Game Week 15 Predictions: Chelsea to beat Bournemouth

Bournemouth vs Chelsea Preview: Struggling Cherries host misfiring Blues. Suspensions hit Bournemouth hard, Chelsea to win at Vitality Stadium.

Bournemouth and Chelsea both need result to bounce back after a disappointing midweek, which of them will come out tops? (Photo credit: Opta)

 Bournemouth vs Chelsea

Vitality Stadium

4:00pm

This is a game between two teams that could end the season with a lot of regrets; both sides have shown promise at certain points but have fallen off at critical moments.

Bournemouth has lost four of their last five games; it’s an alarming run for Andoni Iraola and the Cherries, who were once sitting pretty in the top four and, even for a sustained period, second, but are now 14th on the log, and you wonder what went wrong in the last six weeks.

You look at the table and wonder how Bournemouth are only five points off the fourth position where Chelsea currently sits. It’s an indication of how the Premier League is this season, and two back-to-back wins could see the Cherries back in the top six.

Chelsea has been poor too, but they’re currently fourth, and a win here could see them move above Aston Villa on goal difference, provided the Villa doesn’t pick anything at home against the league leaders in the opening fixture of the weekend.

How Chelsea lost 3-1 at Leeds United on Wednesday beats everyone, but it was a much-rotated side, and even at that, without any form of disrespect to Daniel Farke’s side, any eleven from Chelsea should be able to earn something against Leeds United.

Both sides have it in them to beat any side on their days. This Bournemouth side has troubled the big boys this season, and Chelsea took a point off Arsenal just last weekend, even with ten men for the best part of the game.

How will they line up? Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook are both suspended for this one, while Ryan Christie and Ben Doak remain injured, so Alex Scott is expected to sit in front of the back four in a 4-1-4-1 formation; Evanilson is expected up front and Justin Kluivert just behind him.

Diakite and Antoine Semenyo are off to AFCON after this fixture; it means Iraiola has to find creative ways to get his squad ticking without the two players who have been immense for them this season alongside Marcos Senesi and Truffert.

No new injury worries for the Blues; Cole Palmer is expected to slot in right behind Joao Pedro, while Pedro Neto would likely take the right side. Estevao needs rest, Alejandro Garnacho is expected to start, and it’s in the defence that we expect some tweaks.

Verdict: Chelsea to win.