Unavailable:
Bournemouth – Stanislas, Wilson, Mings
Southampton – Gardoş, Rodriguez, Wanyama
All good things have to come to an end – but as
Cesc Fabregàs’ cross timidly bounced away from Fraser Forster for the first
goal he had conceded in 708 minutes – it was to be an end that was fraught with
disappointment. Branislav Ivanović then compounded matters by sending a powerful
header towards goal that thudded off Forster’s wrist before nestling in the
Northam goal to hand Southampton their first defeat since early January. Saints
now have a chance to leave those melancholic memories in the fading sunlight at
St Mary’s with this midweek trip to Dean Court (stadium sponsorship names
should be culled in the public sphere whenever possible).
Yet it does not seem as if there are a great
amount of errors to address prior to that short trip to Dorset. For the first
30 minutes on Saturday, Saints worked their opponents well, continuing to spray
the ball around patiently, but were also mindful of how a direct approach could
harm the visitors. Shane Long gleefully dinked the ball beyond Thibaut Courtois
to hand Saints a merited advantage, but by that point Chelsea had discovered an
entrancing rhythm that was hard to keep pace with – half-time was a mere stay
of execution for Saints.
The second period brought sustained pressure as
the Blues zipped the ball around the edge of their attacking third while Ronald
Koeman’s three-man engine room honourably strived to disrupt them. Eventually,
they succumbed. Petty squabbles amongst the opposing players didn’t help (Diego
Costa continues to add to the “annoying sod” section of his character
reference), but the hosts inevitably dropped back, as Chelsea’s quality left
them fatigued. Still, it was a more than satisfactory showing from the team bar
Graziano Pellè who most likely did the complete opposite of what Koeman
instructed him to do from the bench – probably wheeling out more flicks and
pirouettes than he did dancing as a youngster.
The Bournemouth game will bring a different
challenge as they have recently switched to a swashbuckling 4-4-2 that will be
far less concentrated on possession football, as Eddie Howe has sacrificed a
central midfielder with an abundance of strikers at his disposal. While the
4-3-3 he has often adopted has been sturdy, neat and tidy – it doesn’t exactly scream
attacking prowess. That changed at Vicarage Road on Saturday. Granted, the
Cherries only secured a 0-0 stalemate, however they undoubtedly had the better
of the game, and Howe’s men were unlucky not to reap the rewards that their
courage deserved.
As Koeman stated in his press conference,
Saints have to squeeze six points out their two fixtures this week if they have
genuine European aspirations. A fifth straight win against a club who are
desperate for any form of “local bragging rights” also wouldn’t go amiss.
Key
Battles
Arter v
S. Davis: Harry
Arter is the archetypal box-to-box midfielder – unfortunately a dying breed in
the Premier League. As Eddie Howe has reverted to a 4-4-2, it gives the
Republic of Ireland international license to move forward as well as backwards,
in comparison to playing a defensive role in the engine room where his
offensive talent is restrained. Steven Davis is a similar player, with a bit
less blood and thunder to his game, therefore it will be interesting to see how
the two match up against each other.
Afobe v
Bertrand: Ryan
Bertrand has slotted in ably as a third centre-back, and in doing so, has added
another string to his bow. He adds extra balance to the defence with his left
foot, and can easily run upfield with José Fonte, and Virgil van Dijk shuffling
across behind him. However, it has rarely been the case that the newly composed
trio have had to face two strikers, who will inevitably try to shift and
manipulate the Saints defence. Benik Afobe has been a hit since his January
move from Wolves, and will look to surge past Bertrand with pace and power when
given the opportunity. As ever, good communication between the three will be
imperative.
Possible
Line-ups
Bournemouth:
Boruc
– Smith, Francis (C), Cook, Daniels – Ritchie, Arter, Surman, Pugh – King,
Afobe
Federici, Gosling, Elphick, Gradel, Iturbe,
Distin, Murray
Southampton: Forster – Soares,
Van Dijk, Fonte (C), Bertrand, Targett – Romeu, Clasie, S. Davis – Mané, Austin
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