England Premier League
Saturday 9th April 2022
Kick off at 3pm BST
Venue: St Mary's Stadium
Match Preview:
Southampton are in 12th with 36 points and are so relaxed that they can come into this game and try to enjoy themselves. The manager Ralph Hasenhuttl may not feel the same because the Saints form is poor with just 1 point earned from their last 12 available but at the end of the day the job has been done at the club who have survived this season with almost two months left to spare.
With this being a game that Chelsea need to win it puts all of the pressure on the Blues, although let’s not kid ourselves that Saints home fans will not be frustrated with their side and they will want to see a performance. Southampton’s last game finished in a 1-1 draw at Leeds and at home while they have only lost 3 games so far two of those have been their last two games here losing against Newcastle and Watford.
Thomas Tuchel may well have saved up a decades worth of angry faces after Chelsea’s defeat against Real Madrid, one has to wonder if we have ever seen Tuchel normally quite relaxed so out of character. But that’s what happens when your side has conceded 7 goals in their last 2 games. First it was the shock 4-1 home defeat against Brentford and then a 3-1 loss in the 1st leg of their Champions League quarter final against Real Madrid also at home. The European champions look like they will be exiting the competition.
Now it is back to domestic competition and there is a genuine worry around the club that even a Champions League qualification for next season is not a certainty. Third place always looked assured but Tottenham and Arsenal are creeping up and defeat here would set the cat amongst the pigeons.
Team News:
Southampton: Aramando Broja is ineligible to face his parent club. Shane Long has a chance to return after his ankle injury and will be assessed. Lyanco is back in contention but has a lack of match fitness, Alex McCarthy is a major doubt with fitness issues.
Chelsea: Christian Pulisic is in line to return after suffering fatigue. Callum Hudson-Odoi is out long term with his Achilles and back injury and Ben Chilwell is out for the season with his knee injury.
Southampton vs Chelsea Head to Head:
In the last 4 meetings both teams have scored.
Last season this fixture ended 1-1.
Southampton have beaten Chelsea once in the last 14 meetings.
Southampton vs Chelsea Prediction:
The talk coming into this game is that there is a mini crisis at Chelsea and that the club in the final hurdle are going to implode. The truth is that maybe nobody has to press the panic button because the reality of the situation is that Chelsea have won 4 of their last 5 games and are the 3rd best team in terms of recent form. Credit to Brentford for scoring 4 goals against Chelsea but it is very possible that the result was just a blip. The defeat against Real Madrid suggests that Real are a very strong side, these type of losses can happen and Chelsea should be able to get themselves back on track.
If points are dropped at the weekend it might actually come down to the fact that the players are thinking ahead to the 2nd leg but what gives us confidence in backing Chelsea to win this game was Tuchel’s reaction, and surely the players are going to react to that. The bottom line is that Chelsea’s season is still alive the same cannot be said of Southampton.
As for goalscorers Kai Havertz has been in superb form in the last few weeks and he has a decent record of scoring against the Saints and is good value to do so again.
Southampton vs Chelsea Betting Tips:
Chelsea to beat Southampton at 1.91
Anytime goalscorer: Kai Havertz at 2.75
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