Chelsea vs Southampton: Premier League – Opposition Threats

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 07: Nathan Redmond of Southampton battles for possession with Eden Hazard of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Chelsea FC at St Mary's Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 07: Nathan Redmond of Southampton battles for possession with Eden Hazard of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Chelsea FC at St Mary's Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
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WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Alvaro Morata of Chelsea shoots while under pressure from Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea FC at Molineux on December 5, 2018 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Alvaro Morata of Chelsea shoots while under pressure from Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea FC at Molineux on December 5, 2018 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Alvaro Morata

The welcome absence of Olivier Giroud due to injury, who has an impressive record against the Saints, suggests that Morata will be leading the line on Wednesday. The Spaniard has attracted criticism for his unconvincing finishing and Southampton will be hoping the forward has a bad day at the office against a team which has conceded freely in recent months.

Morata will be disappointed with his limited impact this season but Southampton would be naive to disregard the threat he poses, especially considering he scored in the reverse fixture this season at St Mary’s.

With the plethora of “new year, new me” statements doing their annual rounds, the Spanish striker will be hoping that 2019 will be the year where he can finally prove his worth to the Chelsea faithful. A underwhelming return of 5 goals in the league this season will give the Saints hope that they can contain a player low on confidence but with the creative presence of Hazard, Willian and Barkley on show, it could prove harder than expected.

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