Chelsea will look to bounce back to winning ways when they welcome Southampton to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The second half of the 2022/23 season is well underway, and Gameweek 24 begins in the Premier League on Saturday with the clash between Aston Villa and Aston Villa at Villa Park. The action on the day will continue at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea and Southampton will face off.
Chelsea might have to write off the 2022/23 season the way things are progressing. Todd Boehly has splashed the cash in the transfer market, but the results have not been forthcoming. And the Blues have won just one of their last nine games across all competitions. Their most recent outing saw the west Londoners lose 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund.
On the other hand, Southampton might be doomed to drop to the EFL Championship at the end of the season. The Saints have shown no semblance of stability, with two managers already facing the axe. That spells disaster for the visitors, even though they are just four points away from safety. But a run of nine defeats in ten Premier League games has left them rooted to the bottom before Ruben Selles takes charge.
Chelsea and Southampton have already faced each other twice this season. And while the Saints won the reverse fixture 2-1, Chelsea needed penalties to progress from the clash in the Round of 16 of the Carabao Cup. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Watch Graham Potter preview Southampton LIVE! https://t.co/EgJHW0GUoz
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 17, 2023
Graham Potter has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest outing. Against Southampton on Saturday, the Chelsea manager might be bereft of the services of six first-team players.
Ben Chilwell is the latest absentee, with the Englishman sustaining an ankle injury against Borussia Dortmund. Chilwell will require a late fitness test to determine their availability. But Edouard Mendy (finger), N’Golo Kante (hamstring), Raheem Sterling (knock), Christian Pulisic (knee), and Armando Broja (knee) remain on the sidelines.
There is no looking past Kepa Arrizabala between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. Chilwell’s potential absence means Marc Cucurella picks himself on the left flank. Cesar Azpilicueta should start as the right-back, allowing Reece James some rest. Meanwhile, Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile should pair up in the central defensive unit.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has regained his spot in the midfield unit lately and should start alongside Enzo Fernandez in the double pivot. The duo will aim to assert Chelsea’s dominance in the game while pushing the hosts forward at a quick tempo.
Joao Felix has seemingly usurped Mason Mount in the no. 10 slot and should start behind the striker again. Kai Havertz should be the said centre-forward, leading the line for Chelsea against Southampton. Finally, Noni Madueke and Mykhaylo Mudryk will likely be the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kepa; James, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella; Loftus-Cheek, Enzo Fernandez; Madueke, Felix, Mudryk; Havertz
Southampton
Unlike his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Ruben Selles has greeted a positive update ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Southampton caretaker boss will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
Selles has been sweating over the fitness of Kyle Walker-Peters. But the English full-back should have recovered sufficiently from a thigh injury to start against Chelsea. But Alex McCarthy (ankle), Juan Larios (muscle injury), and Valentino Livramento (knee) remain on the sidelines.
In addition, Che Adams is a major doubt for Southampton ahead of the game against Chelsea. So Paul Onuachu will likely retain his spot in the starting eleven, with Kamaldeen Sulemana being his strike partner.
📺 LIVE from Staplewood
Rubén Sélles looks ahead to #SaintsFC’s #PL clash with #CFC: https://t.co/i7VItvBZXt
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) February 17, 2023
Walker-Peters should be fit enough to start as the right wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation. And Romain Perraud picks himself on the left flank. The output of the midfield unit will be crucial on Saturday for Southampton.
Romeo Lavia, James Ward-Prowse, and Carlos Alcaraz will likely start in the middle of the park. The trio will mainly look to keep things tight in the centre of the pitch. But Lavia and Alcaraz will also push Southampton forward during transitions. The duo will be the visitors’ best bet to get something from the game.
As for the defensive unit, Duje Caleta-Car, Armel Bella-Kotchap, and Mohammed Salisu should form the centre-back partnership. Finally, Gavin Bazunu will take his spot between the sticks for Southampton against Chelsea.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Bazunu; Caleta-Car, Bella-Kotchap, Salisu; Walker-Peters, Lavia, Ward-Prowse, Alcaraz, Perraud; Sulemana, Onuachu
Key Stats
- Chelsea lost the reverse fixture 2-1 against Southampton in August. They have not faced defeat in consecutive league matches against Saints since December 1993.
- Chelsea have drawn their last three Premier League matches, previously having a longer run of consecutive draws in their final five outings in the 2006/07 campaign.
- Southampton have kept just one clean sheet in their most recent 28 Premier League matches, a 1-0 away win at Bournemouth in October. Their last clean sheet against a side that was not newly promoted to the division that season was in April 2022 at home to Arsenal, a 1-0 win.
- Chelsea’s seven Premier League games in 2023 have seen just nine goals scored (four for, five against), with only games involving Newcastle (5) and Fulham (8) seeing fewer. They have not scored more than once in any of their last seven league games, last going longer without scoring at least twice during a nine-game run in November and December 2010.
- Mason Mount has been involved in five goals in his five Premier League starts against Southampton (four goals, one assist) – only against Norwich (7) has he been involved in more.
Player to Watch
Joao Felix
Joao Felix has endured an eventful start to his Chelsea stint. He saw red in his debut game before returning with a bang by scoring against West Ham United last weekend. And after looking good in his outings thus far for the Blues, the Portuguese international will be eager to make his mark.
The 23-year-old has compelled Chelsea to be willing to pay the big bucks to sign him permanently in the summer. And he has three more months to convince Graham Potter and Todd Boehly that he can be Chelsea’s long-term offensive solution. First, Felix needs to inspire the west London club back to winning ways amid the horrid recent run.
Prediction
Chelsea 2-0 Southampton
Games involving Chelsea have barely seen any goals since the 2022/23 season resumed a couple of months ago. But hosting Southampton at Stamford Bridge might give the Blues the opportunity to end their horrid run. However, the visiting players might have a point to prove under caretaker boss Ruben Selles.
So the dreaded “new-manager bounce” might come into effect for the umpteenth time this weekend. However, Chelsea should be too strong for Southampton, despite the recent goalscoring woes. And The Hard Tackle predicts Joao Felix to inspire the hosts to a 2-0 win on Saturday.
