So far, Bournemouth's first season in English football's upper echelon has gone much better than the Cherries have expected. However, they are pretty much guaranteed more Premier League football for next season. On the other hand, Chelsea's title defense has been nothing short of a disaster, and the Blues will hope to totally revive themselves next term under new coach Antonio Conte.
Bournemouth
Eddie Howe's men will be coming into this match having suffered a 2-1 reversal against Liverpool. Nonetheless, for all intents and purposes, having picked up 41 points, Bournemouth have ensured that they will have a chance to feature again in the top flight in the 2016/2017 term.
Although the hosts will be welcoming the reigning Premier League champions, the Cherries will definitely be fancying their chances against Chelsea. As we have all seen, the Blues have been a shell of the side that conquered England last season and have put in some shockingly poor performances during this current campaign.
Furthermore, a win against the London giants would put Bournemouth level on points. Despite having to play Manchester United, Everton, and West Brom in their next games, Howe's side could potentially find themselves very close to - or even within - the top half of the table at the conclusion of this season. That, in itself, would be an impressive achievement for a team who were not even expected to survive the drop in their first term in the Premier League.
Bournemouth, however, will be missing several players, with Benik Afobe, Tyrone Mings, Harry Arter, Adam Smith and Tokelo Rantie all unavailable for Saturday's match.
Chelsea
As for Chelsea, the wheels appear to have come off the already unsteady Blues train. After managing to remain unbeaten in Premier League play under Guus Hiddink, Chelsea will arrive at Dean Court having lost their past two games. Their recent loss was a 3-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge by Manchester City, with Sergio Aguero netting a hat-trick, Thibaut Courtois sent off, and the Blues will be especially keen to avoid losing to Bournemouth this Saturday.
Why? Well, if they do lose to the Cherries, it will mark the first time since the 2000/2001 season that Chelsea have lost both home and away to a newly promoted side. Back then, it was Charlton Athletic that completed a "double" over the Blues, and given the miserable campaign they have endured this season, it would be yet another unwanted record added to a whole slew of undesirable results Chelsea supporters have seen since the start of the turbulent 2015/2016 Premier League campaign.
At this point, Hiddink, who will finish the season without any silverware, is probably just hoping to finish out the season as decently off as feasible. In addition to the aforementioned Courtois, who will be suspended for this match, the Dutch tactician will be without the services of John Terry, Kurt Zouma, and Loic Remy. Eden Hazard may make an appearance after missing quite a bit of action due to a hip injury.
Which channel is broadcasting Bournemouth vs Chelsea on TV or Online?
Dean Court (also known as Goldands Stadium) will be hosting this match between Bournemouth and Chelsea. It is currently the smallest venue out of any of the 20 teams competing in the Premier League this season, hosting less than 12,000 fans at full capacity, making for a very interesting and unique atmosphere.
For those across the pond who want to tune in, LiveSoccerTV.com has put together some selections to tune in via your TV, computer, mobile, or tablet.
Here are some options for fans residing in the following countries:
- In the USA at 10.00 EST on: NBC Sports Live Extra, USA Network, NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra, Westwood One Sports
- In Canada at 10.00 ET on: Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet World Now, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet West
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Bournemouth vs Chelsea broadcast page for viewing times and options for wherever you are currently based.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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