FA Cup Semi-final PREVIEW: Chelsea vs. Southampton: Start time, team news, stats, TV schedule, match thread, and how to watch on TV and online

Key Information:

Date/time: 22/4/2018, 15:00 (UK), 10:00 ET, 07:00 PT (USA)

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, UK

Official: Martin Atkinson

TV: BT Sport (UK), Fox Sports 1 (USA) and check out LiveSoccerTV for alternatives.

Streaming: BT Sport (UK), Fox Sports GO (USA)

Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live (UK)

Southampton face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday in a nice, little distraction from Saints’ Premier League woes in 2018.

Saints manager Mark Hughes could welcome back duo Sofiane Boufal and Mario Lemina, who are both being assessed after missing Thursday’s 0-0 draw away at Leicester City.

Southampton defender Jack Stephens remains suspended after picking up a red card against Arsenal.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will be missing left-back Marcos Alonso after he copped a retrospective three-match suspension for his vicious stamp on Saints’ Shane Long last weekend.

However, Blues manager Antonio Conte is likely to welcome back dangermen Willian and Eden Hazard on Sunday afternoon. The pair were used as substitutes against Burnley on Thursday.

Stats Zone (via BBC Sport):

Head-to-head

• Southampton have progressed from four of their previous five FA Cup ties against Chelsea, but lost the most recent encounter 5-1 in the third round in 2012-13.
• Chelsea are vying for six straight wins against the Saints in all competitions for the first time.
• The last three league meetings have generated 12 goals, including five last weekend in Chelsea’s 3-2 win at St. Mary’s.

Chelsea

• Chelsea have won 11 of their last 14 FA Cup semi-final matches.
• They will be appearing at the new Wembley for the 18th time, a record by a club playing at the stadium in a neutral capacity.
• The Blues have kept clean sheets in three of their five ties in reaching the semi-finals.
• Willian has contributed to 10 goals in 10 FA Cup matches (six goals, four assists) since the start of last season.
• Since his debut in English football in January 2013, Olivier Giroud has had a hand in 21 goals in his 25 FA Cup appearances (14 goals, seven assists), more than any other player in the competition over this period.
• Willy Caballero and Pedro are the only players to have played in all five Chelsea FA Cup matches this term.

Southampton

• Southampton have reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2003. They beat Watford 2-1 in that game but ultimately lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the final.
• Saints have lost five of their seven previous visits to Wembley in all competitions. They won the 1976 FA Cup final and 2010 Football League Trophy final.
• They have scored six goals during their FA Cup run (all by different scorers), whilst the only goal they have conceded was a Salomon Rondon strike in their 2-1 triumph at West Brom in the fifth round.
• Southampton boss Mark Hughes was an FA Cup winner as a player with opponents Chelsea in 1996-97.
• Hughes has lost both of his previous two FA Cup semi-finals as a manager: 3-0 to Arsenal in 2004-05 and 2-1 after extra time to Chelsea in 2006-07.
• Hughes has already been knocked out of the FA Cup once this season as his then-Stoke side were beaten by League Two club Coventry in the third round.

Betting Odds:

Bet 365: Chelsea: 1/2 - Draw: 7/2 - Southampton: 13/2

Bet Victor: Chelsea: 9/20 - Draw: 18/5 - Southampton: 13/2

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