Chelsea will be looking to end their inconsistent run in the Premier League when they take on bottom-most Southampton on Tuesday.
The Blues had seemingly recovered from their fluctuating run of results when they beat West Ham United in a thrilling come-back win but only to lose to Aston Villa 2-1 over the weekend.
Enzo Maresca’s men failed to capitalise on Enzo Fernandez’s early strike as Marco Asensio’s late double sank them. With the defeat, they also spurned the opportunity to move to the top four and instead slipped to seventh place.
Trailing by just one point off the final Champions League spot, the Blues have a great chance to climb up the table against the struggling Southampton, who are languishing at the bottom of the table.
Chelsea’s struggles have been laid bare by their horrendous run of just three wins in their last league games, which is in stark contrast to their stellar first half of the season.
Maresca has come under increased scrutiny due to Chelsea’s failure to mount a title challenge, and he will be eager to turn things around in the final stretch of the season.
Meanwhile, Southampton have hit rock bottom this season, and their chances of escaping the relegation also look slim. They face another uphill task against Chelsea on Tuesday night.
Team News
Chelsea’s injury woes compounded when defender Trevoh Chalobah limped off with an injury concern against Aston Villa over the weekend. Although Maresca has placated the fears of a serious injury, Chalobah is likely to miss Tuesday’s clash due to a little time to recover.
Meanwhile, Omari Kellyman, Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia and Marc Guiu are sidelined with injuries.
Predicted Chelsea line-up vs Aston Villa
Goalkeeper
Fiilip Jorgensen had a tough outing against Aston Villa but will be looking to make up with a great performance against the Saints.
Defence
Tosin Adarabioyo, who replaced Chalobah in the defeat against Villa, will retain his place, with Lewi Colwill being the centre-back pairing. Malo Gusto is likely to continue as the right-back despite showing defensive vulnerabilities against the Villans, while the consistent Marc Cucurella will patrol the left flank.
Midfield
Moises Caicedo will continue to be the enforcer in the midfield, with Kevin Dewsbury Hall in line to get an opportunity to be his partner. Enzo Fernandez excelled as a No.10 over the weekend, and Maresca is unlikely to alter the Argentine’s position.
Attack
Jadon Sancho should get the nod ahead of Christopher Nkunku on the left flank, with Cole Palmer on the opposite flank. Like the game against Aston Villa, Pedro Neto will be deployed as the focal point of the attack.
