Chelsea need to rebound against Southampton on Sunday
Chelsea take on Southampton in Premier League action on Sunday. The Blues will be desperate to rebound from their midweek EFL Cup exit.
Chelsea return to Premier League football on Sunday after a midweek excursion in the EFL Cup. Having been dumped out of that competition in a disappointing defeat against West Ham, the Blues need to pick themselves up against a confident Southampton side.
Antonio Conte did what was expected and fielded a much changed team at the London Stadium on Wednesday. West Ham, to their credit, pressured an inexperienced Chelsea side and thoroughly deserved their 2-1 victory.
The likes of Ola Aina and Nathaniel Chalobah started the contest, while Michy Batshuayi led the line. However, they were unable to leave their mark on the game.
Even with a weakened team, Chelsea would have felt that the match was more than winnable. Hence, it is vital that the Blues rebound against Southampton.
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Conte will likely persist with the 3-4-3 set-up that has worked well. Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso should return as wingbacks, while Cesar Azpilicueta moves back into the middle at the expense of either John Terry or Gary Cahill.
Chalobah and Batshuayi will probably also make way for Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, as they did on Wednesday evening. Whether Oscar drops back into midfield to retain his starting spot is questionable, as is the involvement of Willian from the first whistle.
The Blues will need to be at their best to conquer a Saints side that are finding their feet under boss Claude Puel. Having failed to win either of their opening two games, Southampton are unbeaten in their last five Premier League fixtures.
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After seeing key players in Sadio Mane and Victor Wanyama leave over the summer, in addition to manager Ronald Koeman, the Saints have once again done a fantastic rebuilding job. They will certainly be looking to take all three points from this contest.
Chelsea will need to start quickly and grab the first goal. However, the defence will be tested by Charlie Austin, who has scored seven goals in 11 competitive appearances, as well as the tricky Dusan Tadic and Nathan Redmond.
Wednesday marked Chelsea’s first defeat since the system switch and even though it was with an understrength team, the doubts will be lingering in the background. Hence, Conte must ensure that his charges are revved up to take control of the game early.
If Southampton get on top and the crowd gets behind them, it may turn into a long afternoon for the Blues.