Added on December 15, 2017 Category Football Tips

In his pursuit of Manchester United, Chelsea will have Southampton ahead on Saturday, 16 December. The game, which is part of the eighteenth round, the penultimate round of the first round of the 2017/2018 English Championship, will be held at Stamford Bridge in London. The beginning is scheduled for 13h (Brasília time).

Chelsea’s recent performance

On Tuesday, December 12, Chelsea were able to beat Huddersfield 3-1 at home. With that, he remained in third place. He accumulated 35 points (11 wins, two draws and 14 losses).
After the blues coach himself, Antonio Conte, throw in the towel in connection with the title dispute, as the lead of Manchester City is 14 points, the runner-up became the club’s goal. In that fight, Manchester United, which has three more points, is the biggest rival.
Conte’s statements displease the leaders. Not just because of the stance on the title fight, but especially because of frequent complaints about players in his cast. He desires not only quality but also quantity. He says the number of athletes at his disposal is too small for the club to play all competitions of the season.
This, at the beginning, would be an indication that should prioritize the dispute of the Champions League of Europe. However, the second place in the group stage ended up putting the powerful Barcelona in the way of Chelsea in the last 16. Thus, Conte’s interviews may even mean that the technician may not continue for a long time in office.
Requested by coach and responsible for the club’s biggest investment in the last transfer window, Spanish striker Álvaro Morata (15 games in the 2017/2018 English Premier League, nine goals) is doubtful for Saturday’s game. A back injury took him out of the game against Huddersfield. It will need to be examined once more by the medical department to see if it will be able to enter the field.
The position of center-forward is precisely one of the reasons for Conte’s greatest criticism. In the cast, he only has another player with characteristics similar to those of Morata. It is the Belgian Michy Batshuayi (eight games, two goals). The coach, however, used him very little last season and only puts him on the field when he really has no options. Signal that you have no confidence in the athlete.
However, this situation of offensive shortage was caused in part by the coach himself. At the end of last season, he sent an email dismissing the Spanish-born Brazilian Diego Costa from the cast, although the athlete was instrumental in winning the title. The dismissal was not motivated by technical issues, but by a relationship problem between them.

The current form of Southampton

Southampton tried in the current season to make a change in their style of acting by calling the Argentine Mauricio Pellegrino to command the team. The coach, who managed to take Alavés to the runners-up of the King’s Cup Spain 2016/2017, however, has not achieved the expected results.
On Wednesday, December 13, he suffered his biggest loss of the season. At home, he was beaten 4-1 by Leicester. Parked in 18 points (four wins, six draws and seven losses), he is ranked eleventh in the Premier League.
Without a win there are four rounds (two losses and two draws), the scenario gives rise to worries regarding relegation. The advantage of Southampton in comparison with Crystal Palace, which opens the region of the sticking in eighteenth, is four points.
Specialist in the set up of defensive systems, Pellegrino has encountered many difficulties in improving Southampton’s offensive production. With 17 goals, the club has the second worst attack among the top 11 in the Premier League.

History of the bouts between Chelsea and Southampton
Chelsea took their best in the three most recent games against Southampton. The previous season, he made 2-0 at St. Mary’s and 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s problems seem to be a lot more field than inside the four lines. The fact that the team is not in contention for the title can be attributed much more to the spectacular campaign that makes Manchester City than to its deficiencies. Acting at home, it’s the best guessing option for Saturday’s duel. Has a prize of 1.35 in Rivalo. Draw is priced at 5.00. Successful visitor yields 8.50 for 1.