Southampton vs Chelsea

St Mary’s Stadium is the venue as Premier League basement boys Southampton take on top-four hopefuls Chelsea in conflicting spirits. 

Rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, with just one win from the opening 13 matches (D2, L10), Southampton’s hopes of upholding their elite status on their top-flight return are in tatters. A controversial VAR call denied the Saints a late winner in a 1-1 draw at Brighton last weekend, leaving them four points below safety. Left fuming after the Amex heartbreak, manager Russell Martin returns to St Mary’s, where his men have suffered four defeats in six Premier League games this season (W1, D1), desperately seeking a win against a high-flying Chelsea side. However, Southampton can draw confidence from pulling off a league double against the Blues in their last top-flight campaign, while they’ve only lost two of their past seven league H2Hs (W3, D2).

Meanwhile, Chelsea eased past Aston Villa 3-0 at home over the weekend, stretching their winning streak in all competitions to three games while solidifying their pursuit of a first top-four finish in the Premier League since 2021/22. Two points clear of fifth-placed Manchester City, Enzo Maresca’s men head into proceedings on a five-match unbeaten league run (W3, D2). Furthermore, they’ve excelled on the road this season, racking up four wins on their six Premier League travels (D1, L1), with the only defeat coming at table-topping Liverpool. The Blues have been ruthless against teams commencing this midweek round in the bottom half of the table (W6, D1), including all four victories away from home.