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Bournemouth’s season kicked into gear in the final game before the international break as they completed a stunning comeback at Goodison Park. On Saturday night, they host a Chelsea side making more headlines off the pitch than on it.
At 2-0 down against Everton, Andoni Iraola was minutes away from a disappointing beginning to the campaign, with Bournemouth having failed to win either of their first two league fixtures and also suffered a Carabao Cup exit.
But the remarkable turnaround, the latest from a two-goal deficit in Premier League history, leaves them on a satisfactory five points after three games, one ahead of their next opponents.
Iraola’s substitutions were a big factor in the Cherries’ victory, particularly Luis Sinisterra, who scored and assisted in stoppage time. He will feel as though he should be rewarded with a start this weekend.
It has been one step forward, and two steps back for Chelsea in recent weeks. The 6-2 triumph at Wolverhampton Wanderers looked like the moment it all clicked for them as an attacking unit, but the defeat at Servette was a setback even though it was enough to qualify for the Conference League.
That was then followed by an even more frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace. The Blues’ one win, one draw, and one loss in the league thus far is a fair representation of the mixed bag of performances they have produced.
Still, the chaos on the pitch pales in comparison to the off-field drama. The co-owners are locked in a standoff, each wanting to buy the other out, a conflict that is sure to impact the giant squad.
The Vitality Stadium has been a relatively happy hunting ground for Chelsea over the last decade. They won their first three meetings on the south coast after Bournemouth were promoted in 2015, before the Cherries improved their home record against the Blues over the next four encounters, winning one and drawing two.
It has been a different story at Stamford Bridge, where Bournemouth won three times between 2015 and 2019, keeping clean sheets in each of those successes.
The last time the two sides met in Dorset, they played out a goalless draw 12 months ago, which was an anomaly in an otherwise goal-heavy fixture.
Enzo Maresca will hope that Chelsea’s forward players continue where they left off in their last domestic away fixture, while Bournemouth will need to be mindful of in-form trio Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke.
The Cherries’ home form has been satisfactory over the last 10 months, and they would love to build on their positive start to 2024-25.
Bournemouth have not been shy in front of goal this season, registering at least 15 shots in each of their league outings. Antoine Semenyo has been the biggest source of their efforts on goal, and the best bet for this fixture is for the Ghanaian international to have over 2.5 shots.
Semenyo has two goals and an assist to his name already in the top flight this term - much deserved after 21 shot involvements, a category in which only Kevin De Bruyne ranks higher.
He took five shots on the opening weekend at Nottingham Forest, seven at home to Newcastle United, and a further five at Everton. The winger has had three or more attempts in five consecutive league matches stretching back to the end of the last campaign, so I’m happy to back him to keep that run going against a Chelsea side that is far from convincing defensively.
Eberechi Eze managed three shots at Stamford Bridge and Matheus Cunha had four efforts against Chelsea at Molineux. Bournemouth’s biggest threat, who has played the full 90 minutes in eight league games in a row, can follow suit on Saturday night and land this bet for us at a best price of 5/6.
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