Chelsea defender Malang Sarr has suggested that the Blues’ end to the season could be ‘stressful’ should they fail to beat Southampton. Thomas Tuchel’s men travel to St Mary’s on Saturday having suffered back-to-back defeats.
They at first were thumped by Brentford at Stamford Bridge during their last Premier League outing before following that up with a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals. Since taking the reins from Frank Lampard, Tuchel has never suffered three consecutive defeats as Chelsea boss - although that could become a reality against a Southampton side who have once again impressed under Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Whilst the Blues currently have a buffer between themselves and the rest of the chasing pack in the Premier League table, Sarr has suggested that another defeat at St Mary’s could have his side nervously looking over their shoulder.
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Speaking to the club’s official website, the Frenchman said: “This game is going to be crucial for us because if you look behind teams are coming close and we know that.
“We just need to do a great performance together and find a way to win the game because these last games are going to be really difficult. The end of the season is going to be really stressful if we don’t win this one. We just need to take game after game, and play well.
“Chelsea is a club that know how to win and this group as well so I think there is a lot of confidence because everyone knows we can do it, but we need to put in the work.
“We must just put our mind on the task and do whatever we need to do. I think that’s the point - just be ready for that and work hard.”
Sarr, 23, has finally made his mark on the first-team at Stamford Bridge having returned from a loan spell at Porto. The former Nice defender has made 18 appearances in all competitions and been granted five starts in the Premier League.
His last appearance came in a 1-0 win over Newcastle United, where he played in a somewhat unconventional position of left-back. Sarr could potentially be even more crucial next season with fellow centre-back’s Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen set to depart at the expiry of their respective contracts as it stands.
