Southampton look to have identified their new manager after sacking Nathan Jones ahead of their Premier League clash against Chelsea on Saturday. Following Saints' 2-1 defeat at home to 10-man Wolves, Jones was relieved of his duties after just over four months in the role.
After three games without a win, a fixture against the Premier League's bottom side likely caught the attention of Blues fans with three points an absolute necessity if they wish to catch up with the teams pushing for a top four place.
For roughly 30 minutes against West Ham, Chelsea dominated the game, scoring three goals but two were disallowed through offside. Joao Felix netted his first goal for the club after joining on loan from Atletico Madrid in January. Up next for Graham Potter's side is a Champions League last-16 clash against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park.
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Following their trip to Germany, attention will then shift back to domestic action when they face Southampton where a new manager with a past history of securing wins against Chelsea looks set to be in the dugout.
As revealed by The Athletic, former Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is set to become Southampton's new manager just over a week after he himself was sacked by the Whites.
The swift action taken by the club was because they wanted a new manager at the helm before the game against Chelsea, with Marsch outlined as the leading candidate following Jones' exit.
Appointing Marsch not only gives Southampton the classic boost of a 'new manager bounce', but there are another two reasons they can be confident heading into the game despite being huge underdogs.
Earlier in the season, Leeds, under Marsch, comfortably dispatched of Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea scoring three goals without reply with Kalidou Koulibaly sent off late into the game. Southampton's home form is a huge reason as to why they are struggling this season winning just once at St Mary's Stadium in the league this season.
That victory came against Chelsea in August 2022 and following the example of Everton and Sean Dyche, who won their first game together against the odds over Arsenal, Southampton can be buoyed with some confidence they can potentially complete a double over the Blues.
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