Chelsea vs Southampton: Saints hold Maurizio Sarri's side to draw at Stamford Bridge
Re-live all of the action from Stamford Bridge
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Chelsea dropped two points in their bid for a Champions League return as Southampton saw out a stalemate at Stamford Bridge.
Eden Hazard was twice denied by Saints goalkeeper Angus Gunn and Alvaro Morata had a strike ruled out for offside as the Blues' lack of attacking precision was evident once more in the goalless draw.
Chelsea reached the turn of the year in fourth place, five points clear of Arsenal, but the Gunners' win over Fulham on New Year's Day, plus the stubbornness of relegation-threatened Saints, cut their advantage to three points. Re-live the action below
Preview
What time does it start?
Chelsea vs Southampton kicks off at 7:45pm (GMT)
Where can I watch it?
The match will not be shown live on TV or online in the UK.
Independent Sport will provide you with updates of the action via our live blog.
Player to watch…
Eden Hazard: The Belgian midfielder is on fire for Chelsea with four goals in his last five matches. The fans will be praying that he stays amidst uncertainty surrounding his contract. His new role as a false nine has him involved in nearly every attack and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he runs riot in the middle tonight.
Form guide…
- Chelsea: WWLWWL
- Southampton: LLWWLL
Odds…
- Chelsea to win: 27/100
- Southampton to win: 21/2
- Draw: 24/5
Prediction:
Chelsea 2-0 Southampton: Southampton got off to a good start under Hassenhuttl but the results have dipped and they’ve been poor since. Chelsea looked calm and composed against Crystal Palace on Sunday so I feel they’ll win this one relatively comfortably at home.
We are hearing the delay at the Vitality Stadium was due to an erroneous fire alarm. A reminder that that game will now begin at 8pm.
The first major move of the transfer window came this morning at Stamford Bridge. Prodigious American Christian Pulisic has emerged as one of Europe's most coveted talents over the last few years, and Chelsea have won the race for his signing, with a reported fee of £58 million required to bring the winger to the club.
Pulisic will remain at Borussia Dortmund on loan until the summer before moving to London for the start of next season.
An ambitious and exciting signing, but not one without potential drawbacks for Chelsea. On the transfer, it's our Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney:
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is striving to become the first Manchester United manager since Sir Matt Busby in 1946 to win his first four games in charge. Esteemed company.
What has the Norwegian brought to the club since arriving to inspire his perfect start?
Paul Pogba has his say:
Two of the bottom three meet this evening, with bottom-placed Huddersfield seeking what would be a huge win at home to Burnley.
Sean Dyche's side earned a crucial three points against West Ham last time out, but still find themselves in 18th.
It is unlikely to be a vintage Premier League fixture, but it is a big one...
There will be more mid-table jostling this evening, with four of the sides seeking seventh meeting.
Andy Carroll makes his first start for more than a year as West Ham host Brighton, while the delayed fixture at the Vitality Stadium sees Bournemouth meet Watford.
It's all a little congested among the Premier League's most consistently inconsistent teams. Leicester's win at Everton yesterday leaves them seventh for the time being, but there could be plenty of movement behind them today.
Indeed, Wolves could leapfrog their fellow Midlanders for that 'best of the rest' spot with a win over Crystal Palace at Molineux.
Some bad news for the visitors in the last hour-or-so - it is understood a deal for Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke is dead (for the time being at least)
Roy Hodgson is desperate to improve his forward options this January, and was effusive in talking up Solanke earlier in the week. Jordan Ayew starts this evening, a selection decision that has not gone down well with the Palace fans on Twitter...
Ten minutes until kick off in the four games that remain scheduled to begin at 7.45.
How will the new year start?
Kick-off around the grounds in the four early games.
4 minutes
A relatively quiet start all around the country.
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