"Still finding their feet" - Mark Lawrenson predicts winner of Bournemouth vs Chelsea

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson has predicted Chelsea to edge out Bournemouth in their Premier League matchup at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, September 17.

Both teams are back in action in the Premier League due to the two-week international break. Mauricio Pochettino and Co. will be aiming to reverse their season trajectory so far after a rather disappointing start.

Despite shelling out more than £400 million in transfers this summer, Chelsea are currently 12th in the standing with just four points from four games. They drew Liverpool 1-1 to kick off their campaign and defeated Luton Town 3-0. But the Blues also lost twice against West Ham United 3-1 and Nottingham Forest 1-0.

They face a Bournemouth side that haven't had the best of starts either. Andoni Iraola's men are currently 16th with two points, but their performances do not reflect their league position, similar to the Blues.

Pochettino is currently winless in 13 Premier League away games, drawing three and losing 10. This streak dates back to his time at Tottenham Hotspur back in 2019. Bournemouth will be aiming to take full advantage of this tomorrow.

However, Lawrenson has predicted the Blues to secure a narrow victory. He wrote (via Paddy Power News):

"Chelsea are still finding their feet and they should have got something against Nottingham Forest. Bournemouth should have won at Brentford as well, but that’s a lot of should haves and would haves. I’m going to go for Chelsea, just."

Lawrenson's Prediction: 0-1

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Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino addresses Romeo Lavia's injury

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino addressed Romeo Lavia's ankle injury in a recent press conference, ahead of their showdown against Bournemouth. The 19-year-old suffered a serious ankle injury during the international break and is expected to be out for several weeks.

Lavia joined Stamford Bridge on August 18 in a £53 million move from Southampton. However, he has yet to make his debut for the club due to fitness issues.

In the press conference, Pochettino said (via football.london):

"We are really disappointed because he was training really well last week in the international break. He twisted his ankle and now we are waiting for the results on Monday from the doctor. We hope it's not a big issue but in the last week he has not been training with the team."

"It's a sad situation because he was nearly fit to be involved again with the team. Yes, now we need to wait and hopefully it's not a big issue for him and the team of course."

When asked if he would be out for six weeks, Pochettino replied:

"We don't know because we need to assess him. He twisted his ankle and now we need to assess him. We do not know the time for him to recover."

Lavia excelled for Southampton as a central defensive midfielder for Southampton, making 34 appearances in total, following his move from Manchester City.