Chelsea vs. Bournemouth Prediction: Blues Now Surely Out of Title Race

• Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa last time out in effect ended their title hopes

• Bournemouth have really lost their way after a positive start to the season

• Chelsea will aim to get back on track when they host the Cherries on Tuesday

Chelsea vs. Bournemouth Odds

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My +137 Pick for Chelsea vs. Bournemouth 

Back over 3.5 goals at Stamford Bridge. Bournemouth’s matches are often entertaining and this one could feature at least four strikes.

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Frustration Abounds as Chelsea Suffer Disappointment Again

Chelsea were in an excellent position at half-time on Saturday. A dominant first-half performance against in-form Aston Villa saw the Blues hold a 1-0 lead at the interval. Their only regret after the opening 45 minutes was that their advantage was not larger. Chelsea came out strong at the start of the second half too, leaving Villa facing the prospect of a rare defeat.

Yet that is not how it turned out. After a triple substitution shortly before the hour mark, Villa looked like a different team. They duly scored twice through Ollie Watkins, one of the three men who entered the fray simultaneously. Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat, leaving Enzo Maresca to rue the many chances his team missed.

Chelsea have not had a good winter so far. After a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the end of last month, the Blues were seen as potential Premier League title contenders. Despite a numerical disadvantage for more than half of that match, Chelsea were the better team. They went toe to toe with the league leaders and came close to triumphing.

There has been little to celebrate since then, however. Chelsea have won only one of their last six games in the top flight and now find themselves 12 points adrift of Arsenal at the summit of the standings. The title is no longer a realistic objective. Indeed, Chelsea have a fight on their hands to even finish in the top four.

A lack of consistency continues to dog the youngest side in the division. That is to be expected given the average age of the roster, but it is still frustrating - not least because over the last two decades, Chelsea have been a ‘win now’ club. The present was all that mattered in the Roman Abramovich era, not the past or the future. Now Chelsea are asking their fans to be patient.

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Bournemouth Could Get Dragged Into a Relegation Battle

It feels like a long time ago now, but at the start of last month Bournemouth were second in the Premier League. Unlike Chelsea, no one mistook their lofty position for evidence that a title challenge was imminent, but the Cherries were certainly seen as possible candidates for European soccer. Unfortunately for Andoni Iraola, the picture has changed substantially since then.

A 4-1 defeat by Brentford last time out was Bournemouth’s ninth consecutive game without a victory. They have got some decent results in that time, including draws with Chelsea (0-0) and Manchester United (4-4). Yet the longer they go without a win, the more nervous the Bournemouth fans will become.

As things stand, the Cherries still have a decent cushion above the bottom three. West Ham United in 18th have nine fewer points to their name; right now, it does not look like they will bridge that gap any time soon. Even so, Bournemouth will not feel comfortable until they arrest their slide.

The loss to Brentford was particularly damaging. Bournemouth were facing a team with a strong home record, yet to a large extent they were the architects of their own downfall. Iraola’s side were remarkably open defensively, allowing Brentford to score four goals and create several more chances.

Things could get worse in January. Antoine Semenyo, who has been one of the most effective forwards in the Premier League this term, is rumored to be on his way out of the Vitality Stadium in January, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City among his admirers. Bournemouth will be a worse team without the Ghana international.

Iraola is an excellent coach and the Bournemouth board should not panic, but a vast improvement is needed if the south coast side are to salvage something from this season.

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Chelsea and Bournemouth Will Entertain on Tuesday 

Bournemouth’s 18 matches in the Premier League this season have featured 60 goals, the joint-most in the division. Iraola’s side are the division’s entertainers: Bournemouth’s matches are often end-to-end affairs with plenty of action in and around both penalty areas. That is good news for any neutrals tuning into Tuesday’s tussle with Chelsea.

The Blues have defensive vulnerabilities of their own. While they regularly defend well for large chunks of games, the Blues have a tendency to make sloppy errors or to let their concentration slip. That is a big problem at the highest level.

There have been four goals or more in 56 percent of Bournemouth’s games this term, so the evidence points to a high-scoring affair on the penultimate day of 2025. True, these two teams drew 0-0 at the Vitality Stadium recently, but a repeat is unlikely.

Entertainment awaits at Stamford Bridge, with over 3.5 goals our pick for Chelsea and Bournemouth’s final game of the calendar year. Offenses are likely to get the better of defenses in this one.

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How to Watch Chelsea vs. Bournemouth

• Teams: Chelsea vs. Bournemouth

• Location: Stamford Bridge, London, England

• Date and Time: Tuesday 30th December, 2.30PM ET

• How to Watch: USA Network