Strap in folks, we've got a cracker on our hands with the English Premier League matchup between Chelsea and Bournemouth. Pulling up the rear of the goalkeeper brigade for Chelsea, we have Đorđe Petrović with a rating of 7.01 and a commendable 20 saves. Squaring up against him from Bournemouth, Mark Travers and Neto have combined their talents to register a total of 14 saves.
The battle in the box is far from the only story here. Chelsea's attacking duo, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, have been setting the field ablaze with 6 and 5 goals respectively, in recent matches. Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher are also worth a mention, emphasizing their attacking and midfield play.
On Bournemouth's side, the name Dominic Solanke stands out. The man has netted 2 goals along with an impressive 70% accurate pass rate. Marcos Senesi should also get a tip of the hat for his 74.2% accurate pass rate.
The ghosts of past matchups lurk in the corner of our discussion. The last time these teams met, it was a 3-1 win for Chelsea, but let’s not forget that a scoreless draw was the result of their prior encounter.
The regular season records give us an added taste of their performance with Chelsea logging 17 wins compared to Bournemouth's 13. Although both teams have had their ups and downs, Chelsea seems to have the hotter streak as seen in their recent results. But, as we well know in football, the beautiful game is as unpredictable as the English weather.
But hey, I've waffled on enough, you're probably asking, "Albert, who's going to win?" Based on all the facts, figures, and a dash of bias, I'd say:
Albert’s Prediction: Chelsea by 2