Chelsea are all set to go head to head with Southampton in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday. Both sides will be looking to progress into the final where they will face off against the winner of the Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur encounter, which is set to take place on Saturday.
The West London outfit have had a mediocre season under Antonio Conte so far and the FA Cup could prove to be their last opportunity of securing a major trophy this term. They have struggled in the Premier League and their chances of clinching a top 4 finish are out of their hands, going into the final stretch of the campaign. Hence, all of their eggs are in the FA Cup basket so it is expected that the Chelsea boss will name a strong first-team for this encounter.
The South-coast side, on the other hand, looks set to be demoted from the English top-flight unless they manage to pull off a miracle escape in the coming weeks. The FA Cup could end up being a welcome distraction for them as a win against Conte’s Chelsea side could give their players a massive boost ahead of the final few matches of the campaign.
3-4-2-1 Chelsea Predicted Lineup To Face Southampton
Defence
Thibaut Courtois is set to start in the Blues goal and might be shielded by a back three of Gary Cahill, Thomas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta. Antonio Conte has seen his Chelsea defence not keep a single clean sheet in any of their last 10 matches across all competitions this season and will be hoping that his defenders can keep it tight at the back against a struggling Southampton side.
Midfield
N’Golo Kante might continue his midfield partnership with Cesc Fabregas at the centre of the park. Marcos Alonso will resume his duties on the left while Davide Zappacosta operates on the right flank.
Eden Hazard and Willian are set to play just ahead of the midfield four to provide support to their frontman. Both players have been in a rich vein of form of late and will look to get their names on the scoresheet on Sunday.
Attack
Alvaro Morata could lead the lines for the Blues and look to cause damage in the opposition penalty box. He came under a lot of criticism when he squandered a wonderful chance versus Burnley in midweek. Conte will now have the dilemma of whether to go with the Spanish striker or opt for Olivier Giroud, who scored a brace against the Saints last weekend.
