Chelsea vs. Southampton: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Regardless of how poor they've been of late, it's hard to imagine Chelsea failing to beat Southampton. The Saints have lost 13 of their last 16 games in the league and are rock bottom of the table.

When the two sides met back in December, Chelsea cruised to a 5-1 win, and while it might not be that wide this time around, we expect the result to remain the same. Chelsea 3-1 Southampton.

Chelsea are desperately in need of a win in the Premier League as they take on Southampton this week.

• Date: 25/02/2025
• Kick-off time: 20:15
• Location: Stamford Bridge, West London

The Blues come into this game 7th in the Premier League with 43 points from 26 games. Chelsea's season is somewhat at a crossroads - the Blues had a strong start to the campaign under new manager Enzo Maresca and for some time, it looked as though they might mount a title charge. However, there's been quite a dramatic dropoff in the team's performance levels in the last couple of months, and there is now uncertainty over whether or not they'll qualify for the Champions League.

Chelsea are only one point shy of Manchester City in 4th so they're still well in the mix, but it's the trajectory of their performances that's the worry, with many other sides around them now starting to pick up the pace.

One huge concern for the club is the recent performances of Cole Palmer. Chelsea's reigning player of the season, Palmer has become quieter as the season progresses, having less and less influence on games. It's a hugely worrying sign, and given how many of Chelsea's goals he accounts for, it's something the team cannot afford to allow to remain sustained.

It cannot be stressed how badly Chelsea need not only a win here but a strong performance, as they're in danger of sliding into a rut. A win would be nothing short of a disaster, and it may even activate full-on panic mode within the club.

Southampton are currently rock bottom of the Premier League table with 9 points from 26 games. The Saints are as good as relegated as they come into this one only hoping to give a good account of themselves. Now 13 points from safety, the Saints probably know that their time is up, and those higher up in the club can spend the next couple of months reflecting on the many mistakes they made in preparing for this season.

Southampton fans will be desperately hoping they beat Derby's record-low points tally of 11 points this season, and with 12 games remaining, the odds are in their favour. It wouldn't, though, be all that surprising to see them gain only one point from their final 12 games, as they've taken only four from their last 12, and one of those was a win against an Ipswich side they've now played twice.

If ever there was a good time to face Chelsea, it would be now, so Southampton have a prime opportunity to pick up a shock result here. Whether they're remotely competent enough to do that remains to be seen, but it's far to say that all the pressure is on Chelsea.

This game will be televised live to all subscribed viewers in the UK on TNT Sports 1.

Chelsea Team News:

The Blues come into this game with Trevoh Chalobah, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke, Benoît Badiashile, Roméo Lavia and Marc Guiu all on the sidelines with injuries.

With few options for rotations, Enzo Maresca could bring Jadon Sancho into the team as he looks to shake things up after the weekend's performance.

Predicted lineup: Jorgensen; Gusto, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Sancho; Neto.

Southampton Team News:

The Saints are set to be without Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens, Ryan Fraser, Adam Lallana and Ross Stewart, all of whom are out injured.

Southampton will also be missing Lesley Ugochukwu, who, being on loan at the Saints from Chelsea, is ineligible to face his parent club.

Predicted lineup: Ramsdale; Aribo, Bella-Kotchap, Bree; Sugawara, Gronbaek, Smallbone, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Onuachu, Sulemana.

Chelsea:

Chelsea are wildly out of form, as they come into this game with one win and four defeats from their last five outings. At the weekend, Chelsea fell to a 2-1 loss away at Aston Villa despite taking the lead through Enzo Fernánez, a result that followed a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton.

Before that, Chelsea once again faced Brighton, this time falling to a 2-1 defeat, a result that came after a 2-1 win over West Ham United thanks to a goal from Pedro Neto and an own goal.

Those results followed a 3-1 loss away at Manchester City.

Southampton:

Southampton remain in poor form, with one win and three draws from their last five outings. Last time out, the Saints were beaten 0-4 by Brighton, which was preceded by a 1-3 defeat to Bournemouth and a 2-1 win at Ipswich Town, where Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu scored the goals,

Prior to that, Southampton lost 1-3 to Newcastle United and 3-2 to Nottingham Forest, despite goals from Jan Bednarek and Onuachu making things tight at the end.

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