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Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has given his prediction for the Premier League clash between Southampton and Chelsea on Saturday.
The Blues travel to St. Mary's on the back of five consecutive wins under new boss Thomas Tuchel. The German tactician will be hoping that his side can continue their hot streak and beat a tricky Saints side.
Southampton, on the other hand, are back down to Earth after their tremendous start to the campaign. Ralph Hasenhuttl's men have lost their last five Premier League games and are slowly slipping down the table. The Austrian manager will hope that his side can find the form that made them contend for a top 4 spot earlier in the season when they face the Blues.
Michael Owen believes that it will be a tight contest between the two sides but has tipped Chelsea to come out as 1-0 winners. He told BetVictor:
"Chelsea travel to St Mary’s rejuvenated since Thomas Tuchel’s arrival. The Blues’ are undefeated since the German took over and are noticeably a lot more robust at the back. They take on a Southampton side that have shown encouraging signs of improvement in recent weeks after a bit of a mid-season slump. I think this one could be tight; however, Chelsea have the look of a side that can grind out results whilst keeping the ball out of their own net, and I think that’s exactly what they’ll do here."
Chelsea are currently 4th in the Premier League. A win against Southampton will take them to within one point of third-placed Leicester City and second-placed Manchester United.
A win for Southampton, however, would take the Saints above Leeds United into 12th on the table.
Chelsea have a tough schedule after Southampton game
Thomas Tuchel's men are gearing up for a tough run of fixtures after their game against Southampton. The Blues will travel to Romania for their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg clash against La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid next week.
Chelsea will then host title hopefuls Manchester United in the Premier League, followed by Carlo Ancelotti's Everton. This crucial run of fixtures will culminate with a visit to Elland Road to take on Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United before the second leg of their UCL clash with Atletico Madrid.
These next few weeks could really be make-or-break for the Blues.
