Chelsea v Bournemouth: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch

premier league,
Round 6

Chelsea
THIS

10/10/2026
15:00

Bournemouth
BULL

Stamford Bridge

Samuel Barrott

Preview of Chelsea-Bournemouth

Both sides have had three weeks to dwell on how September ended, and neither will have enjoyed the reflection. Chelsea went into the international break on the back of a 3-0 drubbing at Brentford, while Bournemouth they are still looking for their first Premier League win under Marco Rose.

Xabi Alonso’s reign started with a lot of noise. Chelsea won 3-2 at Fulham on the opening weekend and followed that up with a win over Brighton at Stamford Bridge. His first four league games produced 19 goals between them. Entertaining, yes. Sustainable, not so much. Defeat at Arsenal and a 2-2 draw with Hull followed, and after that Hull game, Alonso admitted he expected more “boring” games. He got one at Gtech on 45 minutes, before Jaidon Anthony, Igor Thiago and Fabio Carvalho separated his side in the second half.

The concern for Alonso is that Chelsea have conceded at least twice in each of their five league games so far. Seven points from five is not a disaster, but it leaves the Blues well away from where they want to be.

Bournemouth’s start to Rose has been strange. The German, who replaced Andoni Iraola in the summer, saw his side take the lead in each of their first four league games without winning any of them. They lost 2-1 at Manchester City on the opening day, then drew three in a row against Everton, Newcastle and Brentford, before losing 1-0 at home to Liverpool. Three points from five games have them sitting 17th.

The frustrating part for Cherries fans is that the football hasn’t been bad. They won on their Europa League debut at Real Sociedad and hammered Lincoln 4-0 in the EFL Cup, and Rose insisted this week that the issue is not one of style. “We already see our style. A lot of things are going in a good direction, we just have to take points from the games,” he said.

However, they will have to find those points without their best player. Alex Scott, who made his England debut in the 7-0 win over Croatia, has been out for more than a month.

Premier League table

Team news for Chelsea v Bournemouth

Chelsea will welcome back key midfielder Moises Caicedo, who has been limited to just 14 minutes of action this season. Reece James, Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Marco Palestra are also available.

Jamie Gittens is sidelined with an ankle problem.

For Bournemouth, Scott is the absence of the starter. Eli Junior Kroupi remains on the sidelines, while Julian Araujo and Justin Kluivert are nursing muscle problems.

There was one positive, with Rose confirming that David Brooks is in full squad training despite being withdrawn from the Wales squad. Veljko Milosavljevic and Amine Adli are working their way back, but Rose suggested most of his injured players are more likely to return for the Sturm Graz or Sunderland games.

Expected lineups for Chelsea-Bournemouth

Chelsea: Martinez; Fofana, Lacroix, Colwill; Palestra, James, Caicedo, Hato; Rogers, Palmer; João Pedro

Bournemouth: Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Adams, Cook; Rayan, Christie, Tavernier; Evanilson

Chelsea-Bournemouth recent form and stats

• Chelsea have taken seven points from their first five Premier League games and are winless in their last three (1 D1 L2)
• Chelsea have conceded at least two goals in all five league games under Xabi Alonso
• Bournemouth have three points from five games and are in 17th place, one of three teams in the Premier League yet to win this season.
• The Cherries took the lead in each of their first four league games but failed to win any of them
• Marcus Tavernier is the only Bournemouth player to have scored more than once this season, with goals away to Manchester City and Newcastle.
• Bournemouth’s last two Premier League visits to Stamford Bridge ended 2-2
• Bournemouth have not beaten Chelsea in nine Premier League games since a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in December 2019.

Where to watch Chelsea v Bournemouth: TV and online streaming

Chelsea v Bournemouth kicks off at 15:00 BST on Saturday 10 October at Stamford Bridge.

As of Saturday’s 3pm kick-off, the match is not being shown live on UK TV due to blackout rules. Full live commentary is available on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, and highlights will be on Match of the Day on Saturday night.

Details of the global issue can be found at premierleague.com.

Prediction for Chelsea-Bournemouth

This should be tight and Chelsea’s bench may have a key impact late in the game.

Chelsea

2-1

Bournemouth