Bournemouth vs Chelsea 17/09/2023
Bournemouth will host Chelsea, who are currently struggling to find their feet, at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Premier League, Sunday, September 17, Kick-off 2:00pm
Premier League betting tips
- Bournemouth to win
- Over 2.5 goals
- Bournemouth 2-1 Chelsea
*Prices subject to fluctuation.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea 17/09/2023 – Verdict
Bournemouth’s latest outing at the Vitality, a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, saw Andoni Iraola’s team fail to impose their style on the game in a meaningful way.
Iraola was known as the master of chaos, but his Bournemouth side have shown tactical flexibility and, at times, have lacked the intense pressing that we saw at Rayo Vallecano.
This looks like another tough test for Mauricio Pochettino’s fledgling side as they look to bounce back from a damaging 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest.
Although they’ve demonstrated flashes of quality, they aren’t converting their opportunities and appear to be a long way from being a finished product.
You would think that the Blues’ haphazard play in possession would suit Bournemouth, so this looks like the perfect opportunity for Iraola to employ the most aggressive version of his tactics.
Gallagher and Caicedo’s careless midfield play against Forest ultimately resulted in a goal. A bigger issue is as a team, they’ve looked awful defending corners, free-kicks, and even throw-ins.
Employing a high press looks worthy of the risks given the way Luton managed to pinch the ball and create chances, and in particular how West Ham punished Axel Disasi’s sloppy passing.
Teams playing against Chelsea have been able to produce a high volume of chances relative to their possession. Forest, Luton and West Ham managed a combined 30 shots despite seeing little of the ball.
Bournemouth were able to use the ball efficiently in their 3-1 loss to Liverpool and 2-2 draw with Brentford, so regardless of how they set up, this looks like a winnable game for the home side.
