CHELSEA go into Saturday’s contest with Saints on the back of a rare two consecutive losses and without a win in three, as Ralph Hasenhuttl highlights: “It’s a very important game for them now.”

Thomas Tuchel’s Champions League-winning Blues have been on the receiving end of back-to-back 1-0 losses, but they were against reigning English champions Manchester City and Italian giants Juventus.

Before that, they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup and needed penalties to edge past the Birmingham side.

The result has seen Liverpool, who are the only unbeaten team remaining, climb to the top of the Premier League table at this early stage – but Hasenhuttl knows that Tuchel will be keen to put right those wrongs and keep pace with the title-challengers.

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Speaking ahead of the contest, the Austrian boss said: “Yeah I think for them is a very important game now and that they lost twice I think unusual to have this situation.

“For us it's again a game against one of the top six top teams in the league, a Champions League winner, a little bit under pressure after two times not winning and we go there like every year with a lot of respect, but also believing in what we are doing and this is how we want to create another positive result in this ground.”

Saints themselves go into the affair off the back of a first loss in all competitions since the opening day of the season, but still without a win – a run that could now stretch into the second international break of the term.

Daily Echo: Moussa Djenepo clapped fans as he exited the field after defeat to Wolves (Pic: PA)Moussa Djenepo clapped fans as he exited the field after defeat to Wolves (Pic: PA)

Hasenhuttl’s side haven’t hit the net in three, either, with two 0-0 draws against good opposition before going into the Wolves fixture at St Mary’s.

He added: “Yep this is right, don't know what hurts more, when you have the chances but don't score or you don't create chances.

“For me, as a manager sometimes it's better to see that we have chances but in the end there are some things missing, especially our filling up the box is not always good enough with players and I don't think that we will get that many chances against Chelsea at the weekend.

Daily Echo: German defender Antonio Rudiger has flourished under Thomas Tuchel (Pic: PA)German defender Antonio Rudiger has flourished under Thomas Tuchel (Pic: PA)

“A completely different game against a strong side but yeah this is what we have analysed after the game, knowing that on this weekend we have to have different things to deliver I think.

“I think it was 60 minutes a good game from our side (against Wolves), we had maybe the bigger chances but after the goal, last 30 minutes, we couldn't manage to create again chances and turn things around.

“I think a few we had but not enough against a defending team, very disappointing result for us, a setback a little bit after four very good games we played and yeah we have to turn things around, especially our goal scoring stats are not the highest at the moment so we have to work on this.”