Preview
Chelsea vs Bournemouth Betting Tips
Monday, 26/12/2016
Stamford Bridge
Bet on under 2.5 goals to be scored at 6/5 odds
Chelsea’s squad depth awaits a stern test against Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth at home on Monday as they prepare to continue their ceaseless march towards the English crown without two of their biggest game-changers N’Golo Kante and Diego Costa.Chelsea hope to continue their ceaseless march towards the English crown without two of their biggest game-changers N’Golo Kante and Diego Costa. Antonio Conte’s side sits just one win away from a club record winning streak that would further strengthen their position at the top of the table. But their ability to cope with the absences of Kante and Costa are yet to be assessed since the duo didn’t miss a single game for Chelsea earlier in this campaign.
Eddie Howe definitely remembers his last visit to Stamford Bridge when his side planted their flag on Stamford Bridge by beating the hosts 1-0. But that was against a Chelsea team who were severely unsettled by a storm of mutiny brewing in the dressing room. That said, it’d be much more difficult for the Cherries to return home with the bragging rights once again. Bournemouth will be heading into this game on the back of a disappointing south coast derby loss against Southampton. Eddie Howe’s side failed to capitalize on their home advantage and threw away a brilliant start to lose 3-1 at the end.
TEAM NEWS
- Chelsea
As we’ve already said, Kante and Costa would serve a one-match ban for collecting a tally of five yellow cards. Conte might turn to Michy Batshuyai and Cesc Fabregas as alternative options. Oscar, who is set for a £52million move to Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG in January, is unlikely to be named in the squad.
Injuries: John Terry(glute), Oscar(illness), John Obi Mikel(muscle)
Suspensions: N’ Golo Kante(1), Diego Costa(1)
- Bournemouth
Eddie Howe will have to do without Nathan Ake, who emerged as a key figure in Bournemouth’s rearguard lately. Ake is currently on loan from Chelsea, making him ineligible to face his parent club on Monday. Junior Stanislas faces a race against time to recover from a knee injury ahead of the game while Howe might consider re-including club-record signing Jordan Ibe back in the starting lineup.
Injuries: Lewis Cook(ankle)
Suspensions: Nathan Ake(ineligible to face his parent club)
Doubtful: Junior Stanislas(ankle), Andrew Surman(Hamstring)
PREDICTION
Conte’s system might lose their lethal touch in absence of Costa and Kante. But Bournemouth might still have trouble opening the hosts up. We are expecting a low-scoring match at Stamford Bridge, which might end in parity.
Bet on under 2.5 goals to be scored at 6/5 odds
RECENT FORM
- Chelsea(1st in the league, last 5 matches in all competitions)
1-0(Away, Crystal Palace)1-0(Away, Sunderland)1-0(Home, West Brom)3-1(Away, Man City)2-1(Home, Tottenham)
- AFC Bournemouth(10th in the league, last 5 matches in all competitions)
1-3(Home, Southampton)1-0(Home, Leicester)2-3(Away, Burnley)4-3(Home, Liverpool)1-3(Away, Arsenal)
HEAD TO HEAD
Total Played | Chelsea wins | Bournemouth wins | Draws |
7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
LAST MEETING
23 April, 2016
Vitality Stadium
Premier League
Chelsea 4-Bournemouth 1
INTERESTING FACTS
- Chelsea last 20 home games against teams below them-15 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses, scored 2.1 goals per game, conceded 0.7 goals per game.
- Bournemouth last 20 away games against teams above them-4 wins, 5 draws, 11 losses, scored 0.9 goals per game, conceded 1.9 goals per game.
- Chelsea have won five of their previous seven games in all competitions against Bournemouth, losing the other two.
- However, the Cherries did beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season 1-0, thanks to a goal from Glenn Murray.
- Chelsea haven’t lost a league game on Boxing Day since being beaten by Charlton 4-2 in 2003 (W6 D5 L0 since).
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in each of their last six league games played on December 26th (W4 D2 L0) and they have only conceded one goal in these games.
- If Chelsea win this match, they’ll set an outright club top-flight record of 12 successive league wins, beating a run of 11 wins set in September 2009.
- The overall top-flight record for consecutive wins is 14; set by Arsenal in between February and August 2002.
- Chelsea are top of the Premier League on Christmas Day for the fifth time. They have won the league title on each of the four previous occasions they have topped the Premier League at Xmas (2014-15, 2009-10, 2005-06 & 2004-05).
- Diego Costa will be missing this game through suspension. The Spaniard has had a hand in 18 of Chelsea’s 35 Premier League goals this season (51% – 13 goals, 5 assists).
- Antonio Conte (14) has two more Premier League wins as a manager in 2016 than Eddie Howe (12), despite taking charge of more than half the number of matches (17 vs 36).
- This is the highest league position that Bournemouth have ever been in the English league system at Christmas (10th).
- Chelsea have won only once in their last 11 Premier League games without Diego Costa, drawing 8 and losing 2.
Bet on under 2.5 goals to be scored at 6/5 odds