Match Pack: Saints vs Chelsea
It's a double gameweek for Saints starting with a home clash with Chelsea. Get ready for Wednesday's meeting with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Saints vs Chelsea
Premier League
St Mary’s Stadium
Wednesday 4th December, 7.30pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Tony Harrington
Assistants: Mat Wilkes, Steve Meredith
Fourth official: Simon Hooper
VAR: Matt Donohue
Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis
HOW TO WATCH?
The midweek match will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video, with Saints Play live audio commentary also available worldwide.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
For the second successive home match Saints come up against top four opposition, having gone toe-to-toe with league leaders Liverpool last time out at St Mary’s.
Chelsea have dropped points just once in their last six outings, but Russell Martin’s side will be buoyed by their point at Brighton last Friday, if not frustrated it wasn’t maximum points after VAR controversy.
Saints were the only team in the bottom three to collect a point over matchday 13, so will want to gain more ground in midweek.
TEAM NEWS
The trip to Brighton proved costly for a key trio, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Flynn Downes and Tyler Dibling picking up their fifth bookings of the season to incur a one-match ban.
Counteracting that, Jan Bednarek will return to the fold after missing the last two matches, with Saints also “hopeful” Paul Onuachu will be fit to feature.
Elsewhere, Lesley Ugochukwu is ineligible against his parent club and will sit the clash out.
THE MANAGERS
Russell Martin: “I think Enzo has done a great job. I've got a lot of respect for him and what he did at Leicester last season.
“He's managed to get them [Chelsea] to buy into his way of doing things, into a way of working, into a way of playing and they are really starting to click into gear and get into flow with it. Against Villa on the weekend, they were excellent, really outstanding.”
Enzo Maresca: To follow.
TOP SCORERS
Southampton
Goals:
Cameron Archer 4
Armstrong, Harwood-Bellis 3
Fernandes, Bree 2
Assists:
Mateus Fernandes 3
Dibling, Lallana, Taylor 2
Armstrong, Sugawara, Walker-Peters, Kamaldeen 1
Chelsea
Goals:
Christopher Nkunku 11
Palmer, Jackson 8
Madueke, Félix 5
Assists:
Fernández, Palmer 6
Mudryk, Sancho 5
Neto, Jackson 3
ONES TO WATCH
Mateus Fernandes: With Downes and Dibling suspended, Fernandes is likely to be the only midfield survivor from the side that started at Brighton.
Saints' creator-in-chief so far this season, the Portuguese will need to be at his best against an imperious looking Chelsea side, but will be buoyed by his first Premier League goal last time out at St Mary's.
Cole Palmer: After a three-game period with a goal contribution in the league, Palmer was back to his best last weekend with a goal and an assist in the 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
The 22-year-old will now head to the south coast in buoyant mood and will need to be carefully monitored by Saints.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 113
Saints: 33
Draws: 31
Chelsea: 49
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
February 2023: Chelsea 0-1 Saints (Ward-Prowse)
August 2022: Saints 2-1 Chelsea (Armstrong, Lavia)
April 2022: Saints 0-6 Chelsea
October 2021: Chelsea 1-1 Saints (Adams) League Cup
October 2021: Chelsea 3-1 Saints (Ward-Prowse)
DID YOU KNOW?
- Adam Armstrong has scored in each of his last three home appearances in all competitions. The last player to score in four in a row at St Mary’s as a top-flight side was Charlie Austin in September/October 2016.
- Saints have won their last two Premier League games against Chelsea, as many as in their previous 18 (D5 L11). We last won three consecutive league games against the Blues between 1979 and 1985.
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