Although Chelsea are favourites to bag 3 points against the Cherries, Eddie Howe has managed to pull some great upsets since promotion. Here are the 3 areas, Bournemouth will have to win if they want to get something from Stamford Bridge next week.
Eden Hazard vs Simon Francis
After a season of utter despair, where he was highly criticised, where he had a severe goal drought and where he was nowhere to be found, Conte has put Hazard back on the list of world’s best footballers. He has gotten back his mojo this season and defenders have started to fear him again.
He has scored eight goals this season, creating 28 chances and one assist. Eden Hazard has completed 593 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 84%, of which 67% were forward passes.
Francis has been the guardian for the Cherries on the field this season. His leadership will be immensely needed against Chelsea and he will have the all-important job of stopping Hazard on Boxing Day.
Callum Wilson vs David Luiz
His job has doubled after Stanislas got sidelined with an injury. In his 16 appearances, for Bournemouth, he netted 5 times and registered one assist.
Howe will assign him the job of drawing the first blood when they visit Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have conceded only 2 goals in their 11 matches, hence it won’t be an easy task.
To his dismay, he will be up against David Luiz. Luiz is by far the best centre back in the league at the moment. It was his buy that did the trick for Conte.
A solid rock at the back, the Brazilian has assured nothing goes past him and Bournemouth looks like an easy opponent. In his 13 appearances, has won 37 tackles this season with a success rate of 62%. He has made 72 interceptions, 147 clearances and 11 blocks.
Jack Wilshere vs Nemanja Matic
Jack Wilshere has already sort of challenged the Blues when he stated that he would like to defeat them and help Arsenal, his mother club, to close the gap. The Bournemouth player of the month on November has been a revelation this season and quite surprisingly he hasn’t been injured this season so far.
His quality has never been a doubt. Although he has scored no goals, he has created 19 chances and one assist. He has completed 399 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 85%, of which 69% were forward passes.
He will be up against Matic. The Serbian international has been one of the most disciplined players in the Chelsea squad. He has completed 780 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 88%, of which 72% were forward passes.
