Chelsea vs Bournemouth: Prediction, Lineups, Kickoff Time | Premier League 2025/26

On: December 27, 2025 10:52 PM

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Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Match Preview

Stamford Bridge hosts a festive Premier League clash on Sunday, 28 December 2025, as Chelsea welcome Bournemouth to West London. The Blues sit 4th in the table with 29 points, fighting to consolidate their Champions League spot after a chaotic 2–2 draw with Newcastle. Bournemouth, currently 15th with 22 points, have become the league’s entertainers—or heart-attack inducers—after a wild 4–4 draw with Manchester United and a 1–1 stalemate with Burnley. Interestingly, these two sides met just three weeks ago at the Vitality Stadium, playing out a tense 0–0 draw. Chelsea will be desperate to go one better on home soil.

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Match Info

Competition: Premier League (Matchday 18)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London (Capacity: 40,341)
Date: 31 December 2025
Kickoff: 14:00 GMT | 15:00 CET | 09:00 ET
Referee: Samuel Barrott (ENG)

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Match Stakes

Chelsea (4th — 29 pts):

Win → Moves to 32 pts; strengthens grip on the Top 4 and keeps title outsiders in sight.
Draw → Frustration; considered two points dropped at home against bottom-half opposition.
Loss → Could drop to 5th or 6th; heaps pressure on the manager after recent inconsistency.

Bournemouth (15th — 22 pts):

Win → Moves to 25 pts; pushes them towards mid-table safety (Top 10 potential).
Draw → A solid result away at a “Big Six” ground; extends unbeaten run to 4 games.
Loss → Keeps them looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone (though 22 pts is a healthy buffer).

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Team News

Chelsea:

Palmer C. — Expected to start (Key Creator).
Nkunku C. — Expected to start (Goal threat).
James R. — Available (Captain – if fit).
Recent Rotation: Having played a Carabao Cup tie and a tough Newcastle game in the last 10 days, rotation in midfield is likely.

Bournemouth:

Semenyo A. — Expected to start (Pace/Power on wing).
Solanke D. / Evanilson — Leading the line.
Kepa A. — Ineligible (Cannot play against parent club if loan terms apply, otherwise available).
Defensive Fragility: Conceding 4 vs Man Utd highlights defensive issues that need addressing.

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Chelsea

20/12 — 2–2 vs Newcastle (Premier League)
17/12 — 3–1 vs Cardiff (Carabao Cup)
13/12 — 2–0 vs Everton (Premier League)
10/12 — 1–2 vs Atalanta (Champions League)
06/12 — 0–0 vs Bournemouth (Premier League)

Bournemouth

20/12 — 1–1 vs Burnley (Premier League)
16/12 — 4–4 vs Manchester United (Premier League)
06/12 — 0–0 vs Chelsea (Premier League)
03/12 — 0–1 vs Everton (Premier League)
29/11 — 2–3 vs Sunderland (Premier League)

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)

06/12/2025 — Bournemouth 0–0 Chelsea (Premier League)
15/01/2025 — Chelsea 2–2 Bournemouth (Premier League)
15/09/2024 — Bournemouth 0–1 Chelsea (Premier League)
19/05/2024 — Chelsea 2–1 Bournemouth (Premier League)
17/09/2023 — Bournemouth 0–0 Chelsea (Premier League)

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)

Chelsea (4-2-3-1)

Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1)

Travers; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Impact Bench

Chelsea: Felix (Creative spark), Lavia (Midfield control)

Bournemouth: Sinisterra (Dribbling threat), Scott (Energy)

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Tactical Analysis

Chelsea

Enzo Maresca’s side dominates possession but struggles to kill off stubborn teams (evident in the 0–0 draw weeks ago). At home, they will push high, with Cole Palmer drifting into the half-spaces. They must be wary of Bournemouth’s high press, which caused chaos against Man Utd. Chelsea’s defense has conceded in 3 of the last 4 games, so concentration is key.

Bournemouth

Andoni Iraola’s “chaos football” is in full swing. The 4–4 draw at Old Trafford showed they can score against anyone but also defend poorly. They will look to turn this into a basketball game—end-to-end transitions. They will press Chelsea’s center-backs aggressively, trying to force turnovers in dangerous areas.

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Key Battles

Palmer vs Kerkez — Chelsea’s MVP vs Bournemouth’s aggressive fullback.
Jackson vs Zabarnyi — Pace vs positioning in the box.
Caicedo vs Christie — Battle for midfield engines.
Sanchez vs Semenyo — GK needs to stop powerful shots from the wing.

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Spotlight Players

Chelsea — Nicolas Jackson

The striker is often involved in everything good Chelsea does, but his finishing can be erratic. Against a Bournemouth defense that conceded 4 to United, he should have plenty of chances.

Bournemouth — Antoine Semenyo

His power and direct running are a nightmare for defenders. If Chelsea’s full-backs push too high, Semenyo will punish them on the counter.

Chelsea vs Bournemouth — Prediction

Chelsea 2–1 Bournemouth

This promises to be more entertaining than the 0–0 snooze-fest earlier this month. Bournemouth are leaking goals (5 conceded in 2 games), and Chelsea’s attack is clicking reasonably well at home. Expect a tight game with Chelsea’s individual quality (likely Palmer) making the difference.