Kick-off: 1500, 18/02/2023
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Two teams in desperate need of a victory meet in the capital this weekend when Chelsea host Southampton.
The Blues head into the clash in 10th place, 10 points off the Champions League places, while the managerless Saints are rooted to the foot of the table.
Graham Potter’s side go into this one heavily fancied to pile more misery on a team with five losses from their last six games in all competitions.
Potter represented them briefly as a player back in the 1990s but there will be no room for sentiment and our first Chelsea vs Southampton prediction is a home win with both teams scoring at 5/2.
Chelsea Odds
Blues fans looking on the bright side will tell you they have lost just one of their last five – in midweek at Borussia Dortmund – but it is also true that during that run they have won only once and scored just two goals.
Going further back, they have won just two of their last 13 and while Potter saw “a step forward” in Germany on Wednesday night, the stats do not lie and he needs a response sooner rather than later.
He said: “We have to do better. We were pushing at the time (of the Dortmund goal) and were the better team so to concede in that manner is what we’re disappointed in, but the players are honest.
“They know they can do better with that. We have to help them, of course, but again we’ll probably focus on the positive which was the performance was another step forward for us.”
Their two most recent wins have both been at Stamford Bridge – against Crystal Palace (1-0) and Bournemouth (2-0) – and Saints do not look capable of preventing another one.
A 2-1 correct score looks a good bet at 15/2 in the Chelsea vs Southampton odds.
Last Chelsea line-up: Arrizabalaga, James, Silva, Koulibaly, Chilwell, Loftus-Cheek, Fernandez, Ziyech, Felix, Mudryk, Havertz.
Southampton Odds
Failing to land former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch was the latest blow for Southampton and they will have interim manager Ruben Selles in charge at the Bridge.
There has been talk that Selles could keep hold of the reins until the end of the season but no firm decision will be made until after the Chelsea game.
Whoever does become the next man in charge will be starting next season in the Championship unless things change quickly at St Mary’s.
They are ‘only’ four points from safety and after taking on the Blues they travel to Leeds and Manchester United either side of a home clash with Leicester and also welcome Brentford and Tottenham.
There are battles ahead, starting on Saturday, but the final pick for our Chelsea vs Southampton betting tips is a half-time draw and full-time home win at 14/5.
Last Southampton line-up: Bazunu, Bree, Maitland-Niles, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud, Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Alcaraz, Sulemana, Onuachu.
Additional stats
Player statistic
| Kalidou Koulibaly |  |
4' | ||
| 16' | |
Armel Bella-Kotchap | ||
| 45+1' |  |
James Ward-Prowse | ||
| 45+4' | |
Stuart Armstrong | ||
| 75' | |
Sékou Mara | ||
| Kepa Arrizabalaga | |
87' | ||
| 87' | |
Roméo Lavia | ||
| Mateo Kovacic | |
90+7' | ||
| 90+7' | |
James Ward-Prowse | ||
| 90+8' | |
Romain Perraud |
Match statistic
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