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Southampton vs Chelsea preview: In-form clubs clash at St Mary's

It’s a big game for….
Fraser Forster: The Southampton goalkeeper will equal a club record this weekend if he manages to keep a clean sheet against the likes of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Willian to earn his seventh on the trot in the Premier League. But this will prove an arduous task against an in-form Chelsea side who come into Saturday’s game having scored 12 goals in their last four, so Forster will need to demonstrate the form that has had England boss Roy Hodgson lurking with this summer’s Euros in mind. He’s widely tipped to be Joe Hart’s reserve at the tournament, so a solid performance against the champions will be one Forster is looking to have in his back pocket.

Best stat…
The Saints have picked up 16 points from the last 18 on offer, the best tally in the Premier League.

Remember when…
Chelsea were in the midst of their barren spell earlier this season when Steven Davis expertly netted this clever goal, one straight from the training ground, to bring Southampton level, before the Saints commandeered a 3-1 win over the reigning champions, their first win over the Blues since 2013.

Player to watch…
Diego Costa: The Chelsea hitman is on fine form at the moment, with a strike against Manchester City in the FA Cup last weekend proving that even a broken nose can’t stop the Spaniard’s prowess in front of goal. He’s scored three in Chelsea’s last four games, and has really found his feet again under Guus Hiddink, leading the Blues to a resurgence in form after a dismal run of results earlier in the season. But he’s still ten goals off his Premier League total from last season, so he’ll be looking to find the back of the net several times over the next few games, starting on the south coast on Saturday.
Past three meetings…
Chelsea 1 (Willian) Southampton 3 (Davis, Mane, Pelle), Premier League, October 2015
Chelsea 1 (Costa) Southampton 1 (Tadic), Premier League, March 2015
Southampton 1 (Mane) Chelsea 1 (Hazard), Premier League, December 2014
Form guide..
Southampton: WWWDWW
Chelsea: DDWDDW
Vital information…
KICK-OFF TIME: 3pm




[independent.co.uk]

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