Chelsea remain on the hunt for their first victory following the January transfer window as they face Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
A second-half Karim Adeyemi strike proved the difference between Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund in the Blues' last outing, with the German side winning 1-0 in their Champions League Round of 16 first-leg clash. The defeat means the Blues have failed to win any of their last five games in all competitions, with Graham Potter's side winning just one of their last nine.
Improvements are clear, with the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Joao Felix and Benoit Badiashile all proving to be fantastic signings so far. All that's missing for Graham Potter's side is turning those good performances into wins, and they'll be hoping they can do so on Saturday against managerless Southampton who sit bottom of the Premier League.
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So, who will come out on top in Saturday's clash between Chelsea and Southampton? We simulated the game to get a score prediction and this is what happened.
Chelsea vs Southampton simulated to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions
We predict that the Blues could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Kepa; James, Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella; Enzo, Kovacic; Madueke, Felix, Mount; Havertz.
We predict that the Saints could set up in a 3-5-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Bazunu; Maitland-Niles, Bednarek, Salisu; Bree, Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Alcaraz, Perraud; Sulemana, Adams.
Chelsea looked dangerous early on at Stamford Bridge, with Mason Mount a major source of danger down the left. The Blues registered seven shots in the first 15 minutes as they looked for an opener, and they broke the deadlock through Kai Havertz.
Mount drifted into the centre of the box to offer an option for Enzo Fernandez, and as the ball fell to his feet, he smartly flicked the ball into the path of Havertz. On his left, the German curled the ball around Gavin Bazunu to put the Blues in front.
Mount then struck the post four minutes later with a free kick from range, with Potter's side in full control. Just before the break, Chelsea made it 2-0, with Joao Felix grabbing a goal to top off a top-quality first half.
Felix picked up the ball on the edge of the box, and on the turn he blasted an effort towards goal, but his shot was pushed onto the bar. With Bazunu out of his net, Felix raced to meet the dropping ball, and the forward headed into an empty net with the back of his head to double the Blues' lead.
Early in the second half, Southampton pulled a goal back through Kamaldeen Sulemana to make it 2-1, but Havertz netted moments later to reinstate Chelsea's two-goal lead. The pressure kept coming from the Blues as they looked for more, and they made it 4-1 in the 88th minute.
Enzo played a one-two with substitute Noni Madueke to break into the box, and the Argentine chipped the ball into the centre for Havertz. The striker met the ball ahead of the defender as he volleyed into the net for his hat trick, securing an emphatic win for Chelsea.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Chelsea 4-1 Southampton
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Chelsea could finally turn their good performances into a win this weekend, beating Southampton 4-1 in the simulation. Havertz scored three as the German impressed in a fantastic attacking display.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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