Two struggling sides on downward spirals seek to restore some Premier League parity on Tuesday evening, when Chelsea welcome Championship-bound Southampton to Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca's men are reeling from a third straight loss in all competitions - going down 2-1 to Aston Villa - while their visitors put up little resistance in a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Match preview
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As we speak, the Chelsea transfer gurus ought to be busy compiling a list of goalkeeping targets for the summer window; after the error-strewn Robert Sanchez was dropped in favour of Filip Jorgensen, it was the Scandinavian's turn to make a fatal mistake at Villa Park.
Enzo Fernandez's tap-in and a scrappy Marco Asensio goal would ostensibly lead to a share of the spoils in the West Midlands, but with no fewer than 89 minutes on the clock, the latter connected with a volley that should have been meat and drink for Jorgensen.
However, the 22-year-old inexplicably let the ball squirm through his body to spark jubilant scenes for the Villa Park faithful and condemn Chelsea to a third straight loss in all competitions, one that leaves them still trailing the top four in the Premier League table.
Maresca could at least take pride in his side's reaction to their 3-0 thrashing versus Brighton on February 14, but he labelled Saturday's loss the "toughest" of his Chelsea tenure so far as the Blues' away day misfortunes continued; they have now failed to win in seven on the road, losing four on the spin.
Tuesday's hosts have plenty of home comforts to fall back on, though, having prevailed in three of their last four at Stamford Bridge - scoring at least two goals on each occasion - and Fulham's shock Boxing Day triumph marks their only loss from their last 18 on familiar territory.
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For all of Chelsea's recent turmoil, the Blues faithful should not expect a shred of sympathy from Southampton supporters, whose side could still set a new lowest-ever Premier League points total before their seemingly inevitable drop down to the second tier.
The top flight's whipping boys became part of an unwanted club on Saturday, where Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter helped themselves to goals in a 4-0 trouncing for Brighton, who subjected the Saints to an eighth straight loss at home in the Premier League.
Only three other teams have ever suffered such a horrific losing run in a single season in the competition, and the nine-point visitors - who need at least three draws or one win to overtake Derby County's abysmal 11-point total from 2007-08 - remain cut adrift at the foot of the pile with just 12 games to go.
A short sojourn away from the South Coast might do Juric's side some good, as their only win from their last 16 Premier League contests came away to Ipswich Town, and Southampton can take another crumb of comfort from the fact that they have scored in four games in a row on the road.
Furthermore, the Saints' last trip to Stamford Bridge in February 2023 ended in a marvellous 1-0 victory, but without James Ward-Prowse and his trusty free kicks, they were subjected to a 5-1 slaughter by Maresca's men during a St Mary's mauling in December.
Team News
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Salt was rubbed into the Chelsea wounds on Saturday night after Trevoh Chalobah was forced off inside just eight minutes with a back problem, although Maresca delivered more of a reassuring than a worrying update at full time.
However, Chalobah will now take his place on the sidelines with thigh victims Omari Kellyman, Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia and Marc Guiu - as well as the suspended Mykhaylo Mudryk - for the next week.
Tosin Adarabioyo should fend off the challenge of Josh Acheampong to fill in for Chalobah, while Reece James completed the full 90 on Saturday but may also be in line for a rest if Maresca feels that two starts in four days are too much for the injury-plagued skipper.
The Italian was of course questioned on whether Jorgensen would keep his place in goal after his Villa Park blunder, but in his pre-game press conference, he suggested that he would stick rather than twist.
Maresca and Juric can empathise when it comes to fresh defensive blows, as Jan Bednarek was also taken off early in Southampton's loss to Brighton with muscular fatigue; he has avoided a serious issue but is unavailable for this one.
Bednarek's absence will prove all the more problematic if Taylor Harwood-Bellis (ankle) cannot recover in time for the trip to the capital, as Juric also refused to risk Jack Stephens on Saturday following his return from injury, but there is optimism over the former.
Ross Stewart (calf), Ryan Fraser (calf) and Adam Lallana (thigh) are still missing too, while on-loan Blues midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu cannot face his parent club.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Gusto, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Sancho; Neto
Southampton possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bella-Kotchap, Bree; Sugawara, Gronbaek, Downes, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Onuachu, Sulemana
We say: Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
Even with a fully-fit defence, Southampton are carved open with ease more often than not, and the Saints' depleted backline only spells even more danger for the basement boys.
Chelsea might have persistent problems on the road, but the Blues are good value for a few goals at home and should defy their attacking absences to storm to a routine win over Juric's men.
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Ben Knapton
