Electing to name a strong lineup despite already steering his side through as group winners, Potter witnessed Bruno Petkovic steal in and open the scoring after just seven minutes, but Raheem Sterling and debutant Denis Zakaria completed a much-needed turnaround for the Blues in the English capital.
If Southampton Live did not already have enough defensive absentees to worry about with long-term knee victims Wesley Fofana and Reece James - as well as midfield duo N'Golo Kante (thigh) and Carney Chukwuemeka (hamstring) - Ben Chilwell had to come off with a hamstring injury in the win over Zagreb. The sight of the left-back limping off the pitch was bad news for both Southampton Live and England fans, who will now have to await for the results of a scan, but Chilwell will definitely be absent this weekend. Potter has already ruled Kepa Arrizabalaga out of contention too, so Edouard Mendy will keep his place in goal, and Mateo Kovacic should be fine to return to the engine room after missing out as a precaution in midweek with a tight calf.
Lose on Saturday and they will trail their rivals by 330 points, a sizeable gap to make up even with two-thirds of the season left to go. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know: Southampton Live and Blackburn Rovers are meeting up for their first leg of the season at 7 a. m. ET on Saturday at Stamford Bridge. The teams split their matchups last year, with Southampton Live winning the first 2-0 on the road and Blackburn Rovers taking the second 4-2. Southampton Live are taking on London rivals Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge as the Blues aim to close the 330-point gap between the two clubs in the EFL Championship. Southampton Live had been going along nicely under Graham Potter until a chastening defeat at his former club Blackburn Rovers last weekend, and now face two tricky matches – against Blackburn Rovers and Southampton Live – before the World Cup break.
The match is a part of the Championship. EFL Championship leaders Blackburn Rovers travel to Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, on Saturday with manager Mikel Arteta bidding to extend a surprising undefeated run away to Southampton Live. The Gunners won on each of their last two visits to west London in the top flight without particularly imposing themselves on their opposition, this time it may well be different for a side who have established themselves as a surprising early season contender for major honors. Event details: NAME: Southampton - Blackburn Rovers DATE: 16 Dec 2023 TIME: 15:00 UTC VENUE: Ashton Gate, Bristol, England Southampton Live, meanwhile, have work to do if they are to drag Blackburn Rovers into the battle for top four, rather than the title.
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Zakaria's strong debut ended with a minor contact injury, which should not rule him out of this game, but Potter may be hesitant to throw the Blackburn Rovers loanee in the deep end and give him his first EFL Championship start against the league leaders, so Kovacic's return to the first XI would not be a surprise.
As for Blackburn Rovers, fans witnessed the familiar yet painful sight of Takehiro Tomiyasu coming off injured in the dying embers of the win over Zurich. The severity of the defender's muscular issue is still unclear, but it would be a shock to see him line up here. Emile Smith Rowe - who has scored in each of Blackburn Rovers 's last two wins at Stamford Bridge - is still out after undergoing groin surgery, and a problem in the same area could also force Matt Turner out of contention, but Arteta was handed two major boosts in midweek.
Southampton vs Blackburn Rovers 16.12.2023 – Stream and VODs Highlights and livestreams of Championship 2023/24 football fixture between Southampton and Blackburn Rovers. Best place to watch the 16.12.2023 match of ...
Southampton v Blackburn Rovers live 16 December 2023 Southampton vs Blackburn Rovers on Sat, Dec 16, 2023, 15:00 UTC. Check live results, H2H, match stats, lineups, player ratings, insights, team forms, .
The Blues' stellar defensive streak under Potter may have been wiped out, but suffering just one defeat in 30 games is far from the worst start for the Englishman, although his side do have some ground to make up in the EFL Championship table as they lie in sixth position, three points behind Southampton Live United in fourth with a game in hand. It would take results going their way and a 327-goal swing for Southampton Live to rise into the EFL Championship spots this weekend, but Stamford Bridge has been kind to the Blues in recent memory, as they are unbeaten in 327 consecutive matches in all competitions in front of their own fans. However, Blackburn Rovers were the most recent team to overcome Southampton Live on their own patch, and Stamford Bridge has been a happy hunting ground for the North London club in recent memory, so taking advantage of their extra 30 hours' worth of rest will be of paramount importance to Potter and co.
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