**Chelsea's misfiring attack meets a resolute Bournemouth side that's quietly humming.** The Blues are wavering at Stamford Bridge — one thumping win, one dodgy draw, one brutal loss in their last three. Time to settle things.

Chelsea have the pedigree and home turf, but **Bournemouth's defensive shape and balance** (2W 2D in their last five) makes this trickier than the head-to-head suggests. The visitors' injury pile-up is real, though — they're stretched thin across the squad.

Key storylines:

- **Chelsea need to find consistency** after that Brentford hammering; a dominant home performance feels overdue
- **Bournemouth's compact shape** will test whether the Blues can break down a well-drilled low block
- **Estêvão and D. Welbeck** will be Chelsea's creative spark with Palmer sidelined

Expected lineups:

- **Chelsea**: Słonina, Chavarría, Fofana, Colwill, James, Rogers, Caicedo, Watson, Emegha, Welbeck, Estêvão
- **Bournemouth**: Petrović, Soler, Silva, Hill, Smith, Adams, Cook, Tavernier, Christie, Rayan, Evanilson

Prediction:

**Chelsea 2–1 Bournemouth**

Home advantage and attacking depth edge it, but expect a scrappy, tight contest. 🎯

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