Chelsea are eyeing their second win of the Premier League season on Sunday when they face AFC Bournemouth. It's been an up-and-down start to life as the Chelsea manager for Mauricio Pochettino, who started his tenure well with a convincing 1-1 draw against Liverpool. The Blues only have one win in their first four matches, which came in a 3-0 victory over promoted side Luton Town. The Blues will aim to rebound from their most recent result, a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest before the international break, against a Bournemouth team that is winless so far this season.
Here's what you need to know before tuning in.
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 17 | Time: 9 a.m. ET
- Location: Vitality Stadium -- Bournemouth, England
- TV: USA | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
- Odds: Bournemouth +325; Draw +285; Chelsea -130
Storylines
Chelsea: Chelsea's poor run of form also coincided with an injury crisis as the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Reece James spend time on the sidelines. The good news for the Blues is that they have enough quality to overcome the issues in the meantime. Raheem Sterling will certainly be counted on after scoring twice against Luton. Midfielder Conor Gallagher is also expected to be key to Chelsea's success against Bournemouth, while Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto could be important since Pochettino prefers to let his fullbacks shine.
That said, Chelsea's potential has yet to match their results so far this season. It forces the question: Which version of the Blues will show up against the Cherries? Chelsea was able to dominate in the matches it lost against Forest and West Ham United, but lacked a finishing touch that could trouble them against Bournemouth despite the odds being in their favor. New striker Nicolas Jackson has just one goal this season, which came in the victory over Luton but will need to get into goalscoring form especially as Chelsea await Nkunku's return.
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Bournemouth: The hosts' poor run of form can be partially attributed to the schedule -- Bournemouth had to play Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the early stretch of the season, but has draws against West Ham and Brentford to add to their record so far. It may be an upset, but the Cherries are likely excited by the opportunity of playing a Chelsea team that has yet to find their form.
The team will be near full strength, as Lewis Cook returned to the fold in the team's 2-2 draw at Brentford right before the international break. U.S. men's national team fans, though, will be on Tyler Adams watch -- the midfielder posted a video of himself on Instagram this week running on the field and wrote that he would be "back soon." There's no timeline on his return, but he seems close to hitting the pitch once again after injuring his hamstring in March.
Prediction
It's hard not to pick Chelsea considering the talent they have, even with a sizable injury list. Expect the Blues to pick up a fairly straightforward three points, which would continue Bourenouth's winless streak. Pick: Bournemouth 0, Chelsea 2
