Chelsea vs Bournemouth: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview

The Blues will be aiming to continue their positive start to the season by putting on a match-winning performance in front of home support

Chelsea welcome Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge on Saturday as they attempt to extend their unbeaten start to the 2018-19 Premier League season.

New boss Maurizio Sarri has put maximum points on the board from the opening three league games, with victories over Huddersfield Town, Arsenal and Newcastle United getting his reign off to a perfect start.

The Italian has set a high bar at west London since his arrival from Napoli in the summer and he will be demanding no let-up ahead of the international break.

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However, they face a tough opponent in the form of Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth, who are also unbeaten after three matches, having beaten Cardiff City and West Ham, as well as drawing with Everton.

In the United States (US) the game will be be shown live on television via a number of channels, including NBCSN, UNIVERSO and Telemundo Deportes. It can also be watched live online by streaming on the NBC Sports app service.

In the UK, due to the ‘3pm blackout’ the game is not available to watch live on television, nor can it be streamed live online, but you can follow live updates with Goal, here.

Cesc Fabregas is still recovering from a knee injury and is unlikely to play any part in the game as he continues his rehabilitation.

Sarri has no suspensions to contend with and the remainder of his squad are available to play.

Potential Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Pedro, Hazard; Morata.

Junior Stanislas is Bournemouth’s only injury concern as he continues his recovery from a knee issue, while Adam Smith will miss the game through suspension after being sent off last week against Everton.

Potential Bournemouth XI: Begovic; Daniels, S. Cooke, Ake, Francis; Gosling, Surman, Brooks, Fraser; Wilson, King.

Home side Chelsea are heavy favourites to win the game, with bet365 pricing them at 3/10. If you fancy backing Bournemouth to upset their hosts, you can get odds of 10/1. A draw, meanwhile, is available at 5/1.

Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

The Sarri evolution at Chelsea continued last weekend as the Blues fought hard to secure three points against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, though a late own-goal from DeAndre Yedlin aided their cause in a 2-1 victory.

While the scoreline against Rafa Benitez’s Magpies was close, the statistics told a fuller story of the match, with Chelsea dominating possession and even setting a new club record for number of passes in a game, a sure signal that ‘Sarri-ball’ has truly arrived in west London. 

The 100 per cent start to the campaign sees Chelsea occupy a position as joint leaders of the division – along with Liverpool, Tottenham and, perhaps less obviously, Watford – but the Italian coach has been quick to dismiss the hype that is building around his side.

“Nothing,” Sarri told reporters when asked what he thought about his team’s position in the Premier League. “Because it’s about 38 matches. It’s important to start very well but now the table is not important.”

However, the truth is that the Blues players appear to be growing in stature with each game as they become more familiar with the tactical philosophy of the former Napoli boss.

Indeed, as they prepare to head off on international duty next week, the likes of Eden Hazard, Jorginho and Co. will no doubt be eager to continue their winning habit and put on a show against Bournemouth.