Chelsea FC were, at one point, very much in the Premier League title race, as just last month they were sitting second in the table. However, the Blues have since slumped, winning just one of their last six in the league, and now find themselves fifth. Their next opponent, AFC Bournemouth, were once in strong contention to lock down a UEFA competition spot for next season.
Festive Fixtures FYIs
Chelsea vs AFC Bournemouth
Kickoff: Tue. Dec 30, 7:30pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Google Result Probability: Chelsea win 61% Draw 22% AFC Bournemouth win 17%
And entering this term, getting into Europe was their very reasonable and hopeful expectation.
Now the Cherries are buried deep on the second page of the standings, and it looks like staying up is the only thing they’ll achieve this season.
So both of these teams need this one, badly.
Team News for Both Sides
Nothing has changed for either side here. For Chelsea, Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo remain out injured while Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended.
For the Cherries, Veljko Milosavljevic, Matai Akinmboni, Tyler Adams and Ben Gannon-Doak all remain sidelined due to injury.
Starting XI Predictions
Chelsea
Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Malo Gusto; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Alejandro Garnacho; Pedro Neto
AFC Bournemouth
Djorde Petrovic; Alex Jimenez, Bafode Diakite, Marcos Senesi, Truffert; Alex Scott, Lewis Cook; David Brooks, Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo; Evanilson
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.