Southampton vs Chelsea LIVE: Eden Hazard, Ross Barkley and Alvaro Morata secure comfortable victory
Re-live the latest from the Premier League fixture at St Mary’s Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.Southampton, who are yet to win at home this season, welcome unbeaten Chelsea to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon.
Mark Hughes’ side are yet to impress this season, their solitary win coming at Crystal Palace before the international break, though they will be buoyed by their penalty shoot-out win at Everton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Chelsea are in third place coming into the weekend’s action, and beat Hungarian champions Vidi in the Europa League on Thursday; the Blues can go top with a win before Liverpool play Manchester City later on in the day.
What time does it start?
Southampton vs Chelsea kicks off at 2:15pm (BST) on Sunday 7th October.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports’ Main Event and Premier League channels from 1:00pm.
Sky Sports subscribers can also watch the game via the SkyGo app.
Highlights will be shown at 10:30pm on BBC One.
It’s a big game for…
Mark Hughes: The Saints boss has won just once at St Mary’s since taking charge last March, and will want a strong home performance against a team he has lost a Premier league record 19 games against as a manager. Southampton only escaped relegation in the final few weeks of last season, and need to make St Mary’s a formidable place for visiting teams once again - they’re currently only three points above the drop zone.
Weird /best stat…
14: Southampton have only won one of their last 14 home league matches, a run which goes back to November 2017.
Remember when…
Although Southampton have lost their last six matches against Chelsea in all competitions, the Saints stunned the then-champions at Stamford Bridge as goals from Steven Davis, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle clinched a 3-1 victory in October 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWelNSSGI-Y
Player to watch…
Olivier Giroud: The 32-year-old striker has history against Southampton in his brief Chelsea career. The Blues were 2-0 down in last season’s fixture, but the introduction of the Frenchman changed the game. He scored twice, and once in the FA Cup semi-final tie a week later. Since then, Giroud has nailed down the lone striker role, ahead of the misfiring Alvaro Morata, and despite not scoring yet in the Premier League this season, his link-up play with Eden Hazard has played a massive part in the Belgian’s terrific form.
Past three-meetings…
Chelsea 2 (Giroud, Morata) Southampton 0, FA Cup Semi-Final, April 2018
Southampton 2 (Tadic, Bednarek) Chelsea 3 (Giroud 2, Hazard), Premier League, April 2018
Chelsea 1 (Alonso) Southampton 0, Premier League, December 2017
Form guide…
Southampton: WWDLLD
Chelsea: WWDWDW
Odds…
Southampton to win: 5/1
Chelsea to win: 3/5
Draw: 3/1
(Odds provided by 888 Sport)
41 minutes
A foul by Ross Barkley when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg nips in to cut out Eden Hazard's underhit pass.
Southampton really struggling to get out again.
42 minutes
Cesar Azpilicueta has four Chelsea shirts waiting in the box but his cross is blocked for, you guessed it, another corner.
Lifted to Marcos Alonso at the far post, but the Spaniard can't get his headed effort on target. Goal kick.
45 + 1 minutes
Cesar Azpilicueta fouls Ryan Bertrand about five yards shy of the byline and Southampton have a free-kick in a dangerous position.
Bertrand is protesting - he felt he was fouled by Olivier Giroud closer to the box and when he moves the ball to that spot he is booked.
Headed away, and that will be that...
75% possession. 11 corners. 1 Eden Hazard goal.
Aside from one five minute spell Chelsea have been utterly dominant in the first 45 minutes. Southampton started the game far too passive and it looked only a matter of time before the visitors opened the scoring.
But the home team showed a little fight and for a short period really rattled Chelsea. Danny Ings should really have put Saints ahead, volleying over from short-range after a lovely Ryan Bertrand cross.
However Chelsea soon reclaimed control and Wesley Hoedt was lucky not to concede a penalty for a challenge on Olivier Giroud.
Soon after however Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg lost the ball in his own half and Ross Barkley exploited a gap in the Southampton defence, allowing Eden Hazard to do the rest and put Chelsea 1-0 up.
I'll be completely honest - Vidi were far more impressive at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night. Southampton have looked very, very poor.
A half-time change for Southampton. Ex-Chelsea defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu is on for Jan Bednarek.
That means Cedric will revert to his conventional right-back spot and Romeu will go into midfield to shore up that area. Manolo Gabbiadini back out to the right of midfield.
47 minutes
It immediately looks more balanced, this Southampton team. Romeu's presence should free Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Mario Lemina to get forward more often.
50 minutes
Ryan Bertrand with a superb opportunity!
It isn't dissimilar to Danny Ings' first-half miss. Bertrand sneaks in at the far post and is found well by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and he should side-foot home, but Bertrand is leaning back and sticks it over the bar. It was at a more uncomfortable height but you would expect him to score.
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