Bournemouth will aim to act as a stumbling block in Chelsea’s march towards their Premier League title, when they host the Blues at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening.

Eddie Howe and his men are currently 13th in the table, after having made an impressive start to the campaign that saw them rise to as high as ninth in the league. Their previous game at Southampton witnessed the Cherries play out a 0-0 draw, as Harry Arter fluffed an all-important spot kick in the second half.

As far as Chelsea are concerned though, their recent 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium kept them seven points ahead Tottenham Hotspur, who are hot on their heels. A win over the Bournemouth could get them close to the claiming the title.

Cherries look to carry on good run

After having failed to pick up a win in 2017 before their thrilling 3-2 win over Slaven Bilic’s West Ham, Bournemouth have rediscovered their form and have lost only one game in their recent run.

The draws against Liverpool and Manchester United away from home suggest that the team can hold it’s own against the bigger clubs, apart from having the ability to beat the sides around them in the league. If Harry Arter had not missed the penalty against the Saints though, they would have won their first ever game at St. Mary’s.

They haven’t lost a single game in their last five outings, picking up three draws and two wins. While, the run has been impressive enough, the return to form of Benik Afobe has been crucial for the Cherries, while Howe’s Manager of the Month award suggests that the club is going in the right direction.

Scoring goals has been an important part of the Cherries campaign, as they currently are the seventh best goalscoring side in the league, racking up a tally of nine goals. And Josh King’s recent performances have been pivotal to that. The former Manchester United youngster has scored 12 times in the league, seven more than Afobe.

The defense though, has been a concern for Howe’s men, who have let in as many as 56 goals, more than only Swansea, Hull and West Ham. They are the fourth worst defensive side in the league.

The last outing between the sides saw the Blues cruise to a convincing 3-0 win over Bournemouth, who did manage to upset Jose Mourinho’s side last season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea look to come close to title win

If not for John Stones’ point blank miss from around five yards in the stoppage time against the Blues in mid-week, Chelsea’s lead would have been cut short to just five over Spurs, who had picked up a 3-1 comeback win over Swansea.

The Blues would not want to take the easier games lightly, with a big game at Old Trafford beckoning next week. While, United are the only top six side they are yet to face this season, Chelsea will be vary of any upsets that could harm their title hopes, with Spurs well capable of winning every game from now on.

The game at Dean Court will be a tough one for the Chelsea, considering how the bigger teams have found it tough against them away from home. And Chelsea’s recent 2-1 loss at the hands of Crystal Palace suggests that things could well go wrong.

The Blues have scored the second-most number of goals in the league, only two behind Liverpool at 39 and five more than Spurs. Eden Hazard, whose brace at the Etihad propelled them to a win, has scored 13 times and has racked up five assists too. Diego Costa, who has scored 17 times, has failed to find the back of the net in the last two outings.

As far as their defence goes, they are the third best defense in the league, less able than only Tottenham and Manchester United, who have let in 22 and 24 goals respectively. And the defense would have to play a vital role, if Chelsea want to go to Stamford Bridge with all three points in the bag.

Injuries a worry for Bournemouth

Apart from Tyrone Mings, who is serving his five-match-ban for the stamp on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Bournemouth will have Andrew Surman and Adam Federici out for the game against Antonio Conte’s men. Callum Wilson is still nursing the knee injury and will only be back next season. Junior Stanislas is likely to face to late fitness test, if he has a chance to feature.

Victor Moses, who has failed to feature in Chelsea’s last four outings, is unlikely to play at Dean Court, as he recovers from a calf strain.

Bournemouth: Boruc, Smith, Cook, Francis, Daniels; Arter, Wilshere, Fraser, King, Stanislas; Afobe

Chelsea: Courtois; Luiz, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Pedro, Matic, Kante, Alonso; Fabregas, Costa, Hazard