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Chelsea vs. Bournemouth: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Chelsea host Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge just weeks after the two sides played out a drab goalless draw.
Barnaby Lane|
Neither side has been in great form of late.
Neither side has been in great form of late. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

Chelsea host Bournemouth face on Tuesday night, with both sides eager to reverse poor recent form.

The Blues have managed just one win in their last five Premier League matches, their inconsistency seeing them slip out of the top four despite looking like potential title contenders just a month ago.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have not won since late October. A string of draws has done little to help, leaving them perilously close to the relegation zone.

Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the encounter, including predicted lineups and key talking points.

What Time Does Chelsea vs. Bournemouth Kick-Off?

  • Location: London, England
  • Stadium: Stamford Bridge
  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 30
  • Kick-off Time: 7.30 p.m. BST / 2.30 p.m. ET / 11.30 a.m. PT
  • Referee: Samuel Barrott
  • VAR: Craig Pawson

Chelsea vs. Bournemouth Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

  • Chelsea: 2 wins
  • Bournemouth: 0 wins
  • Draws: 3

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

Bournemouth Team News

Chelsea vs. Bournemouth Score Prediction

What looked like a straightforward fixture for Chelsea a month ago now feels far less certain, even with Cole Palmer back and fit.

The outcome will likely hinge on which Chelsea team turns up. If it’s the side that recently beat Liverpool in the Premier League and Barcelona in the Champions League, they should have too much quality for Bournemouth—especially in midfield, where the absence of Tyler Adams is keenly felt.

However, if the Chelsea that lost to Leeds and drew with Newcastle shows up, the Cherries could cause problems, particularly through Antoine Semenyo—arguably the division’s most dangerous winger this season in what could be a farewell game—and young striker Junior Kroupi.

Ultimately, though, the home side should just edge it. Expect a narrow Chelsea victory.

Prediction: Chelsea 2–1 Bournemouth

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Barnaby Lane
BARNABY LANE

Barnaby Lane, better known as Barney, is a soccer writer for SI FC. With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, he has worked for a range of household-name publications in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and has interviewed some of the world’s biggest athletes—from Usain Bolt and Rafael Nadal to Christian Pulisic (though his favorite interview remains Adebayo Akinfenwa). Barney specializes in Premier League soccer, covering everything from the nostalgia of years gone by to the modern, vastly different landscape of today’s game. He also has experience reporting on La Liga and Major League Soccer, the latter of which he developed a particular affinity for during his university days at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

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