient for these left behind.

Our final file at Bridge is sweet: the Londoners have misplaced simply three of their final 22 Premier League video games at house and have gained 10.

Only a week earlier than Graham Potter changed Thomas Tuchel, Bournemouth, whose coach Gary O’Neil changed Scott Parker, was unbeaten in three video games towards the Blues. The interruption in momentum got here at a nasty time for them, as they’d scored eight targets in three league video games, scoring simply as many targets within the earlier 11 video games. Cherries gained as soon as all season away.

Potter will hope for a contact much like Antonio Conte’s Boxing Day 2016, when the league leaders swept Bournemouth to zero by three targets.

Key statistics

Earlier than the World Cup, Chelsea averaged 1.83 factors per sport at Stamford Bridge, whereas Bournemouth had been scoring 0.71 factors per sport away.

Chelsea group information

Sizzling climate coaching and pleasant matches are a factor of the previous, as the true enterprise of prime soccer is again. The less complicated routine, which is much less intense than the pre-season following the for much longer summer time break, will profit the gamers and permit the brand new teaching group to evaluate the bigger roster forward of the January switch window.

A younger roster of 12 Cobham alumni narrowly misplaced to Unai Emery’s near-full-powered Aston Villa on 11 December. Academy gamers Lewis Corridor and dwell winger Omari Hutchinson, a midfielder who can play as a wing-back or defensive participant, appeared at house towards this stage of opposition.

Sadly, Wes Fofana and Armando Broja had been injured within the mini pre-season, with the latter being extra severe.

Mateo Kovacic, Hakim Ziyech, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ben Chilwell is not going to be on the reopening roster and N’Golo Kante can be sidelined, however the restoration of Carney Chukwuemeka and Reece James can be an enormous enhance for Potter. For Brazil, boss Thiago Silva may make his one centesimal sport in a royal blue jersey.

May we see a special tactical method from Graham Potter, who had early success in Chelsea magic with 4 gamers within the again, however drastically moved to 3-4-2-1 when James was unavailable?

The Londoners haven’t discovered the online in three of their final 5 video games towards Bournemouth, however they’ve but to concede within the first half at Stamford Bridge this season and have been outpacing their house opponents in each 15-minute interval besides 61-75 minutes.

Raheem Sterling, who has scored 9 targets in 9 league appearances, together with his first top-level hat-trick in October 2015, can be extra keen than most to face Bournemouth.

Mixed targets and assists in all competitions 2022/23

Opposing observer: Bournemouth

Like Graham Potter, newly appointed supervisor Gary O’Neil took the Bournemouth group to the Center East for a double session coaching and bonding within the warmth of the United Arab Emirates.

In his first position as head coach, O’Neil amassed 13 factors from 11 league video games and misplaced to his first sport within the Carabao Cup since longtime Cherries boss Eddie Howe was completely appointed to his new membership Newcastle on Tuesday.

Bournemouth had a superb defensive file at Stamford Bridge earlier than relegation, however they’ve confirmed porous of their comeback this season. They’ve conceded probably the most targets (32) and extra heads (eight), corners (9), penalties (5) and set items (10) greater than any rival membership so far within the Premier League.

The shutdown allowed the Dorset membership to heal injured first-team gamers like goalkeeper Neto and defender Lloyd Kelly. However a virus affected ‘eight to 10 gamers’ forward of final week’s St James’ Park journey with Kelly, Ryan Fredericks, Jefferson Lerma and Marcus Tavernier. Two targets and 4 assists every for the one-time Boro winger Tavernier got here in three video games simply earlier than the break.

Former Blues striker Dominic Solanke seems to be set to rematch with Kieffer Moore, who was featured in Wales’ World Cup. Moore tends to shift to the left flank, the place Jaidon Anthony, Jordan Zemura and Philip Billing present most of Cherries’ counterattack energy.

Chelsea will hope to squeeze the compact, hardworking Bournemouth as efficiently because the Magpies, however ship extra precisely from the flanks towards the guests’ deep, slender defensive setup.

Solidarity towards discrimination

Previous to the beginning of the season, Premier League gamers agreed to kneel earlier than just a few video games chosen as a substitute of every sport. The fixtures chosen for this present of solidarity towards all types of racism will embody matches performed from December 26-28, together with the Chelsea-Bournemouth sport. Courtside screens will reinforce the ‘No Place for Racism’ message to assist make stadiums a extra numerous and welcoming surroundings for all.

As with all Premier League matches this week, there can be a minute of applause earlier than kick-off in reminiscence of George Cohen MBE, considered one of England’s 1966 World Cup winners, who sadly handed away on 23 December. Gamers and match officers will put on black armbands.