Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola says he does not know what to expect when Chelsea visit the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Enzo Maresca’s side have had a strange start to the season, scoring plenty of goals but dropping points against a struggling Crystal Palace side.
The Cherries remain unbeaten in the Premier League in 2024-25, although they have drawn two of their three games so far.
But they will be keen to keep that run going against Chelsea, who have been leaking goals in recent weeks.
Speaking in his press conference, Maresca said: “I think there are some similarities, and they have most of the same players, but it is going to be a difficult game for us.
“Tactically, in these first three games, they have used three different structures because they have a lot of different players and alternatives.
Watch the gaffer’s #BOUCHE press conference live on YouTube NOW 👇
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) September 13, 2024
“All the things that you do, they will do other things. It is not easy to know how they will play. We have to prepare for a lot of different options.”
It is a rare 8pm kick-off on Saturday, which means both teams will have to slightly alter their preparations.
But it is no problem for Iraola, who loves playing under the lights on the South Coast.
He added: “We are going to train later today – we normally train similarly to the time we are going to play the next day. But I love these games – I think the big games are at night.
“It is probably easier for me [to get used to] because in Spain kick-offs at 8pm on a Saturday are quite normal. I like it and I remember liking it when I was a player. Hopefully we can do well also.”
