Premier League giants Chelsea will be looking to get back-to-back wins for the first time in the league this season when they welcome Southampton to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The home side are coming into this fixture on the back of what was undoubtedly their best performance of the season so far, as they thrashed an in-form Crystal Palace team by a 4-0 scoreline. Although that was two weeks ago, Lampard will be eager to keep the run of form going, as they haven’t been able to find the necessary rhythm so far this season.
Chelsea currently find themselves in a decent enough position on the league table, especially considering that the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool have also started to drop points. With more players expected to come into the side, things are looking on the up at Stamford Bridge. Southampton have won both of their last two league outings, and will be hoping that Chelsea fall back to their old ways when the Saints visit West London. With competition looking quite intense this season, it’ll be interesting to see how the Blues fare against the relatively smaller teams in the division.
Team News
Chelsea were given a number of injury scares over the course of the international break, but have recently been handed some positive news on the same matter. Ben Chilwell, who returned to Chelsea from England duty prematurely, is expected to be fit enough to start. Edouard Mendy however, isn’t going to be available. In attack though, both Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech are likely to be available for selection, thereby giving Lampard more options to choose from in the offensive roles.
Here Is The Predicted 4-2-3-1 Chelsea Lineup Vs Southampton
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Chelsea Lineup Vs Southampton
Defence
The Blues’ back-line looked like a fairly solid unit in the win against Southampton, and Senegalese keeper Edouard Mendy deserves a lot of credit for the work that he did. With the former Rennes man now injured though, Lampard could have to bring Kepa Arrizabalaga back into the side. Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva are expected to start in the heart of defence, with Cesar Azpilicueta and English speedster Ben Chilwell operating in the wide areas as well.
Midfield
The midfield area is where Chelsea look slightly weakened now, having allowed both Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to secure loan moves away from Stamford Bridge. Despite this, expect the first-choice midfield pairing of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante to start in the Blues’ engine room. While the Italian will act as the main link between the defence and attack lines with his passing, Kante will be required to be dynamic, and make interceptions and tackles to help out the defence line.
Attack
Chelsea could be preparing a completely new-look attack line for this fixture against the Saints. Timo Werner is expected to be shifted up to the striking role once again, with Tammy Abraham expected to drop down to the bench. German starlet Kai Havertz should start in the number ten role, providing his national teammate with direct support. Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech are both expected to make their first starts of the new season in this tie, and will be tasked with producing the goods from either flank.
