Key occasions
3 min: Chelsea assault once more. The much-maligned Mudryk does properly with a burst of tempo, then does much less properly with an overhit cut-back to Conor Gallagher.
2 min: Bournemouth showcase their new-found urgent abilities and Chelsea wrestle to get out of their half… however then they break and Sterling slips a sq. ball to Fernandez, who shoots straight on the keeper.
1 min: And we’re off, with Bournemouth, of their traditional pink and black stripes, going lengthy instantly and Chelsea, in palest inexperienced, lining up with a again 4.
The gamers and followers observe a minute’s silence for the victims of the pure disasters in Morocco and Libya.
An e-mail is available in from a spot beloved of all Speaking Heads followers: Pittsburgh, PA. “Good morning from Pittsburgh!” says the reliably enthusiastic Eric Peterson. “’m sorry to say this, contemplating how a lot this impartial is having fun with the recent mess of a membership that wealthy and privileged Chelsea have turn out to be. However the brand new, trendy, expansive Bournemouth that their new possession is attempting to create will not be as properly suited to beating the Blues because the gritty, gutty Bournemouth that Gary O’Neil led to Premier League survival final yr. Having mentioned that, if Chelsea, for all their expertise, proceed to play like a group ready for good issues to occur, reasonably than getting down and making them occur, it may not matter.”
Know what you imply, Eric, however Gary O’Neil’s grit didn’t depart a mark on Chelsea final season. Bournemouth managed to lose to them twice, which was fairly an achievement.
Pre-match studying
It’s 20 years because the largest factor ever to occur within the Chelsea boardroom – the Abramovich takeover. A topic properly price a column from Barney Ronay.
It’s an attention-grabbing choice from Pochettino. He offers Mykhailo Mudryk a begin for the primary time, preferring him to Cole Palmer. To this point in his time at Chelsea, Mudryk has been all tempo and no trousers. Perhaps it is a signal that Poch is anticipating to play on the counter.
He’s wanting choices in midfield as Moises Caicedo is unfit, which implies a primary PL begin for Lesley Ugochukyu, the 19-year-old French-Nigerian who has made a few appearances off the bench. In case you had been Andoni Iraola, who would you be cautious of in that Chelsea XI? Maybe solely Enzo Fernandez and Raheem Sterling.
A tweet is available in from Brendan Giant, talking for the Chelsea trustworthy. “I’d similar to to spotlight one success to date,” he says, “by way of our summer season enterprise. Gusto at right-back seems to be an actual expertise and a greater than in a position back-up to Reece James. Not less than right here we will say we have now improved after the ageing Azpilicueta was let go.”
Groups in full
Bournemouth (possible 4-2-3-1) Neto; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Kelly, Kerkez; Christie, Cook dinner; Ouattara, Billing, Tavernier; Solanke.
Subs: Andrei Radu, Smith, Senesi, Rothwell, Brooks, Semenyo, Traore, Sinisterra, Kluivert.
Chelsea (possible 4-3-3) Sanchez; Gusto, Thiago Silva, Disasi, Colwill; Fernandez, Gallagher, Ugochukwu; Sterling, Jackson, Mudryk.
Subs: Petrovic, Bergstrom, Gilchrist, Chilwell, Maatsen, Matos, Stutter, Deivid, Palmer.
Referee David Coote.
Bournemouth group: Tavernier, Ouattara are available in
Chelsea group: it is captain Gallagher
Preamble
Afternoon everybody and welcome to … what, precisely? In case you look by means of the lens of the previous decade, it is a mismatch: just a little membership welcoming an enormous one. Seen by means of the lens of the previous yr, it’s too near name: the Sixteenth-best group within the league enjoying host to the 14th-best.
Bournemouth v Chelsea has usually been the kind of encounter by which the house group are pleased with a hard-fought level, however not proper now. In case you have a look at conferences between the large eight – the standard suspects, plus Newcastle and Brighton – and the opposite 12 Premier League golf equipment, there have been solely three video games this season that produced an upset and two of these have concerned Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea. They misplaced to West Ham and Nottingham Forest, which suggests they’re fairly able to shedding immediately.
Bournemouth’s outcomes have been extra logical. They’ve been crushed by the large golf equipment (Liverpool, Spurs) whereas drawing with the remaining (West Ham, Brentford). Andoni Iraola has but to chalk up his first league victory, though he would have had it at Brentford, a troublesome place to win, had it not been for a supreme piece of talent from Bryan Mbeumo within the 93rd minute.
It’s Chelsea, nonetheless reeling from their very own purchasing spree, who really want a win immediately. In the event that they get it, they’ll skip up the desk to eighth and the stress will probably be off Pochettino. In the event that they lose, Chelsea will slide under Bournemouth, leaving Poch in disaster nook with Erik ten Hag.
It’s all fairly intriguing. Kick-off is at 2pm and I’ll be again quickly with the groups.
