Chelsea vs Bournemouth LIVE! Premier League match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction today
After three straight defeats before the World Cup, Chelsea bid to kickstart a Premier League revival when they return to action against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge today. The Blues are nine points adrift of the top four as things stand and need to make up that deficit in the race for Champions League qualification.
Chelsea, who are down in ninth, have not lost four Premier League games in row since 1998 and Graham Potter knows they need to hit the ground running when their season resumes following the mid-season break.
Potter insists he is “more confident” of changing Chelsea’s fortunes after talks with co-owner Behdad Eghbali in California during the World Cup and he is targeting a return to winning ways against Bournemouth, who appointed Gary O’Neil as their head coach on a permanent basis earlier this month and sit three points above the relegation zone in 14th. Follow Chelsea vs Bournemouth live below, with expert analysis from Nick Purewal at the Bridge!
Live updates
Chelsea vs Bournemouth score prediction
The Cherries struggled for form ahead of the break and come up against a Chelsea side that have finally enjoyed an extended period on the training ground under Graham Potter.
A 2-0 Chelsea win.
Lerma poised for Bournemouth return
Bournemouth are likely to have all-action midfielder Jefferson Lerma back tonight after a minor knee issue, though David Brooks and goalkeeper Neto are both definitely out.
Marcus Tavernier is a doubt, while there are late fitness tests required for the likes of Lloyd Kelly and Ryan Fredericks.
After the 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat by high-flying Newcastle at St James’ Park last week, Gary O’Neil revealed that eight to 10 members of his squad had been suffering from a virus.
Chelsea injuries piling up
Chelsea’s bid to end a dreadful run of form experienced before the World Cup break is not helped by the absence of at least seven first-team players this evening.
Wesley Fofana experienced a setback in his recovery from a knee injury during a friendly against Brentford, with N’Golo Kante out until at least February with his latest hamstring problem sustained back in August.
There are still doubts over the likes of Ben Chilwell, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Carney Chukwuemeka and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech are unavailable after playing in the third-place play-off at the World Cup last weekend.
Armando Broja has been lost for the season of course, though there is good news for Chelsea in the likely return today of star defender Reece James, absent since early October with a serious knee injury that forced him to miss the World Cup.
Where to watch Chelsea vs Bournemouth
TV channel: In the UK, today’s match will be televised live on Amazon Prime Video.
Live stream: Fans can also catch the game live online via the Amazon Prime Video app and website.
Welcome to Chelsea vs Bournemouth LIVE coverage!
Good afternoon, Merry Christmas and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Chelsea vs Bournemouth in the Premier League.
The Blues need to hit the ground running as they resume top-flight business on home soil after the World Cup break, trying desperately to avoid losing four league games in a row for the first time since 1998.
Bournemouth have not been good travellers since returning to this level, but have taken 13 points from 11 games under Gary O’Neil, who was appointed as permanent head coach in November.
Kick-off today is at 5:30pm GMT, so stay tuned for all the latest match build-up, team news and minute-by-minute updates, featuring expert analysis from Nick Purewal at Stamford Bridge.
