Can Lightning Strike Twice in the Premier League?

Chelsea vs AFC Bournemouth

That is the Premier League question as Bournemouth arrive in West London.

They are rank outsiders but they also were in December 2015 and January this year and, on both occasions, returned home with all three points.

Eddie Howe’s men have triumphed on two of three last league visits to Stamford Bridge and would provide one of the Premier League 2018 news stories were they to cause such a shock again.

Talking Points

Can Chelsea won continue their winning streak in Premier League this season? — Maurizio Sarri determine to bring his side in victory

Chelsea have had an element of good fortune so far this season, but you can’t argue with a 100 per cent record and three wins out of three, the latest coming at Newcastle last weekend.

That followed hot on the heels of a thrilling victory at home to Arsenal when a combination of defensive frailties and attacking adventure showed why they will likely fall short of a sustained title challenge this time around but could well be exciting to watch and able to beat any opponent on their day.

Maurizio Sarri’s start has encouraged fans of the FA Cup holders, and the only fitness concern this weekend surrounds Cesc Fabregas.

If he doesn’t make it, Sarri may well call upon on-loan Mateo Kovacic ahead of the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley, alongside N’Golo Kante and Jorginho.

With a victory, Sarri would become the sixth manager to win his first four Premier League games – the others being Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti (all Chelsea), Pep Guardiola (Man City) and Craig Shakespeare (Leicester).

Amid the perfect starts of Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Watford, Bournemouth’s fine opening to the new campaign has largely gone unnoticed.

They followed up solid wins over Cardiff and West Ham with a draw against Everton last weekend that saw them overcome a 2-0 deficit.

Adam Smith, an important cog in the Cherries set-up, was sent off in that match and will be suspended for this one as a result.

However, the visitors could throw new signing Diego Rico into the action.

He has yet to play a league encounter for his new club after completing a three-match ban imposed when he was sent off for Leganes at the end of last season.

Record recruit Jefferson could also come into contention. Both featured in the midweek win over MK Dons in the League Cup.

There are some interesting points to ponder ahead of this one.

Bournemouth are looking to win three consecutive Premier League games on the road for the first time.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are aiming to win their opening four matches of the Premier League season for the sixth time, having also done so in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2014-15.

In all but one of those seasons, they finished as league champions. An omen perhaps?

And is there any chance of this stat changing anytime soon?

Did you know that in the calendar year of 2018, Chelsea are the only side – excluding own goals – to have an English goalscorer?

Bournemouth (18) are second only to Spurs (21).

History

It proved to be one of the shocks of the season and proof that all was not right with Antonio Conte and his then reigning champions.

The night of January 31 when the Cherries stunned Chelsea on their own turf with three goals in 16 second-half minutes to which the hosts had no reply.

Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake – against the side which sold him to the south coast club – were the goal-getters in what manager Howe described as their ‘best ever result in the Premier League’.

Earlier in the season, a solitary Eden Hazard goal had won the meeting at the Vitality Stadium before a dramatic Chelsea victory in the League Cup quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge in December.

Then Dan Gosling scored in the final minute to cancel out Willian’s opener before Alvaro Morata grabbed the winner in stoppage time in a 2-1 Chelsea success.