Chelsea vs Southampton
After a strong start to the season, Chelsea are suddenly struggling. The Blues have lost back-to-back games for just the second time under Thomas Tuchel following losses to Premier League rivals Manchester City and Juventus in the Champions League.
Tuchel’s team will be aiming to bounce back when they host struggling Southampton this weekend. Saints are one of a handful of teams still without a win through the first six games of the season, and the Premier League 2021 betting odds will be heavily against them at Stamford Bridge.
Talking Points
Misfiring Chelsea attack missing Mount
Chelsea are in a rare slump under Thomas Tuchel. They followed up their disappointing performance against Manchester City with another 1-0 defeat, this time to a shorthanded Juventus side in the Champions League.
Despite absolutely dominating possession – 73 per cent to 27 – Chelsea only got one of their 16 total shots on target in Turin. Over their last two games, they have only managed one shot on target, which is unacceptable for a team of their quality.
Chelsea’s attacking slump has coincided with Mason Mount’s absence from the side due to injury, which shows how crucial he is to the team. Mount is the man who links the midfield to the attack, and they have looked like a broken side without him.
It remains to be seen whether Mount will be able to return this weekend. If he does, he will join a mounting list of Chelsea absentees. Christian Pulisic and Reece James are still out injured, and N’Golo Kante will miss time after testing positive for Covid. Meanwhile, Jorginho is also carrying a knock he picked up in the City match and could potentially be given a rest.
After another dismal showing in Turin, it would not be a surprise if Tuchel makes more changes to his side against Southampton. The likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Ross Barkley all came on as substitutes against Juventus, and they could be given starts to inject some new ideas into Chelsea’s sputtering attack.
Saints still struggling to score
After finishing down in 15th last season, Southampton are struggling again to start this new campaign. They currently find themselves down in 16th, with no wins, four draws, and two defeats in their first six games.
To Saints’ credit, they have had some impressive Premier League 2021 results, holding Manchester United, West Ham, and Manchester City to draws. But they lost 1-0 last time out to a Wolves side in a match that they really should be winning at home.
Southampton’s struggles to score goals continue to hold them back. They have managed just four goals in their first six games thus far, tied for the third-fewest in the league. They significantly outshot Wolves 18-6, but they were just missing that extra bit of quality when it mattered most.
Adam Armstrong and Che Adams have yet to show they can carry the attack after Danny Ings’ departure in the summer. And unfortunately for coach Ralph Hasenhuttl, he does not have too many other options beyond those two.
But amid Saints’ early struggles, they have had one bright spot in the form of young Tino Livramento. The talented teenage right-back made the move from Chelsea in the summer, and he is showing with his fine form why he was the Blues’ Academy Player of the Year last season. Livramento will no doubt get an added boost as he faces off against his old club for the first time.
History
Unsurprisingly, Chelsea have had the upper hand over Southampton in their Premier League showdowns. The Blues have a commanding 24-9 edge in terms of wins, with 11 draws.
Although, Saints have been surprisingly competitive against Chelsea in recent years. They have lost just one of their last five meetings, with three draws and one win.
Two of those three draws came last season. After playing out an entertaining 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge, Saints again held Chelsea to a 1-1 stalemate at St. Mary’s. Mason Mount’s penalty gave Chelsea a point after Takumi Minamino had put Saints in front.
Betting Tip
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Chelsea vs Southampton | Chelsea Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 2.28 |
| October 2, 22:00 (GMT+8) |
Despite their recent struggles, SBOTOP odds still have Chelsea installed as significant 1.40 favourites at home, with Southampton priced at 7.00 and a draw at 4.70.
With or without Mount, Chelsea should beat a Southampton side that will struggle to break down the Blues’ defence. And after their recent setbacks, I expect Tuchel to be a bit more adventurous in attack to get his side back on track.
Look for Lukaku to get back in the goals and lead Chelsea to quite a comfortable home win over Saints this weekend.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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