2022-23 Premier League: Week Five – Southampton vs Chelsea

Southampton welcome Chelsea to St Mary’s Stadium in midweek Premier League action. 

Victory could see Southampton leapfrog Chelsea into the top six depending on results elsewhere, whilst Thomas Tuchel’s Blues could go fifth with a win if Leeds lose elsewhere.

 

Team News

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Southampton have no fresh injury concerns to report following Saturday’s defeat against Manchester United, as Alex McCarthy, Jan Bednarek, Oriol Romeu, Ibrahima Diallo and Yan Valery looking for starts, after they were named as unused substitutes at the weekend.

Valentino Livramento remains absent with a knee injury.

Chelsea will be without Conor Gallagher after he was sent off in Saturday’s win at home to Leicester.

Kalidou Koulibaly is set to return from his one-match suspension but N’Golo Kante (hamstring) and Marcos Alonso (personal) remain absent.

 

Stat Attack

• Southampton have won one of their last five league meetings against Chelsea (W1, D2, L2).
• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last nine trips to Southampton (W7, D2).
• Ex Chelsea striker, Timo Werner scored three goals across both league meetings against Southampton last season.
• Southampton are one point better off after their opening four games this season (4) than they were at this stage last season (3).
• Three of Chelsea’s five goals so far this season have been scored by English players – Raheem Sterling (2) and Reece James (1).

 

Prediction

Although Saturday’s defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, Southampton now need to pick themselves up quickly and rediscover their cutting edge because this will be another tricky encounter, although they can take heart from their defensive effort against Man Utd and apply that here.

Chelsea and more specifically – Raheem Sterling – meanwhile were simply clinical against a wasteful Leicester, even despite being reduced to ten players so  expect another attacking display here, yet their defence still needs tightening after often caught high up the pitch again.

St Mary’s though has been a stadium which the visitors have relished in recent years but if Southampton can deliver another stubborn display, albeit with better finishing touch then I fancy them to take the fight to Chelsea and potentially snatch a point.

Prediction: Southampton 1-1 Chelsea

Result: Southampton 2-1 Chelsea