Written by billythekid
When you thought as an AFC Bournemouth supporter things couldn’t get any worse after recent injuries and losing four games on the trot, you only had to be at Dean Court last Saturday to see they can. The runaway league leaders Liverpool were the latest team to play the Cherries, the team from Merseyside came unbeaten having won all their previous away games bar one which ended in a draw, plus a 100% record at Anfield.
Think Eddie Howe was happy how his side had contained Liverpool in the first third of the game, even his side having the odd chance as well. That all changed in the 35th minute after Nathan Ake made an excellent interception to stop Mohamed Salah, but it came at a bad cost to our side and Ake went down and you knew it wasn’t good news. Salah sportingly put the ball into touch so our defender could receive treatment, but it was the end of our centre backs game and it looked like he would be joining his normal centre back partner on the ever-growing injury list. Young Simpson came on in his place and the game restarted with the ball being given back to Liverpool. Our team were immediately hit by a sucker punch with a pinpoint pass coming from deep which a Liverpool forward seized upon to beat the Cherries keeper to make it 0-1, they soon added a second. Worse was to follow in the second half, Liverpool scored their third and later Callum Wilson pulled up and signalled to his manager he had to come off, so not only did we lose the game and our fifth game in a row, the first time that has happened since our club have been in the Premier League, we have lost two more key players going into our next game at Stamford Bridge against fourth-placed Chelsea. Hope we see the team spirit and fight come out of our players we know they have, in this backs to the wall battle to stay in this league.
Chelsea this season appointed their old player Frank Lampard as their new manager. Lampard started his managerial career the previous season at Championship side Derby County. In his first season as their manager, Derby County finished in sixth place and the last playoff spot. They had to beat third-place Leeds over two games to reach the Wembley final, they did. In the final Derby County came up against Aston Villa and lost narrowly 2-1. Frank Lampard replaced Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea and became the first English manager at Stamford Bridge since Glenn Hoddle back in 1996. Both played for England, both were great midfielders, only Hoddle has also managed the England side. Chelsea despite their transfer ban signed midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Real Madrid for a reported fee of around £40 million. He was allowed to sign as he was still a registered Chelsea player while on loan from the Spanish club. Amongst players leaving Chelsea was their influential player Eden Hazard who joined Real Madrid and Alvaro Morata who joined Atletico Madrid.
With their transfer ban Frank Lampard has given some of the younger players a chance to prove themselves in the top league and so far they haven’t had a bad season. Chelsea started off with an away defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United. They drew their first home game against Leicester City and then won away at Norwich City. The next home game they drew again, this time against Leicester City. This was followed with an away game in the Black Country against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea again came away with all the points. Frank Lampard still seeking his first home win in the PL was again unlucky and his side were beaten by Liverpool. The first home win in the league came when Brighton were the visitors and it was the start of a six-game on the trot win. Away at Southampton, home to Newcastle, then away at Burnley and Watford, finishing it off with a home win against Crystal Palace. They then lost the next two league games, away at Manchester City and home to West Ham. The two games of December so far was a home win against Aston Villa and in their last game a defeat at Goodison Park against Everton.
AFCB have yet to draw in any competition home or away against Chelsea. Maybe Saturday would be a good time to change that!
In our away games against Chelsea in the league, AFCB have Won 2, D 0, L 3. In all competitions, AFCB have Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 10.
Chelsea Team News
On the injury front, they have been lucky. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been out for a long time with an Achilles injury. Marco van Ginkel has been out with an ACL injury. Olivier Giroud has been out with an ankle injury. Fikayo Tomori is being rested for a few days with a minor hip problem.
Chelsea Player To Watch
Tammy Abraham went on loan last season to Aston Villa in the Championship and his goals helped get them promotion into the Premier League. Back at Chelsea, with their transfer ban he has been given his chance in the first team by Frank Lampard his new manager. Abraham has taken his chance and is the second joint scorer in the PL with 11 goals, 7 of those goals have been away from home.
AFCB Team News
We have the highest injury list at the moment in this league with 10 out injured. The latest two are Callum Wilson and Nathan Ake with thigh injuries. Also to makes things harder, David Brooks has had a second operation that will keep him out until March. According to the injury site, Josh King is 50% for a return on Saturday and Lloyd Kelly 25%.
AFCB Player To Watch
Harry Wilson, from midfield he is our leading scorer at the moment and without knowing where our goals are going to come from with King and Wilson both out, he seems our main chance. He has scored in each of our last three away games, including a brace at Spurs.
Graham Scott is the referee.
Had him last season for the 3-3 draw away to Saints. – Join the conversation, click here.
