Can Saints make it three Premier League wins in a row as they travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday? Get the lowdown with our Match Pack, in association with eToro...
THE MATCH
Chelsea vs Southampton
Stamford Bridge
Premier League
Saturday 17 October, 3pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Robert Jones
Assistants: Darren Cann, Mark Scholes
Fourth official: Martin Atkinson
VAR: Mike Dean
Assistant VAR: Peter Kirkup
WHICH KIT WILL SAINTS BE WEARING?
Saints will be wearing their white with red trim third kit for the trip to London.
HOW TO WATCH
Saints fans will need to purchase the game from the BT Sport Box Office at a cost of £14.95. You do not need to have a BT Sport subscription to avail of this service.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
After going into the International break with two wins on the bounce, Ralph Hasenhüttl will be hoping that his side can continue their run of form.
They’ll also be reminding themselves of Boxing Day last year, when goals from Michael Obafemi and Nathan Redmond gave them a priceless three points as Saints turned their season around.
Chelsea currently sit in seventh, just one point ahead of Saints, with two wins, a draw and a defeat to their name.
Their last league outing saw them put four past Crystal Palace without reply and put three past West Brom in the game before that, although that ended as a draw.
After a big transfer window, they’re still waiting for German summer signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz to click. However, the pair did assist each other as both scored in Germany’s 3-3 draw with Switzerland on Tuesday night.
TEAM NEWS
For Saints, Stuart Armstrong and Moussa Djenepo will both miss the trip to Stamford Bridge with the Scottish International testing positive for COVID-19 before the International break.
Djenepo scored in his last appearance but did so whilst carrying a hamstring injury which now means he will miss out on Saturday.
These injuries mean there might be a first appearance for Theo Walcott since joining on loan from Everton.
For Chelsea, they’ll be without goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, who picked up an injury on international duty, and defender Thiago Silva due to the distance travelled with Brazil.
However, the hosts are buoyed by the availability of Ben Chilwell, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech.
THE MANAGERS
Ralph Hasenhüttl: "If they weren’t a better team now they would have spent money for nothing. They definitely have to be a better team than last season and they are.
"We have had two games at Stamford Bridge since I arrived and both have been very good from our side. The level was high and we have to reach those levels as it will be difficult to get something."
Frank Lampard: "We can't treat any team with ease or feel you'll have a comfortable game. We had that at West Brom, other teams have found out in their ways.
"Any team that wants to compete needs more than one player per position. It needs to be competitive. We've brought in players and quality levels, so of course you want to improve."
ONES TO WATCH
Danny Ings: After scoring his first goal for England during the International break, Saints' number nine hasn’t taken a break from his run of form that dates back into last season.
The striker already has three goals to his name in 2020/21, and will once again be seen as the main man if Saints are to make it three wins on the bounce.
Timo Werner: After his big money move, it’s been a slow start for the German international, but he regained some form for his country in the recent International break.
The forward previously scored 78 goals in 127 appearances for RB Leipzig, and was brought to the club by then manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, and it will only be a matter of time before that form lands in the Premier League.
Chelsea:
Goals:
Jorginho, Kai Havertz 3
Tammy Abraham, Kurt Zouma 2
Chilwell, James, Mount, Giroud, Barkley, Hudson-Odoi, Werner 1
Assists:
Tammy Abraham, Ben Chilwell 2
Jorginho, Havertz, James, Mount, Azpilicueta 1
Southampton:
Goals:
Danny Ings 3
Oriol Romeu, Moussa Djenepo 1
Assists:
Kyle Walker-Peters, Ché Adams, Stuart Armstrong 1
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
December 2019: Chelsea 0-2 Saints (Obafemi, Redmond)
October 2019: Saints 1-4 Chelsea (Ings)
January 2019: Chelsea 0-0 Saints
October 2018: Saints 0-3 Chelsea
April 2018: Chelsea 2-0 Saints (FA Cup)
DID YOU KNOW?
- Southampton are looking to win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since a run of four in May 2016, while Saints last won three in a row without conceding in the competition in January 2016.
- Chelsea have made a league-high 81 10+ open play pass sequences in the Premier League this season – however, Southampton have allowed their opponents to make just 11 such sequences this term, fewer than any other side.
KEEP UP TO DATE
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Check out our interactive match centre at southamptonfc.com, with all of the live in-game updates and free audio commentary of the match, and be sure to follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
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