Kick-off: 1500, 02/10/2021
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Thomas Tuchel will be looking for a response to two straight defeats when Chelsea entertain Southampton in the Premier League.
The Blues will be determined to bounce back from losses to Manchester City and Juventus, but should find this weekend’s company more conducive.
Saints are yet to concede a first-half goal this season, though, so patience may be required.
We reckon 3/1 for Draw HT/Chelsea FT appeals for our first Chelsea vs Southampton prediction.
A Look At Chelsea’s Betting Odds
Chelsea were caught napping at the beginning of the second half in Turin, with Federico Chiesa’s sucker-punch strike coming just 11 seconds after the interval.
Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz missed chances to level as the Blues slipped to a second straight 1-0 loss.
“We were so good yesterday in training, and not good enough, not free enough today,” Tuchel told BT Sport.
“I felt us slow, tired, mentally slow for decision making. It’s a strange one to analyse.
“We struggled to create our own rhythm, because they were so deep and so passive. We struggled to find our own intensity, to find the spaces.”
Southampton are also likely to sit back and try to soak up pressure, so Tuchel will be working on that in training.
The Premier League goal-timing stats at least suggest Chelsea should not be caught out at the start of the second half again here.
They are 4-1 up on scores between half-time and 60:00 minutes, whereas Saints are 0-3 in the same period.
Looking at the Chelsea vs Southampton odds, it is 9/4 for the Blues to outscore their opponents during that 15-minute timeframe.
Last Chelsea line-up: Mendy, Rudiger, Alonso, Christensen, Silva, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic, Ziyech, Havertz, Lukaku.
Reece James is ruled out due to continued ankle trouble despite having been called up to the England squad this week.
Mason Mount is fit after a minor knock, but N’Golo Kante (self-isolation) and Christian Pulisic (ankle) are also missing this weekend.
A Look At Southampton’s Betting Odds
Southampton do have a good recent record at Stamford Bridge, picking up a win and two draws from their last three visits.
Saints can also take heart from having held both Manchester clubs to stalemates this season.
However, they were poor in a scrappy 1-0 loss to Wolves on home turf last time out and faced jeers from sections of their own disgruntled support at full-time.
“We are all disappointed, because at the moment we are a little bit struggling to find the way to the back of the net,” said Ralph Hasenhuttl.
“We didn’t get a lot of big chances against a team that is defending deep. We had a good moment in the second half, but you need a goal in that moment.
“It’s not new that strikers coming to us need a bit of time to adapt to the Premier League.
“But it’s not only strikers, we also have 10s coming in good situations to score. We have to do something more.”
Let’s add 6/1 for a 2-0 home win to our Chelsea vs Southampton betting tips, along with 4/1 for Timo Werner to break the deadlock.
The Germany forward bagged a brace in this fixture last term and should be raring to go after being an unused substitute in midweek.
Last Saints line-up: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Livramento, Salisu, Bednarek, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Elyounoussi, Armstrong, Adams.
Midfielder Stuart Armstrong is closing in on a return to fitness after a calf injury and could even be in contention at Stamford Bridge.
The visitors will be without Armando Broja, who is ineligible under the terms of his loan deal from Chelsea, while Jack Stephens (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Additional stats
Last result:
Juventus 1-0 CHELSEA
SOUTHAMPTON 0-1 Wolves
Head-to-head: Southampton 1-1 Chelsea, Chelsea 3-3 Southampton, Chelsea 0-2 Southampton, Southampton 1-4 Chelsea
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