Paul Merson predicts the scoreline of Chelsea FC v Southampton
Paul Merson is backing Chelsea FC to claim a 2-0 win over Southampton in their Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The south west London side are aiming to bounce back from back-to-back defeats, after their 1-0 loss to Manchester City last weekend was compounded by a 1-0 defeat away by Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Chelsea FC had started the season strongly but their recent dip in form has raised questions about their ability to challenge for the Premier League title.
The Blues have been missing the injury Mason Mount, who has developed into a key player for the south west London side over the last few months.
Former Arsenal star Merson feels that Mount’s absence has been one of the main reasons for Chelsea FC’s recent dip – but he is expecting to see the Blues win the game comfortably nonetheless.
Writing in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson said: “Southampton were beaten 1-0 by Wolves in their previous Premier League encounter, but they got a point against Manchester City after a 0-0 draw earlier this month. The way they play, they are quite unpredictable and will cause Chelsea a lot of problems, but I fancy Chelsea to win this one.
“They are playing at home and will look to return to winning ways after two disappointing results in all competitions, I think they’ll win this 2-0. In the Champions League against Juventus, they played some good football but were dealt with a sucker punch with Federico Chiesa’s goal.”
Pointing out the importance of Mount, Merson added: “Mason Mount is a massive player, they really miss him. Hopefully he’s fit and comes straight back into the team in the weeks ahead.”
The south west Londoners are without a win in their past three league games against Southampton, playing out two draws and one defeat during that run.
The Blues, who finished in fourth place and won the Champions League last term, are looking to avoid a second successive Premier League defeat at Stamford Bridge for the first time since December 2019.
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