Chelsea
can move another step closer to securing the Premier League title with
victory at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Antonio Conte's side maintained their seven-point lead at the top of the
table with a 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday.
That gap could be closed to four points by the time Chelsea play on Saturday
evening if Tottenham beat Watford earlier in the day.
"We must be focused and try to win six games and take three points," said
Blues boss Conte. "If we are able to do this, we will win the title.
"Otherwise it will be a good season, but not a great season. We will
remember this season if we win."
The midweek victory over City was the perfect response for Chelsea after
they were beaten 2-1 at home by Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Bournemouth stretched their unbeaten run to five matches on Wednesday after
grabbing a late equaliser to draw 2-2 against Liverpool.
The draw lifted the Cherries seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Team news
Victor Moses could be available to return for Chelsea after missing the last
two games with a toe injury.
Bournemouth midfielder Dan Gosling is rated as only 50/50 because of a knee
injury.
Ryan Fraser comes back into contention for a starting place after his
substitute appearance at Liverpool, but Andrew Surman is out with a knee
problem.
Winger Junior Stanislas has been carrying a groin injury, while defender
Tyrone Mings serves out his five-match suspension for a stamp on Zlatan
Ibrahimovic.
Forward Callum Wilson, goalkeeper Adam Federici and defender Rhoys Wiggins
all continue their recoveries from knee injuries.
Opta stats
Bournemouth have lost six of their eight games against Chelsea in all
competitions (W2). Their only win at home came in their first game against
them in September 1988.
Eden Hazard has scored three times in three previous Premier League
appearances against Bournemouth.
Antonio Conte's side have won 33 points from their 15 away games so far in
2016-17; only twice in Chelsea's history have they picked up more points at
this stage of the season (35 in 2003/04 and 38 in 2004/05).
Bournemouth have won consecutive Premier League fixtures at the Vitality
Stadium, netting five goals in the process. They could win three in a row
for just the second time in the competition (also in October 2016).
Josh King has doubled his Premier League goal tally from last season (6)
with 12 goals, scoring nine goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances
for the Cherries
Diego Costa has netted just one goal in his last five away appearances in
the Premier League, this after scoring eight in his previous nine this
season.
Costa hasn't scored in any of his last three Premier League appearances and
he's never gone four in a row in the competition without scoring. The last
time he did this in league competition was in La Liga with Atletico Madrid
in January 2014.
Merson's prediction
The pressure will be on Chelsea if Spurs win earlier in the day and make the
gap closer than it's been in a while. Bournemouth are a real bag of Revels
because you don't know what you're going to get from them. They could give
Chelsea a real game or get absolutely thumped.
But I expect Chelsea to win this.
Paul predicts: 1-3 (12/1 with Sky Bet)
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