Southampton vs Chelsea 10/06/19 EPL Preview

Southampton hosts Chelsea at the St. Mary’s Stadium on October 6, 2019.

Southampton

The Southampton Football Club was formed in 1885 and the club was among the founding members of the Premier League in 1992. They are known as the Saints because of their history as a church football club. The Saints’ first decade in the top flight competition was a struggle as Southampton kept themselves busy trying to avoid relegation.

After27 years playing in the Premier League, the Saints were relegated in 2005 but would return to the top flight after seven years and since then, have remained in the Premier League. 2018 was a rough year for them as they avoided regulation only during the final day of the season. Last season, Ralph Hasanhuttl led the club to a 16th place finish.

Southampton ranks 15th in the league in Goal Difference at -4. The Saints have scored just a total of seven goals so far this term which is good for 14th place in the EPL and they have produced a league 14th-best four assists so far this season. On defense, Southampton has given up a total of eleven goals which puts them in a tie for 11th place overall.

Danny Ings has two goals and one assist while Moussa Dejenepo has a pair of goals in three appearances. Jannik Vestergaard and Nathan Redmond have found the back of the net with one goal each for Southampton this season. Kevin Danso and Sofiane Boufal have delivered one assist for the club. Meanwhile, Angus Gunn has a total of 21 saves in four matches and has conceded eleven goals this season.

Chelsea

Chelsea was established in 1905 and the Blues are one of the most successful football clubs in England. The Blues have won a total of six Top Flight titles, 8 FA Cups, 5 League Cups, 2 UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 2 UEFA Europa League titles, 1 UEFA Super Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League title.

Chelsea won their first title, the League Championship in 1955. The Blues won their first FA Cup in 1970 and their first European title, the UEFA Winners Cup, in 1971. This went into a decline in the 70s and 80s but came back strong starting the 90s. Five of their Premier League/First League titles have come in the last two decades, the last of which came in 2017 before Manchester City began to dominate the league. Chelsea finished third in the league last season and they look to improve on their finish this time around.

The Blues rank 6th in the Premier League in Goal Difference. Chelsea is 3rd in the league in Goals Scored with a total of 14. They are tied for 5th in the league in Assists with 8. However, Chelsea is ranked only 17th overall with 13 Goals Conceded on the season.

Forward Tammy Abraham has found his goal scoring form with seven goals in the first seven matches of the year. Mason Mount has scored three goals this term and Fikayo Tomori has one goal for the Blues. Cesar Azpilicueta leads the team with two assists. Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic and Jorginho each have one assist for the Blues.

Who Wins?

Southampton is currently in 14th place in the EPL with their 2-1-4 SU record after seven rounds. The Saints have lost back to back Premier League matches heading to this contest. Southampton lost to Bournemouth 0-3 and then fell to Tottenham 1-2 in their last outing.

Chelsea is the Premier League’s 7th ranked team in the table. The Blues have a record of 3-2-2 SU on the season. Chelsea has lost just once in their last five Premier League matches with three wins and a draw during that period. The Blues are coming off a 2-0 win over Brighton in Round 7 and they are the soccer betting favorites to beat the Saints here.

Head to head, Chelsea hast lost just once in their last 10 meetings against Southampton. The Blues have six wins and three ties during that period. In their most recent encounter last January 2, 2019, these teams played to a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s had problems defending the net this season but given their prolific offense, they should take care of business against Southampton here. I’m picking Chelsea to win. Prediction: Chelsea.

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