Chelsea vs. Southampton: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Every time Jose Mourinho speaks to the press these days, it seems to be an event.
This week has been no different.
After a run of three wins on the bounce, two disappointing displays against Newcastle United and Porto have seen any momentum that was built lost.
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Chelsea seem to have regressed in recent days, with their midweek defeat in Portugal compounding their misery.
The Champions League was supposed to offer a break from their domestic woes, but now their poor Premier League form has carried over, meaning the pressure is ever greater on Mourinho and his players.
To his credit, the Chelsea boss hasn't evaded responsibility.
His pre-match press conference ahead of Southampton's visit to Stamford Bridge this week had its icy moments as some tough questions were put to the Chelsea boss.
Indeed, he offered up some surprising admissions, too.
"It's the worst period [in my career]. I have never lost so many matches [...] I get it as a fantastic experience—an experience that I don't want to repeat," he said of the form he and his team are enduring at present.
"To come after 15 years is too late but it's helping me to be better. It is a great negative experience."
It was reported this week that Mourinho had fallen out with some of his players for a perceived scapegoating of individuals in the wake of defeats this term, per the Telegraph's Matt Law.
They're just rumours—we don't know what's going on behind closed doors at Stamford Bridge. But if Mourinho is digging out his players in private, he did a good job of hiding it on Friday.
When discussing some of the errors that have seen Chelsea concede goals this season, Mourinho was far more pragmatic.
"If [a mistake] happens in the first half we speak about it at half-time; if it happens in the second half we speak about it the next day," he explained.
"We never speak after the game. I go to the press, they go to the shower. After the match I never have a bad reaction. It’s time to calm down and go home.
"[...] We speak openly, no prima donnas. When you make a mistake you have to speak about it. I call it 'coaching.'"
Chelsea fans will be hoping Mourinho has been doing plenty of that coaching this week as the team certainly needs it to get them out of this rut that has dragged on far too long.
Southampton secured a well-earned draw in west London last season and will carry a big threat on Saturday.
We keep saying it every week at the moment, but this is a game that Chelsea simply can't lose. They need to rediscover their consistency and dramatically improve their points tally with it.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, October 3
Time: 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK only)/NBC Sports (U.S. only)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK only)/NBCSN (U.S. only)
Last 5 games
| Sept. 16 | Chelsea 4-0 Maccabi Tel-Aviv |
| Sept. 19 | Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal |
| Sept. 23 | Walsall 1-4 Chelsea |
| Sept. 26 | Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea |
| Sept. 29 | Porto 2-1 Chelsea |
| Aug. 30 | Southampton 3-0 Norwich City |
| Sept. 12 | West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Southampton |
| Sept. 20 | Southampton 2-3 Manchester United |
| Sept. 23 | MK Dons 0-6 Southampton |
| Sept. 26 | Southampton 3-1 Swansea City |
Predicted lineups
Is this the week Branislav Ivanovic is dropped by Jose Mourinho? The Chelsea boss has already turned on a few of his other stars this term, but so far Ivanovic has been free from the manager's axe.
The Serbian is running out of credit fast though after another poor showing in midweek. With Chelsea desperate for points in the league, attempting to leave for the international break on a positive note, they need something from this game.
The best way to achieving that is freshening things up, changing the lineup to inject some impetus.
Diego Costa will be unavailable as he serves the last game of his three-match ban.
As for Saints, they have no injury concerns other than Fraser Forster, who is a long-term absentee due to his knee injury. We can expect Ronald Koeman to keep faith with the side that defeated Swansea City so convincingly last week.
That should mean Ryan Bertrand returns to Stamford Bridge to face his former club.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Rahman; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Falcao
Southampton (4-2-3-1): Stekelenburg; Soares, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Wanyama, Davis; Mane, Ward-Prowse, Tadic; Pelle
Key players
When is Eden Hazard's season going to start?
The feeling is that when Chelsea's Belgian talisman decides to turn up, things should improve for the club. After all, he is the focal point of everything Chelsea do in attack, and they need him on form.
Hazard was devastating last season, but now he is barely half the player who swept the board when it came to personal accolades in 2014/15.
He comes with a considerable billing, and it's about time he started living up to that again.
Big players ultimately decide games; they don't come much bigger than Hazard at Stamford Bridge.
Graziano Pelle
You get the feeling this game is made for Southampton's talented Italian striker.
Chelsea are struggling defensively and seem to be unable to cope with strikers who have a bit of movement and can push them around physically.
Pelle is all of those things, and given that Chelsea have shipped just shy of two goals every game this season, he'll be licking his lips.
With the likes of Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane supplying him, you wouldn't bet against Pelle adding to the seven goals he's already notched up in 2015/16.
Prediction
Chelsea 1-0 Southampton
Odds
Home Win: -222
Away Win: +500
Draw: +310
First Goalscorer: Radamel Falcao (5/1)
*Home/Away win and draw odds via Odds Shark, goalscorer odds via OddsChecker
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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