Chelsea, under manager Enzo Maresca, are reeling from a third consecutive loss in all competitions, having been beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa. Meanwhile, Southampton were hammered 4-0 by Brighton & Hove Albion, offering little resistance in the process.
Chelsea have had their fair share of problems lately. Maresca’s men suffered a heart-breaking defeat at Villa Park, where Robert Sanchez's mistakes led to his benching in favor of Filip Jorgensen—who also made a costly error.
Despite goals from Enzo Fernandez and Marco Asensio, Chelsea found themselves on the losing end after Jorgensen let a simple volley slip through his hands, handing Villa a late 2-1 win. That defeat left Chelsea trailing the Premier League’s top four, and they’ve now gone seven away games without a win, losing four in a row.
However, Stamford Bridge has been a slightly more comforting place for the Blues. They’ve won three of their last four home games, scoring at least twice in each, with Fulham’s shock win on Boxing Day the only blemish in their last 18 matches at home.
On the other side, Southampton are still in free fall. Manager Ivan Juric’s squad is on track for one of the lowest Premier League point totals ever, as they languish at the bottom of the table with just 9 points after a humiliating 4-0 loss to Brighton.
It was their eighth consecutive defeat at home in the league, with only three other teams in Premier League history having endured such a dismal losing streak. The Saints, now 12 points adrift from safety, will need at least three draws or a win to avoid breaking Derby County’s record of just 11 points in a season.
Though Southampton’s road form hasn’t been much better—winning only once in their last 16 league games—there is a small glimmer of hope. They've managed to score in their last four away matches, and their last trip to Stamford Bridge in February 2023 ended in a shock 1-0 victory. But without James Ward-Prowse and his dangerous set-pieces, they were thrashed 5-1 by Chelsea back in December.
As both teams struggle to find any sort of rhythm, Tuesday's clash will be crucial for both sides, though it’s hard to imagine any sympathy from Chelsea's fans for Southampton, who are looking more and more likely to be relegated.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Chelsea’s troubles were compounded on Saturday night when Trevoh Chalobah was forced off after just eight minutes with a back issue. While it added more frustration to an already tough night, Enzo Maresca offered a relatively positive update after the match, easing some concerns.
That said, Chalobah will now join a growing injury list, which already includes Omari Kellyman, Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia, and Marc Guiu—all of whom are sidelined with thigh injuries.
To make matters worse, Mykhaylo Mudryk is also suspended for the next week.
Tosin Adarabioyo is expected to step in for Chalobah, although he could face competition from Josh Acheampong.
Reece James, who played the full 90 minutes on Saturday, may also be due for a rest, as Maresca might consider giving the injury-prone captain a break after two games in quick succession.
As for the goalkeeping situation, Maresca was asked about whether Filip Jorgensen would keep his place following his costly mistake at Villa Park. The Chelsea boss indicated that, despite the blunder, he is likely to stick with Jorgensen rather than making a change.
On the other side, Southampton are dealing with their own injury problems. Jan Bednarek had to be substituted early in their heavy loss to Brighton due to muscular fatigue.
While it’s not a serious injury, he’ll miss this match. His absence could become even more problematic if Taylor Harwood-Bellis (ankle) isn’t fit to make the trip to London. Jack Stephens was also unavailable against Brighton due to fitness concerns, though there’s hope he’ll be ready soon.
Southampton are also without Ross Stewart (calf), Ryan Fraser (calf), and Adam Lallana (thigh). To add to their woes, on-loan Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is ineligible to face his parent club.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Gusto, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Sancho; Neto
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bella-Kotchap, Bree; Sugawara, Gronbaek, Downes, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Onuachu, Sulemana
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
Even with a fully fit defense, Southampton are often torn apart with ease, and their already weakened backline now makes them even more vulnerable.
While Chelsea have had their struggles away from home, they’re typically much more dangerous at Stamford Bridge, where they can usually find the back of the net with ease. Despite missing a few key attacking players, the Blues should still have more than enough to secure a comfortable win against Juric's struggling side.
