Neither of these sides have had a good start to the season and will be hoping that they can find form this weekend. Chelsea have been very disappointing and there have been questions raised about Jose Mourinho’s ability to do the job long term. He has never held a job longer than three years before and that is evident once again as he is struggling to deal with the pressure that the Premier League win has brought to the club. Although their team looks good on paper, there has been something lacking at Stamford Bridge this season and as they enter October, there has to be change sooner rather than later.
The Blues struggled to a point against Newcastle and lost in the Champions League against FC Porto. They managed to win against Arsenal, but that hasn’t turned the tide, with Chelsea still looking like a shadow of their former self. Chelsea have already lost as many games as they did last season and have won just two from seven matches in the league to date. Jose Mourinho remains a very talented manager and will no doubt have faith in himself to turn this around. This weekend’s match against Southampton is crucial and if they win, Chelsea may finally become the team they were just 12 months ago.
Southampton have had a similar struggle this season, but it hasn’t been as extreme as Chelsea. They have only lost twice in 7 matches, however their struggle to win matches has been clear in the league. Their exit in the Europa League hit the team hard to begin with, but it was a blessing in disguise as they can now focus on the league. Ronald Koeman is building something special at St Mary’s and the victory over Swansea could be the perfect boost to kickstart their season. They will want to finish in the top half again and their squad should be capable of doing so.
The corresponding match from last season finished in a 1-1 draw with Diego Costa opening the scoring for the home side, before Dusan Tadic equalised from the spot. Meanwhile in the match at St Mary’s, Sadio Mane scored for the hosts, but Southampton were denied the three points by Eden Hazard who netted for Chelsea.
Team News
Thibaut Courtois remains injured for the hosts, but Asmir Begovic is a capable understudy as he has shown since joining the club. John Terry could return to the starting eleven this weekend after being dropped a few weeks ago. Diego Costa remains banned for the Blues.
Jordy Clasie is moving closer to a return and could feature this weekend. Meanwhile both Florian Gardos and Fraser Forster remain on the long term injury list. Neither are expected back until next year.
Interesting Stats
No side has won the championship from the position that Chelsea are currently in, which will be a huge concern for everybody at the club.
Sadio Mane has scored or assisted eight goals in his last five matches at St Mary’s. He will be a major threat to Chelsea on Saturday.
Fabregas
At the beginning of last season, it was the brilliance of Cesc Fabregas that allowed Chelsea to start the season off well. His creativity was key in bringing out the best in Diego Costa, and won matches for the Blues on a weekly basis. He hasn’t found his form yet this campaign, and that has been a major problem for Chelsea. Eden Hazard, Oscar and Pedro have too much pressure to perform and it is time for Fabregas to step up. At the age of 28, the Spaniard should be at the peak of his powers, yet he has only managed a single assist to date this season. He averaged an assist every other game last season and he was a key part in Chelsea’s rampant championship win, especially during the period before Christmas. Chelsea have struggled to make flowing attacks and breakthrough teams this season, which highlights the lack of form of their creative players. Newcastle have been very poor this season, but Chelsea only managed to get back into the game due to a wonderful strike from Ramires and they can’t continue to rely on that. Fabregas will be key this weekend as Southampton are strong in the middle of the park and Chelsea will need their midfielders to play well in order to take the three points.
Mane
Sadio Mane has been a revelation since joining Southampton and has added pace and skill to the club’s frontline. His link up play with Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic at times is incredible and makes Southampton very exciting to watch. He has only scored once this season, but he has made three assists, highlighting his contribution to the side. He also manages to get 2.7 shots per game, which emphasises his clever movement in the final third. He is most dangerous when he has the ball at his feet as he is excellent at beating players, while his pace makes him a menace to any back four. Chelsea have looked shaky at the back, which will make Mane key on Saturday, with his movement having the potential to create confusion in the Chelsea defence.
Betting
If you think that the home side will return to form this weekend, Sporting Bet are offering odds of 3/4 here. Meanwhile, Paddy Power are backing Southampton at 9/2. Finally if you think the game will be a draw, Unibet are offering 3/1 here.
Verdict
Both sides will be looking at this weekend as an opportunity to win and breathe impetus into their season. Chelsea need the win more than Southampton as they are drifting off the pace and will still want to retain their title. They have been very poor so far and questions about Jose Mourinho will come up if they continue their current spell of form. They still have one of the most talented sides in the league and will fancy their chances of catching up once they get their confidence back. Southampton will be a difficult test as they have pace, power and quality in their front line. The return of John Terry could be key for Chelsea to win this weekend.
Chelsea 2-1 Southampton
