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After a difficult start of the season that led American owner Todd Boehly to replace former coach Thomas Tuchel with Graham Potter, Chelsea need to attack the second part of the season in a different way. The Blues are currently ninth in the Premier League table with 21 points after 14 matches and failed to win in the last five matches before the break. It will be crucial for the home side to start off well and win against Bournemouth, a team that’s only scored 16 points after 14 matches, but as of now are safe from relegation. Here’s what you need to know:
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Viewing information
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 27 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Stamford Bridge — London, England
TV: USA Network
Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: Chelsea -310; Draw +400; Bournemouth +850 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Chelsea vs. Bournemouth
Talking points
- New coach Graham Potter needs to see a reaction from his team after a disappointing end of the first part of the season before the World Cup break when Chelsea struggled, in part because of injuries injuries, and only picked up two points in the last five Premier League matches. The club decided to start a new cycle under coach Potter after he left Brighton in the middle of the season and trust him a lot, but he also needs to deliver results as soon as possible and will definitely be under pressure in the coming weeks.
- Chelsea are currently ninth in the table with 21 points scored after 14 matches. Up to now they’ve only won six games, drawn three and lost five. The most worrying factor is that Chelsea only scored 17 goals (also conceded 17) and need to find solutions to score more in the second part of the season.
- The Blues were interested in signing a striker in January even before the injury of striker Armando Broja who’s set to miss the rest of the season after sustaining an ACL injury. Considering the issues of the team to score goals it’s now even more likely that there will be an investment there next month when the transfer window will officially open. At the same time, the club has already signed 20 years-old David Datro Fofana from Molde for around €12 million according to CBS insider Fabrizio Romano.
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Prediction
Graham Potter’s side need to win the first match after the World Cup to be immediately back on track ahead of the second part of the 2022/23 season. Pick: Chelsea 2, Bournemouth 0.
