Thomas Tuchel has chosen his starting lineup to play against Southampton. He goes with the same midfield that started against Brentford, and it is safe to say that this might not be the best idea.
The partnership of N'golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek is not necessarily a duo that fans would have wanted to see. The lack of domination from the midfield during Chelsea's match against Brentford is a testament to what we might expect. Luckily, Mateo Kovacic has been given the nod this time around and will be able to restore that balance within the midfield. We have seen him do it several times where he retains a Jorginho role.
Read More: Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Southampton vs Chelsea, Real Madrid, Mendy, Kante, Lukaku, more
Marcos Alonso makes a return after sitting out against Real Madrid. His presence could help us attack greatly in a must-win match. I've always said, when Chelsea sees the majority of the ball, Alonso could be the perfect second striker. He has a clinical shot in his locker and is also comfortable with set pieces. He will be our answer to the free-kick king, James Ward-Prowse.
Timo Werner has always had a good time against Southampton. Some of his best minutes in a Chelsea shirt have come against the Saints. It's three goals in three starts against Southampton for the German. I can only imagine that this fact was put into consideration when Tuchel chose his starting 11.
Is this team capable of securing the three points today? On paper and with all due respect to the Saints, yes. However, we can never be too sure. There's no doubt that the boss has tried his best to restore his players' winning mentality, but can you blame a Chelsea fan for being sceptical?
Starting eleven: Mendy, Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, Alonso; Loftus-Cheek, Kante (C), Kovacic; Mount, Werner, Havertz
