- Cherries have beaten Chelsea twice in nine
- Blues beat Bournemouth twice at Stamford Bridge this season (PL, League Cup)
- Chelsea leads all-time 10W-3L
Chelsea can create distance from the chasing pack when it visits Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday (Watch live at 3 p.m. ET Wednesday on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).
The Blues can pull three points clear of fifth place Arsenal and five ahead of the fifth place Manchester United.
[ MORE: What did we learn in the PL on Tuesday? ]
A miserable run of form for Bournemouth ended last time out, as the Cherries knocked off West Ham 2-0 in London.
What they’re saying
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe on new signing Chris Mepham: “He’s a very talented young lad. We’re really excited by what he can deliver for us, now and in the future. He fits our mold of what we’re after in a young defender. He’s very good on the ball, composed and he has leadership qualities.”
Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri on getting back in PL win column: “We showed we are able to react to a difficulty. Now we need to show continuity in our approach to matches, when we have to manage a match. The last two matches were very good, but now we need to show continuity. When I look at the numbers, we have a very good physical performance in quantity and quality.”
Prediction
Bournemouth has not had success against the big boys. Can that change at home? Unlikely. Eden Hazard makes it happen in a 2-1 win.