Chelsea Set to Battle Bournemouth: Key Matchups, Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
Chelsea welcome Bournemouth on Tuesday evening, with both teams looking to turn around their disappointing recent performances.
The Blues have secured only one victory in their past five Premier League fixtures, their erratic form causing them to drop from the top four despite appearing as genuine title challengers just weeks ago.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, haven't tasted victory since the end of October. A series of stalemates has provided little assistance, positioning them dangerously near the drop zone.
Here is Sports Illustrated's comprehensive preview of the match, featuring expected lineups and crucial discussion points.
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Bournemouth Kick-Off?
Chelsea vs. Bournemouth Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Chelsea | Bournemouth |
|---|---|
Chelsea 1–2 Aston Villa - 27/12/25 | Brentford 4–1 Bournemouth - 27/12/25 |
Newcastle 2–2 Chelsea - 20/12/25 | Bournemouth 1–1 Burnley - 20/12/25 |
Cardiff 1–3 Chelsea - 16/12/25 | Man Utd 4–4 Bournemouth - 15/12/25 |
Chelsea 2–0 Everton - 13/12/25 | Bournemouth 0–0 Chelsea - 06/12/25 |
Atalanta 2–1 Chelsea - 09/12/25 | Bournemouth 0–1 Everton - 02/12/25 |
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Bournemouth on TV
Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event |
United States | USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App, nbcsports.com, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 3 Canada |
Mexico | FOX One |
Chelsea Team News
The primary worry for Chelsea centers around the possible unavailability of key left-back Marc Cucurella, who asked to be withdrawn during the second period of the Blues' 2-1 loss to Aston Villa following a hamstring issue.
The team has been monitoring the outcome of his medical assessments.
Additionally, long-standing absentees Levi Colwill and Roméo Lavia continue their recovery, alongside youngster Dário Essugo, who remains out with injury. Jorrel Hato is expected to return to selection after sitting out the Villa match with a minor injury picked up against Newcastle.
The primary boost for Chelsea is that Cole Palmer is completely healthy and anticipated to feature for the third straight fixture.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Hato; Caicedo, James; Palmer, Enzo, Neto; Pedro.
Bournemouth Team News
Bournemouth make the trip to Chelsea carrying multiple fitness worries and will be missing one of their crucial players, American midfielder Tyler Adams.
Adams continues his rehabilitation after suffering an MCL tear in the recent 4–4 stalemate with Manchester United. He faces several months on the sidelines, creating a substantial void in Andoni Iraola's midfield setup.
Furthermore, Veljko Milosavljevic, Ben Doak and Matai Akinmboni are all ruled out of contention.
Bournemouth Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Bournemouth predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petrović; Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Jiménez, Tavernier, Semenyo; Kroupi.
Chelsea vs. Bournemouth Score Prediction
What appeared to be a routine encounter for Chelsea weeks ago now seems much more uncertain, despite Cole Palmer's return to full fitness.
The result will probably depend on which version of Chelsea appears. If it's the team that recently defeated Liverpool in the Premier League and Barcelona in the Champions League, they should possess sufficient quality to overcome Bournemouth—particularly in the middle of the park, where Tyler Adams' absence is significantly felt.
Nevertheless, if the Chelsea that fell to Leeds and shared points with Newcastle emerges, the Cherries could create difficulties, especially through Antoine Semenyo—arguably the league's most threatening winger this campaign in what might be his final appearance—and promising striker Junior Kroupi.
In the end, however, the hosts should narrowly prevail. Anticipate a tight Chelsea triumph.