Chelsea and Southampton face off for the second time in just over a week in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final. Last Saturday’s league encounter, where Southampton had a 2-0 lead with 20 minutes left before Chelsea roared back to win, will no doubt be on the minds of all those involved.
Southampton are on the cusp of emulating Wigan Athletic’s infamous double from 2013, when they won the FA Cup but were relegated from the Premier League. For Chelsea, meanwhile, the competition represents an opportunity to end a tumultuous season on a high note.
Here are three talking points ahead of the game.
GIROUD TO PRESS STARTING CASE
Olivier Giroud was brought in to provide backup for Alvaro Morata, but the latter’s struggles and Giroud’s own excellent form means the Frenchman is virtually guaranteed to start on Sunday.
Despite his good form, however, his status as Chelsea’s leading striker is precarious; Morata is younger, pacier, and above all, a big-money signing who will not be relegated to the bench for too long.
Ironically, Giroud’s form as a substitute has possibly been more damaging to his reputation than the merits of any other player. He’s become known more as an impact player – he trails only Jermain Defoe for most goals by a substitute in Premier League history – but it’s a tag that Giroud doesn’t like. He wants to be known as the No.1 striker, whether at Chelsea or elsewhere.
Sunday is his latest chance to show he can be just as effective a player from the start.
Giroud wants to be known as more than the ideal substitute.
SHANE LONG v CHELSEA, PART II
Giroud was the star of Chelsea’s 3-2 comeback win over Southampton earlier this month with his two goals off the bench but for so long the best player in that match was Shane Long.
The Irish striker didn’t get on the scoresheet, but was a thorn in Chelsea’s side throughout – not least for Marcos Alonso, who received a suspension for his stamp on Long, the culmination of a frustrating afternoon against the Southampton man that will see the Blues left-back miss this game.
Emerson Palmieri, Alonso’s understudy, is possibly better equipped to deal with Long’s intensity, but nevertheless, the Saints striker is poised to have another solid game. He is just the sort of player who can cause Antonio Conte’s three-man defence problems, pulling defenders wide, pressing high, and generally making a nuisance of himself.
If Southampton pull off the upset, Long will likely have played a huge role.
Shane Long troubled Chelsea the last time the two sides met.
CONTE’S LAST HURRAH?
This could easily be Conte’s last big game as Chelsea manager. He will not want it to be, of course – winning this and then the final will be a good way to end two years that have been triumphant and dramatic in equal measure.
If it is, however, it’s worth reflecting on Conte’s spell. The Italian introduced a formation that was on the verge of revolutionary had the impact lasted beyond one title-winning season. Ultimately, the team that has countered Chelsea’s 3-4-3 the best have been the Blues themselves, with transfer failings last summer making the formation less effective. Morata is a capable striker but doesn’t bring the tenacity that Diego Costa did to the striker’s role, while the poor form of David Luiz and Gary Cahill weakened the defence.
Yet, having replaced the duo with young defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, it is there where Conte’s legacy will be judged.
How will Conte’s spell at Chelsea be remembered?
