Date: Saturday
17th October 2020
Venue: Stamford
Bridge
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
After a brief interruption for the
internationals and with another national lockdown being held off for now, it’s
back to the Premier League this afternoon.
For us, it’s a home game, playing
host to a pretty solid looking Southampton side under Ralph Hasenhuttl. The Saints won this fixture last
season, in a season where they showed they could be pretty successful away from
home. They also won their last couple of games before the break and there’s
just a point separating us going into today’s game.
Chelsea have had a bit of an up and
down start to the season, although had a convincing 4-0 win against Palace last
time out. The clean sheet was probably as satisfying as the 4 goals in that
game after last season’s defensive concerns continued to show themselves in our
previous games. These were compounded by an apparent crisis of confidence from
Kepa Arrizabalaga and Eduoard Mendy was always going to be seen as our saviour from
day one, even if it was just for negotiating the Velcro strap on his gloves.
Mendy isn’t in the squad today
though, and neither is Thiago Silva, so I’m expecting Danny Ings to be the
cause of as much stress and sweat on brows as the dodgy streams for the game
this afternoon.
MANAGER’S
VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Chelsea
manager Frank Lampard, says “Mendy won’t be fit for the match tomorrow, we
hope the injury isn’t too long. Thiago Silva after his trip and back, he’s not
unfit but he isn’t ready to play the game because of the travelling and the
game that he played, so he won’t be in the squad. Ben Chilwell is in the
squad, he’s got over some of the feeling that he had from when we took him out
of the England squad over the injury which he has had for a while now. Christian
Pulisic is in the squad and fit to play. Hakim Ziyech is in the squad, not fit
to start but fit to participate in some minutes we hope.”
Southampton
manager Ralph Hasenhuttl meanwhile, says “If they (Chelsea) are not better than
last season then that’s a lot of money for nothing, so they have to be better. They
have so much quality now with Kai Havertz and others. They are a team who are
prepared to win title and trophies so it will be more difficult than last
season, maybe. The level is high and we have to reach their level otherwise
it will be difficult to get something.”
SQUAD
NEWS
For
Chelsea, Edouard Mendy (thigh) misses out with an injury picked up in
training with Senegal, Thiago Silva will be rested after a late return from
international duty and Billy Gilmour isn’t ready to return. Ben Chilwell is fit
despite withdrawing from England duty and Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech are
both available.
For Southampton, Moussa
Djenepo and Mohammed Salisu are both ruled out and Stuart Armstrong also misses
out after a positive coronavirus test. New signing Ibrahima Diallo is available
for his debut, along with the returning Theo Walcott.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Christensen,
Chilwell; Kovacic, Kante, Mount; Havertz, Werner, Abraham
SOUTHAMPTON (Possible line-up): McCarthy;
Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Walcott, Ward-Prowse, Romeu,
Redmond; Ings, Adams
LAST
SEASON
Chelsea
0-2 Southampton (26th December 2019)
CURRENT
FORM (PL)
CHELSEA: WLDW
SOUTHAMPTON:
LLWW
OTHER
STUFF
- Chelsea lost 2-0 at
home to Southampton last season
- Southampton could
record back-to-back away league wins against the Blues for the first time since
1985.
- Chelsea have won
seven of the past nine league meetings.
- Chelsea have won
seven of their past eight league games at Stamford Bridge.
- Southampton have
collected 20 points away from home in 2020 – only Liverpool have fared better
- Chelsea could keep
a clean sheet in consecutive top-flight matches for the first time under Frank
Lampard.
- Southampton could
record three successive top-flight clean sheets
- Southampton.
PREDICTION
BBC Sport: Chelsea 2-0 Southampton
Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-1 Southampton
90min: Chelsea 2-1 Southampton
