Chelsea head into the final day of the Premier League campaign having jumped into the top six, with a place in Europe next term almost within their grasp.
The Blues only need a point at home to Bournemouth on Sunday to secure sixth, but they also have an outside chance of leapfrogging rivals Tottenham with a victory.
Team news
Chelsea’s injury list is shortening but Mykhailo Mudryk did pick up an injury in the midweek win at Brighton which rules him out of this weekend’s finale.
Reece James saw red at the Amex Stadium too, so he begins a four-game suspension on the final day.
Bournemouth are without Luis Sinisterra and Ryan Fredericks for this trip, while Chris Mepham is a doubt.
Andoni Iraola has enjoyed a fine first season at Bournemouth but they have still struggled against the top six
Chelsea have scored 42 goals in their 18 home games this season.
Since the start of November, the Blues are averaging three goals per home league game.
The Blues have won their last four home games, scoring 17 times in that stretch.
Bournemouth have lost at Arsenal, Aston Villa and Luton among their last four away trips.
Chelsea have lost only once in 90 minutes in the last 17 games Cole Palmer has started.
The Cherries have conceded 37 times in 18 away trips this term.
Only title challengers Manchester City and Arsenal have accumulated more points than Chelsea in the last eight Premier League games, with the Blues winning four on the bounce heading into their final game.
Chelsea have scored 12 goals in those last four matches and they come into Saturday’s clash having found the net 17 times in their last four games at Stamford Bridge, winning each of those fixtures.
While the hosts spent much of the season languishing in midtable, they are looking every inch a top-six side with their recent impressive displays. That should concern Bournemouth, who have an awful record against the sides in European contention.
The Cherries have lost five of their six visits to the top seven, conceding 20 goals in those matches. That accounts for over half of the 37 goals they have conceded in 18 away trips, so heading to the high-scoring Blues is a real worry.
The hosts have been quietly improving over the course of the campaign, which is to be expected given the number of new players they had to bed in.
The Blues have the fourth-best record in the league since November, while they have scored 36 goals in 12 home league games since then.
The Blues continue to thrive on Cole Palmer’s brilliance and he can inspire them to another scoring spree this weekend, particularly with Bournemouth having been poor on the road of late.
Livescore.com