Bournemouth vs. Chelsea: Team news, Live Stream, TV Info, Ticket News

Chelsea visit the Vitality Stadium this weekend, and boss Guus Hiddink has spoken of his admiration for what Eddie Howe and Bournemouth have achieved in their debut Premier League campaign.

Against all odds, the Cherries have long since secured their place in the top flight for next season, winning over many neutrals in the process. Whereas newly promoted sides are often forced to forget their principles and scrap it out for survival, Howe’s men have done it by sticking to what they know.

We’ve seen them bring their brand of passing football to the Premier League, surprising many big sides in the process. Chelsea themselves were on the receiving end when Bournemouth came away from Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 win in December.

Despite Chelsea struggling at the time, the result at the home of the reigning champions was a major upset.

“It’s not easy to come from the Championship, but to keep them in the Premier League is even more difficult,” Hiddink said on Friday.

“There’s not much to say about Bournemouth this season, which is a good sign, because it means they were always out of the danger zone, they’ve been doing well. I’ve spoken previously about clubs giving opportunities to English managers and Eddie is a great example of that.

“It’s a fairytale story for them, and still being there shows the good management and good transfer policy.”

Chelsea are looking to get back to winning ways on the south coast after back-to-back defeats in the league. A fortnight ago they were beaten 1-0 by Swansea City before Manchester City thumped them 3-0 in west London last Saturday.

Those defeats have led to suggestions that Chelsea’s players are not as committed as they should be now that their season is over as a contest. The Blues have no silverware to play for and are also out of the running for European qualification.

Hiddink says that’s not the case and that his players continue to work hard.

…

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com