Chelsea vs Southampton Preview: Team News & Prediction
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Chelsea have collapsed in the last couple of months and now face a real fight to get back into the UEFA Champions League spots as the Blues now face bottom-of-the-table Southampton.
Kick-off date/time: Tuesday 25th February, 2025: UK – 7:30pm / US ET – 2:30pm / US PT – 11:30am
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – TNT Sports app / US – Peacock
Chelsea Preview: Need a performance
Chelsea come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park at the weekend. The Blues took the lead in the ninth minute via Enzo Fernandez before a second-half brace by Marco Asensio turned the game on its head to continue their poor form.
Enzo Maresca’s side have now suffered three successive defeats across all competitions and have managed just three wins in 12 matches with those wins coming at home to West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and League Two strugglers Morecambe.
Southampton Preview: Regular collapses
Ivan Juric replaced Russell Martin in mid-December and Southampton have got closer to overtaking Derby County’s record lowest points tally in Premier League history of 11 points but they are simply going through the motions before their relegation is confirmed.
Saints come into this one on the back of a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion at St Mary’s last weekend due to goals from Joao Pedro, Georginio Rutter, Kaoru Mitoma and Jack Hinshelwood. They have now conceded 61 goals in 26 games.
Chelsea Team News: Chalobah out
Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Trevoh Chalobah will be out for 'ten days to one week' after he was forced off through injury at Villa Park at the weekend. It is expected that Filip Jorgensen will remain in goal ahead of Robert Sanchez as they deal with key attacking injuries such as Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; James, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Nkunku
Unavailable: Badiashile (Injured), Chalobah (Injured), Fofana (Injured), Lavia (Injured), Mudryk (Disciplinary), Madueke (Injured), Kellyman (Injured), Jackson (Injured), Guiu (Injured)
Questionable:
Southampton Team News: No Bednarek or Ugochukwu
Jan Bednarek limped off for Saints the other day and will miss this week's trip to the capital city, albeit he has avoided a serious injury. Lesley Ugochukwu is ineligible to play against his parent club but Taylor Harwood-Bellis could return for the visitors after a recent injury.
Predicted XI (3-4-3): Ramsdale; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Aribo; Walker-Peters, Downes, Fernandes, Welington; Dibling, Archer, Sulemana
Unavailable: Bednarek (Injured), Ugochukwu (Ineligible), Lallana (Injured), Fraser (Injured)
Questionable: Harwood-Bellis (Fitness), Larios (Fitness), Stewart (Fitness)
Chelsea vs Southampton Prediction
Chelsea appear far more dysfunctional and confused than they were in the first-half of the campaign when it had seemed as though Maresca had developed a cohesion that was at odds with the overall running of the club and construction of their squad. They now face a Southampton side, though, that are just the tonic for when you are going through a rough trot and a comfortable home win remains very likely at Stamford Bridge this week.
Chelsea vs Southampton Tip: Chelsea to win -1 handicap
