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Chelsea vs Southampton match preview
Chelsea may feel the fixture list has fallen kindly for them when the Blues aim to end a run of four defeats in five matches in all competitions with a third successive home win when rock-bottom Southampton visit Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
A poor season has become progressively more wretched for Saints since their 2-1 win at Ipswich Town on February 1, losing three in a row at home against second-tier Burnley, Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion by an aggregate scoreline of 8-1.
“I have the feeling that by winning one, we can have a good run again and build good momentum again,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said.
“That’s what the players need at this moment. In the last seven or eight games, the huge difference for me has been inside both boxes.”
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Southampton are 13 points from safety after taking four points from 10 league games since Ivan Juric replaced Russell Martin on December 21, and the Croatian says he has spoken “a lot” with new technical director Johannes Spors.
“If there are 80 games that didn’t go well with [five coaches], there’s really a structural problem,” suggested the former Roma boss.
“You have to understand what is missing because you play one style, a second style and a third style and it’s not good… we need to understand how to become again a respectable Premier League team.
“I want to press. I want to steal the ball high, play forward and try to be aggressive. That has to be our style and we have to find a way to play this way.”
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Chelsea vs Southampton team news
Defender Trevor Chalobah will not feature for Chelsea after being forced off during their 2-1 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Injuries to forwards Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu saw Maresca move Pedro Neto into attack at Villa Park, and the winger set up Enzo Fernandez’s opener.
“It could be a good option for us,” reflected Maresca. “We tried [that position] with Pedro days before the game and we saw he could do that. It was positive.
“The performance in general was positive. Enzo was fantastic. Reece [James, who played a rare 90 minutes] struggled in some moments, but it’s normal.”
Juric says Jan Bednarek will miss out with a knock he sustained against Brighton, but fellow defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis could return and midfielder Flynn Downes will play.
On-loan Lesley Ugochukwu is ineligible to face his parent club and fellow midfielders Adam Lallana and Ryan Fraser are injured.
January signing Welington has started on the left but been substituted at half-time in both of Southampton’s last two matches.
“He has to acclimatise,” Juric said of the Brazilian. “He has to be ready for this kind of football. It’s much faster than in Brazil and there [are moments] when the other players are faster [than him].”
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Chelsea vs Southampton lineups
Chelsea starting XI: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Dewsbury-Hall, Palmer, Fernandez, George, Neto
Southampton starting XI: Ramsdale, Bree, Bella-Kotchap, Aribo, Walker-Peters, Smallone, Fernandes, Downes, Dibling, Archer, Sulemana
How to watch Chelsea vs Southampton: TV channel, live online stream
Kick-off is at 20:15 UK time, with live coverage on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate commencing at 18:30.
Streaming is available via the Discovery+ app.
Chelsea vs Southampton stats
- In 13 of the last 15 Chelsea home matches the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In the last 7 Chelsea matches the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In the last 6 Chelsea home matches in the Premier League, the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In the last 5 Chelsea matches in the Premier League, the sum of goals was over 2.5
- Chelsea have won 6 of the last 8 home matches and the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In the last 6 Southampton matches in the Premier League, the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In 7 of the last 8 Southampton matches the sum of goals was over 2.5
- Southampton have lost 5 of the last 6 matches in the Premier League and the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In the last 4 Southampton away matches the sum of goals was over 2.5
- In the last 4 Southampton away matches in the Premier League, the sum of goals was over 2.5
Chelsea vs Southampton prediction
Chelsea vs Southampton predictionChelsea’s uncertain form since late December has still seen them go unbeaten at home in 2025 and they are unlikely to drop points against opponents already planning for next season.
Southampton might have been expected to benefit from a lack of pressure in recent games, but they fell 2-0 behind inside 17 minutes against Bournemouth and could have lost more heavily against Brighton, absorbing 18 shots and 12 on target.
An inspired display by Aaron Ramsdale helped keep the score down, and the visiting goalkeeper is likely to be busy again as Chelsea bid to go fourth.
Maresca’s players also have the incentive of ensuring the clubs below them do not make up more ground in the race for European qualification.
Eighth-placed Aston Villa could leapfrog them if they fail to win, while Brighton and Fulham could also move within overtaking range.
Stats experts Opta justifiably give Chelsea more than a 75% chance of winning, and they can be expected to triumph 2-0 in a fixture they won 5-1 on December 4.
