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Key Information:
Date/time: 14/4/2018, 12:30 (UK), 07:30 ET, 04:30 PT (USA)
Venue: St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, UK
Official: Mike Dean
TV: Sky Sports (UK), NBCSN (USA) and check out LiveSoccerTV for alternatives.
Streaming: Sky Go (UK), NBC Sports (USA)
Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live (UK)
Time is ticking for Mark Hughes and his Southampton side if they want to survive relegation from the Premier League. Today will be a stern test as Saints host last year’s champions Chelsea at St. Mary’s.
Southampton will be missing defender Jack Stephens, who sits out with a three-game suspension following his on-pitch altercation with Arsenal r̶a̶t̶ midfielder Jack Wilshere.
Mario Lemina and Shane Long are also both expected to feature despite previous concerns over their fitness.
Antonio Conte’s Chelsea will be missing injured defenders David Luiz and Ethan Ampadu, though midfielder Ross Barkley is now available after recovering from a hamstring injury which has ruled him out since January.
Stats Zone (via BBC Sport):
Head-to-head
- Chelsea have won their last four league games against Southampton - they’ve never won five in a row against them.
- Southampton have claimed one victory in their nine Premier League games against the Blues at St Mary’s Stadium (D2, L6), winning 2-1 in March 2013 thanks to goals from Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert.
- Chelsea have won seven times in all competitions at the St Mary’s Stadium. The only visiting side with a better record are Manchester United, with 10 victories.
Southampton
- Southampton have won one of 19 league games (D9, L9), with that victory coming at bottom side West Brom on 3 February.
- They are also winless in eight home league matches (D5, L3), their longest such run in the Premier League.
- Saints have failed to win their last 22 league games against ‘big six’ sides (D7, L15).
- They registered eight shots on target against Arsenal - their highest total in the Premier League for 12 months.
- Southampton have let in three goals in each of their last three league matches. The last time they conceded at least three times in four consecutive top-flight matches was in 1981.
- Saints have conceded 1.9 goals per league game since Christmas, the worst record in the top flight. Up until Christmas, they had the ninth best defensive record, with 25 goals conceded in 19 games (1.3 per game).
- Defeat would see Mark Hughes become only the second manager to lose three Premier League games against the same opponent in a single season after Graeme Souness, who did so with Blackburn and Newcastle versus Arsenal in 2004-05.
Chelsea
- The Blues have claimed just 12 points this calendar year - only four sides have worse records (Southampton, Huddersfield, Stoke and West Brom).
- They are without a clean sheet in their last eight league and cup games.
- Chelsea are one short of becoming the third club to score 1,700 Premier League goals, after Manchester United (1,919) and Arsenal (1,759).
They could lose four consecutive away league games for the first time since a five-match sequence in 2000, which included a 3-2 defeat at Southampton.
Betting Odds:
Bet 365: Southampton: 7/2 - Draw: 11/4 - Chelsea: 17/20
Bet Victor: Southampton: 18/5 - Draw: 11/4 - Chelsea: 17/20
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