Chelsea will be looking to tighten their grip on a spot in the top four when they travel to St Mary’s to lock horns with Southampton this lunchtime.
The Blues, who played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with the Saints in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge back in October, will make the trip to the south coast looking to post a fifth successive Premier League win, as well as a sixth in all competitions.
Chelsea climbed back into the top four for the first time under head coach Thomas Tuchel on Monday evening, defeating Newcastle United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, preserving their unbeaten start to life under the German in the process.
First half goals from Olivier Giroud, who stepped off the bench after just 20 minutes to replace the injured Tammy Abraham, and Timo Werner sealed all three points for the Blues, moving them above both Liverpool and West Ham United and into the top four for the first time in 2021.
Although Tuchel has enjoyed an excellent start to life in west London since succeeding Frank Lampard last month, going his first seven games unbeaten, he is confident that he will learn more about his team in the coming weeks, with a series of big-name opponents on the horizon following today’s meeting with the Saints.
Speaking at his pre-match press call on Friday, Tuchel said: “When we played it was a big, big game against Tottenham.
“And the thing is that we do our stuff right, and that we are brave enough to play our game and to impose our style and our momentum onto opponents.
“We want to play the same game no matter who’s on the other side. Sometimes it feels super, super difficult to play Barnsley. On this day it was the hardest team to beat, because it’s always like this in football.
“So the challenge now is to be ready tomorrow, and after tomorrow we will see what we do against Atletico, then Man United and Liverpool.
“But it’s step by step and the thing is how good are we, how good are we to play and impose our principles, our style and to be the squad with the intensity and rhythm to put intensity on the pitch.
“This is the challenge tomorrow, then the Champions League, then again in the league, and it’s all the time when you play that’s the biggest challenge.”
Ahead of this lunchtime’s showdown with the Saints, who have lost their last six Premier League matches, conceding 19 goals in the process, Tuchel has delivered good news and bad news on the injury front.
Unfortunately, Brazilian centre-back Thiago Silva has been joined in the treatment room by Christian Pulisic. The USA international has experienced a stop-start season, with injuries heavily hampering his progress. Fortunately, Tuchel does not believe it is anything too serious.
“There’s some issues with the calf of Christian Pulisic, nothing big, just feels tight,” said the German. “He’s had a bit of soreness, so there’s a big question-mark for Christian.”
But while those two will miss out, Tuchel will be able to call upon both Kai Havertz and Abraham for selection. Havertz has missed Chelsea’s last four matches in league and cup after picking up an injury in training ahead of the 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, while former Bristol City and Aston Villa loanee Abraham was forced off in the early stages against Newcastle.
Tuchel added: “We’re very happy that Tammy [Abraham] is very, very good, feels very good, and he’s free for training today at three o’clock and if things go well he’s in the squad.
“Kai Havertz is back in training and can join us in Southampton.”
Elsewhere, it remains to be seen if Tuchel will hand an another opportunity to Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal after he kept a clean sheet in his first Premier league appearance since October in the win over Newcastle on Monday, despite the German confirming that Edouard Mendy remains the club’s first choice shot-stopper.
Full Chelsea squad available to face Southampton:
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga & Willy Caballero.
Defenders: Reece James, Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, Ben Chilwell, Marcos Alonso & Emerson Palmieri.
Midfielders: Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Billy Gilmour, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz & Faustino Anjorin.
Strikers: Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner & Olivier Giroud.
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