Bournemouth vs Chelsea Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips: 40/1 card treble for Saturday night

The late night Premier League match returns this Saturday with an 8pm clash at the Vitality Stadium, as Bournemouth host Chelsea in a battle of two sides looking to find consistency after the international break. Both teams have shown glimpses of promise in the early stages of the season and will both be looking to take all three points on the south coast.

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Bournemouth come into this fixture riding high after pulling off one of the most dramatic comebacks in Premier League history. Down 2-0 against Everton with just three minutes of regular time remaining, the Cherries rallied through late goals from Antoine Semenyo, Lewis Cook, and Luis Sinisterra to snatch a 3-2 victory. This never-say-die attitude has seen Andoni Iraola's men remain unbeaten in the league so far, and they sit comfortably in eighth place.  

Bournemouth will have to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga, as the loanee cannot face his parent club Chelsea. With Neto now at Arsenal, Mark Travers is expected to take over in goal. Injuries continue to plague the Cherries, with Enes Unal and Tyler Adams remaining unavailable, while Philip Billing remains a doubt due to a back issue.  

Chelsea, meanwhile, are looking to shake off a two-game winless streak that has raised questions about their form. After a strong start under new manager Enzo Maresca, including a dominant 6-2 win over Wolves, the Blues have faltered, with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace before the break. Sitting in 11th place, Chelsea’s inconsistency has been frustrating for fans, especially as defensive woes persist, with the team failing to keep a clean sheet in 17 straight Premier League away matches 

Chelsea could hand Jadon Sancho his debut this weekend after his deadline-day loan move from Manchester United. Cole Palmer, who pulled out of the England squad due to a thigh injury, but has been spotted back in training and will start if fit. There’s still uncertainty surrounding Romeo Lavia's fitness, but Chelsea will be without Reece James and Malo Gusto, which could see Axel Disasi fill in as a makeshift right-back for the trip to Bournemouth. 

Wesley Fofana is super aggressive stepping out to press, making many fouls in the process. This season he has made seven fouls in just three games, making three against Man City, three against Wolves and one last weekend against Palace.  

New signing, Evanilson, will likely start up top for Bournemouth and he can be an absolute handful - he really loves a battle. He's heavily involved in the rough and tumble of the game, makes plenty of fouls and gets fouled a tonne. In his two starts, he was fouled twice against Newcastle and once against Everton. Back at Porto last season, he was the fifth most fouled, averaging 2.5 per game. It looks set to be a great battle between the two. 

Moises Caicedo also looks a nice way of boosting this bet to over evens, as the Ecuadorian is also a bit of a machine for fouls. His consistency has continued into this season with 10 fouls in six starts for club and country. He has now made a foul in 12 of his last 13 starts, with a whopping total of 25 fouls (1.92pg). It wouldn’t surprise me to see him in duals with Evanilson, Kluivert, Christie and Cook in those central areas, with these players good for drawing fouls.

Caicedo, Fofana and Evanilson are the three likely candidates for fouls which I discussed heavily in the main bet, but combining all three of them to be booked gives us a nice 40/1 longshot with Paddy Power. 

Caicedo has now been booked in 10 of his last 28 matches and has some great matchups which could see him heavily involved in those midfield battles. 

Fofana and Evanilson could be a great battle Saturday evening, one I am excited to see. Both players are super aggressive and I think they will really get on each others nerves.

Evanilson has made a foul in all his three appearances for Bournemouth, going into the book against West Ham in the cup. Fofana has also started the season with plenty of fouls, also going into the book already this season. It wouldn’t surprise me to see fireworks between the two in a heated battle.

Bournemouth vs Chelsea Bet Boosts