Bournemouth v Chelsea: Champions elect look ripe for another three points

CHRIS Graham (@chrisgraham79) previews the late game on Saturday as Bournemouth face Chelsea.

Bournemouth v Chelsea | Saturday 17:30 | BT Sport 1

There was a gap. There was a slice of hope. And then it vanished.

Wednesday’s grinding 2-1 win for Chelsea over Manchester City was further proof that this side deserve to be English champions. They may be hard to love, but it’s equally hard not to admire them.

On Saturday, Antonio Conte’s men travel to the South Coast to meet a mid-table Bournemouth side seven points clear of the relegation zone with seven games left.

Latest Podcast: Gambla Podcast 174 - WeLoveBetting Weekend Preview

LISTEN NOW

An alarming slump in January and February pushed the Cherries towards the bottom three and caught the eye of relegation backers but that form has been rectified recently.

It was their controversial draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford last month that rebooted their confidence levels and has sent them on a five match unbeaten run.

Wins over West Ham and Swansea were encouraging. A draw with Southampton was probably less than they deserved while a point at Anfield has surely cemented their Premier League status.

Indestructible Blues

It’s Chelsea for me on Saturday though. This team look indestructible as they home in on a second Premier League title in three seasons.

Yes, they lost last week, but my god they battered Palace. They won the shot count 24-8 and won 11-3 on shots on target notches.

Faced with a big mental challenge on Wednesday night against Man City, they rose to the occasion and saw off the disappointing pre-season favourites.

It’s six wins out of seven for Chelsea with the last four of those wins coming by the odd goal. On top of that the Blues have leaked in their last eight league games. Fuelling goal trends, the Cherries have notched in five of their last six games.

I’ve made hay backing 2-3 goals in Chelsea matches this season and a 2-1 or 3-1 win appeals here on the Correct Scores. Instead I’ll back Chelsea -1 on the Asians at odds against. I can’t see the bet sinking, although the push is a runner.