Chelsea vs Southampton: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction
By Tom Gott
After two crushing defeats on the bounce, Chelsea will look to get things back on track when they host Southampton on Saturday.
Thomas Tuchel's men were overwhelmingly bested by Manchester City before forgetting to pack their creativity for a trip to Juventus, so the boss will demand a response from his players.
They'll fancy their chances of rebounding against a Southampton side who are still looking for their first win of the Premier League season, although the Saints have been far better than their record of four losses and two defeats suggests.
Here's all you need to know about this one.
How to watch Chelsea vs Southampton on TV/live stream
When is kick off? Saturday 2 October, 15:00 (BST)
Where is the match being played? Stamford Bridge
TV channel? Final Score (BBC - UK), Soccer Saturday (Sky Sports- UK), NBC (US), DAZN (Canada)
Highlights? Sky Sports YouTube Channel (UK - 5.15pm) Match of the Day (BBC - UK)
Referee? Martin Atkinson
VAR? Mike Dean
Chelsea team news
There is hope that Mason Mount will be fit enough to start after shaking off a knock. If he is, the England international could well be reinserted into the starting lineup to replace the underwhelming Hakim Ziyech.
N'Golo Kante remains out with COVID-19 and Christian Pulisic is still dealing with his ankle injury, but there is some cautious optimism that right-back Reece James may be fit enough for a spot on the bench.
There could be widespread changes for Chelsea as Tuchel has made no secret of his frustration towards some of the Blues' underperforming stars. He wants change and is prepared to go looking for it.
Southampton team news
Armando Broja is ineligible to face his parent side and will be joined on the sidelines by defender Jack Stephens, who won't be seen for a while because of a nasty knee injury.
Midfielder Will Smallbone is back in team training and could play a minor role in this one, but the jury is still out on injured wingers Stuart Armstrong and Theo Walcott.
Chelsea vs Southampton predicted lineups
Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Chilwell; Havertz, Mount, Lukaku.
Southampton (4-4-2): McCarthy; Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters; Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Djenepo; Adams, Armstrong
Chelsea vs Southampton head-to-head record
The first 17 years of Roman Abramovich's reign were filled with complete dominance over Southampton, but the last 18 months have been utterly miserable.
The Saints snatched a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day 2019 and then avoided defeat in the 2020/21 season, securing 3-3 and 1-1 draws, the last of which was one of Tuchel's first games in charge.
For Chelsea's last win, you have to go back to October 2019, when they romped to a 4-1 win courtesy of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, N'Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi.
Chelsea vs Southampton score prediction
Chelsea really need a win here, but they're up against a Southampton side with a real mean defence which hasn't had the success it deserves. They've shipped just seven goals so far this year, better than all but three sides outside the top four.
Ralph Hasenhuttl will know that he can set up deep and frustrate Chelsea, but Tuchel will hardly have slept while he searches for an answer to the team's struggles. You'd fancy him to figure out a way to get Chelsea firing again.
Don't expect a dominant victory, but Chelsea should sneak over the line here and ease some of the pressure.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-0 Southampton