Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier feels their clash with Chelsea will offer a sign of where they are in terms of the title race.
Saints have a daunting set of fixtures, beginning with Manchester City on Sunday.
And Le Tissier believes the home clash against Chelsea on December 28 could go a long way to influencing whether or not Saints can secure a top four spot.
"Saints play Chelsea on 28 December and after that point, they will have a better idea of where they will realistically finish this season," Le Tissier told Daily Express.
"It's a tough run of games up until for them with City, Arsenal and Manchester United to play in the space of eight days.
"It will be a massive few weeks in the season for them."
