Chelsea welcome Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening in a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash.
The Blues reached this stage after first defeating Liverpool at the third round stage, before narrowly edging past Derby County 3-2 in the round of 16 at the end of October.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth have had to navigate three fixtures after joining the competition at the second round stage, dispatching MK Dons, Blackburn Rovers and then Norwich City to qualify for their second consecutive League Cup quarter-final.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday's tie.
| When Is Kick Off? | Wednesday 19 December |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 19:45 (BST) |
| Where Is It Played? | Stamford Bridge |
| TV Channel/Live Stream (Outside of UK)? | ESPN + |
| Referee? | Jonathon Moss |
Team News
Maurizio Sarri hasn't been afraid to rotate his side in cup matches so far this season and, given the fact that Chelsea have a busy Christmas period ahead of them, he is likely to rest some of his big stars.
Predicted Lineups
| Chelsea | Caballero; Zappacosta, Christensen, Ampadu, Emerson; Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley; Pedro, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud. |
| Bournemouth | Boruc; Francis, Cook, Ake, Rico; Ibe, Surman, Lerma, Pugh; Mousset, Defoe. |
Head to Head Record
These two sides have only had the pleasure of facing one another 13 times before. Chelsea have the upper hand when it comes to head to head results, having won ten times, whilst Bournemouth have won on three occasions.
Interestingly, Wednesday's encounter is an exact rematch from 2017/18. Chelsea defeated Bournemouth 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the League Cup last season thanks to a late winner from Alvaro Morata.
Recent Form
Chelsea's recent form has been mixed to say the least, with the excellent 2-0 win over Manchester City contrasting a disappointing away defeat to Wolves and a draw against Europa League minnows MOL Vidi FC.
After a promising start to the season, Bournemouth are currently going through a very sticky spell. The Cherries have won just one of their previous five matches, which was a narrow 2-1 victory over lowly Huddersfield.
Here's a look at how both sides have fared in their past five matches:
| Chelsea | Bournemouth |
| Brighton 1-2 Chelsea (16/12) | Wolves 2-0 Bournemouth (15/12) |
| Vidi 2-2 Chelsea (13/12) | Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool (08/12) |
| Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City (08/12) | Bournemouth 2-1 Huddersfield (04/12) |
| Wolves 2-1 Chelsea (05/12) | Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth (01/12) |
| Chelsea 2-0 Fulham (02/12) | Bournemouth 1-2 Arsenal (25/11) |
Predictions
Cup ties are notorious for throwing up surprise results but, given how much Bournemouth have been struggling recently, Chelsea should have the upper hand on Wednesday.
Chelsea's squad depth is much more substantial compared to Bournemouth's and plenty of their fringe players will be using the match as a chance to showcase their abilities in order to gain more first team minutes going forward.
It will end up being a closely run affair, but the Blues' quality should shine through.
Predicted Score: Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
Source: 90min
