Southampton vs Chelsea: 3 Key Battles That Will Decide The Result

Chelsea might be flying high in the Premier League but their recent away record has been far from convincing. The Blues have won just one of their last three away games and visit St. Marys on Sunday looking to beat Southampton and maintain their three-point lead over Manchester City. The Saints on the other hand, are glad to finally get back to winning ways after five-straight losses in the League.

Given the quality of both defenses, it is likely to be a tight affair, so let us look at the key battles that will swing the game one way or another.

1. Graziano Pelle vs Diego Costa

Ever since signing for Chelsea, Diego Costa has shown just why he is the missing piece in the Chelsea jigsaw. Ruthless in front and a nuisance to any defender, the Spaniard is exactly the kind of striker that the Blues have lacked since the departure of Didier Drogba in 2012. After four games without a goal, two goals and an assist in the last three games means that Costa will take on the Saints defense, hungry for more.

The problem for Southampton has been the form of their strikers. Although he has scored eight League goals, Pelle isn’t as clinical as the League’s top marksmen. The Italian striker’s inability to score in the big games, cost them dear and the side will be hoping to see him firing on all cylinders once again. Given the form the Blues defense has been in, the Saints will need him to or their chances of taking anything away from the game will become slimmer.

2. Jose Mourinho vs Ronald Koeman

The game on Sunday will feature two of the League’s finest tacticians in Mourinho and Koeman. Both of whom learnt their trade under Louis Van Gaal at Barcelona and although they have both taken different routes, they are both successful managers in their own right.  Sunday’s clash will feature a side that has remained relatively unchanged throughout the season and one that is constantly evolving and changing players.

While it is true that the visitors have the better players, man for man, the only area they can be outdone is tactically. In all the games they have dropped points, the opposition have defended well and had a plan on how to make effective use of their attacks. The Saints have the League’s second-best home record and will be playing a back-three to counteract the threat that the Blues represent. If the Saints are to maintain their excellent home record, they will have to follow their tactics to the dot, for if they don’t, the Blues are simply going to swat them aside thanks to the quality of players they have at their disposal.

3. Nemanja Matic vs Morgan Schneiderlin

Ever since signing for Chelsea in January 2014, Matic has simply transformed the Chelsea midfield. Aside from being an excellent reader of the game, the Serbian ability to enforce the game both defensively and offensively has meant the Blues have simply been unbeatable in the middle of the park. The fact that the only game that they lost this season was one he didn’t feature in, speaks volumes about just how important he is to the side.

And if Southampton are to claim a draw, let alone a win, they will need Schneiderlin, who will be essaying the same role as Matic to be on his mark at all times. The Frenchman has been the side’s best player this season and if he can manage the threat posed by the visitors through the middle, it will make life a whole lot easier for the Saints defense, who will be put under a lot of pressure right from the start.