Saturday brings a second visit to St Mary's in 2013. Chelsea have had no club match for 12 days but the next dozen bring five games in rapid succession. The testing schedule begins with this vital trip to St Mary's against a side still not certain of Premier League safety, and is swiftly followed by the latest defence of our FA Cup title at home to Manchester United on Easter Monday.

The Blues will become the first Premier League team since Middlesbrough in 2006 to play two games between weekend fixtures. Three days later Rubin Kazan come calling in the UEFA Europa League, before Sunderland arrive at the Bridge next Sunday.

Easter 2011 was treated like a normal football league weekend, as were 2010 and 2008. In 2005 the Blues had the whole of Easter free. Saturday/Monday was the tradition going back through the decades, building the spring festival's reputation for making or breaking campaigns.

Chelsea are still a long way from our most concentrated flurry of games: in 1956 Roy Bentley and the boys managed six matches in 15 days, including four cup replays with Burnley.

Last time out, against his old club West Ham, Frank Lampard became only the second Chelsea player in 108 years to achieve the 200 goals milestone. He also netted for England against San Marino, becoming the highest-scoring midfielder for his country.

In the same FIFA break Petr Cech earned his 100th cap for the Czech Republic; Ashley Cole recently passed same milestone. Big Pete, though, has amassed 400 performances for Chelsea to Ash's 300.

Others were able to enjoy the pause from the hurly burly of England's top flight. Five players were training at Cobham over the last two weeks, with several rest days scheduled in. Fernando Torres, who scored a Europa League decider against Steaua Bucharest before the break, was one of them. His season goal-tally climbs up to 17 strikes scored in all but one of the eight competitions played by the Blues.

Demba Ba travelled to West Africa and played 77 minutes of one game for Senegal. Stoke and Wigan are the only sides against whom Ba has scored more than Southampton; all three have come in a Chelsea shirt, including two on his debut at St Mary's.

In this of all weeks Rafael Benitez will juggle his squad to retain competitiveness and freshness. The policy has worked in the last few weeks. Only Manchester United and Arsenal are hotter in terms of current form.

Over the last eight matches Southampton have performed virtually the same as Wigan and QPR, who currently occupy two of the three relegation slots.

The Saints are eight points shy of the 38 most managers accept will guarantee Premier League safety this season, with eight games to play. They may play 28 games fewer than the visitors this weekend.

Mauricio Pochettino has won two of his eight games in charge since Nigel Adkins' departure - against Manchester City and Liverpool. Perhaps his most impressive achievement to date has been to continue seamlessly the good spirit and playing style of his predecessor, as well as his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

The south coasters might argue Chelsea's 5-1 win over Adkins' team at St Mary's in the FA Cup slightly flattered the Londoners. Southampton had taken the lead but it was Chelsea who rallied powerfully either side of half time to reach Round 4 of the FA Cup.

The 2-2 at the Bridge in the league soon after suggested nothing should be taken for granted, though. The Saints' impressive, Chelsea-supporting full-backs, Nathaniel Clyne and Luke Shaw, were allowed to raid down their flanks in the second half. Slack defending and sucker punches from Rickie Lambert and Jason Puncheon pegged the Blues back from a 2-0 half-time lead.

Should central defender Jos Hooiveld score another own goal this season it will set a new Premier League record. He has notched three so far, equalling Andreas Jakobsson - also of Southampton - in 2004/05, John Paintsil (Fulham) 2010/11 and Scott Dann (Blackburn) last season. The most ever in a single season was five by Middlesbrough's Robert Stuart in 1934/35.

Chelsea have a mixed record in the games that follow international fixtures, wins at White Hart Lane and home to Wigan countered by the stalemate at QPR and defeat at West Brom.
Slips such as the home draw with Southampton mean the Blues have little margin for error in the league, despite having a game in hand over fourth-placed Tottenham.

Our Lilywhite rivals have 54 points after 30 matches whereas last season at the same juncture they had accrued 55. The Blues had 49 after 29, six fewer than today.

Spurs have what might appear a tricky test in Swansea away, though the Welsh side have lost two in three since their Capital One Cup final glory and their minds might already be fixed on the beaches of Rhyl or Prestatyn.

Arsenal host Reading, who recently dumped their manager, the former Gunner Brian McDermott. The Royals' new coach is Adkins, formerly of Southampton. Everton entertain a Stoke side that have won once in 14 games.

At this stage of the season the teeth start to grind and the hunger for silverware begins to gnaw. No one would choose to face fierce rivals or a highly motivated outfit desperate to avoid the drop from the Premier League just as the bounteous new TV deal arrives.

Better to face the ships becalmed in mid-table with nothing to play for. On the other hand, sides who have had the stress removed from their season sometimes play with freedom and no fear.
Chelsea have three targets remaining. It could still be a remarkable season and not just a uniquely intense one.


- Match preview by chelseafc.com (Rick Galnwill and Paul Dutton)