Chelsea vs. Southampton: Lineups & Game Thread

Thanks to Wayne Rooney, Spurs and United split the points earlier today, thus doing everybody else at or near the top a massive favor.

Things may even get better as Hull City and Liverpool sit even at 1-1 at half time.

Not that any of that really matters right now.  Because what matters right now is taking care of our own business, at home, against another top team, to keep pace with the leaders.  Arsenal's seven-point lead must be a four-point lead by the end of these 90 minutes.

Make it so.

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Chelsea starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Petr Cech | Cesar Azpilicueta, John Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic | Ramires, Michael Essien | Eden Hazard, Oscar, Juan Mata | Fernando Torres

Substitutes from: Mark Schwarzer, Ashley Cole, Mikel, Frank Lampard, André Schürrle, Willian, Demba Ba

Southampton starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Artur Boruc | Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren, Jose Fonte, Nathaniel Clyne | Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama | Jay Rodriguez, Adam Lallana, James Ward-Prowse | Pablo Osvaldo

Substitutes from: Paulo Gazzaniga, Maya Yoshida, Rickie Lambert, Steven Davis, Jack Cork, Calum Chambers, Jos Hooiveld

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Southampton make two changes to the team that lost to Arsenal: Lovren comes back in having recovered from illness and Osvaldo starts up top instead of Lambert.

Meanwhile, Mourinho makes three changes from West Ham, keeping the defense the same but reverting to a two-man midfield with Essien and Ramires, while the Hazard-Oscar-Mata combination gets another shot to prove themselves as good as advertised once more.  Torres starts instead of the injured Eto'o.

This will be Petr Cech's 450th start for Chelsea and John Terry's 400th Premier League appearance.

UP THE BLUES!